About Us

Local advisors, a national network, and one promise

We help owners across the Mountain West sell the businesses they spent a career building. We do it with real preparation, honest numbers about what your business is worth, and a national network that puts your company in front of the right buyers. Neither of us gets paid until your business actually sells, so our incentive is the same as yours.

Our story

First Choice Business Brokers (FCBB) has helped owners sell their companies since 1994. What began as a single office founded by Jeff and Linda Nyman, who still own and guide the company today, has grown into one of the largest business-brokerage networks in North America.


Years ago the founders chose to grow through franchising, and that structure is a real advantage for you. Today around 85 independent owner-operators across North America, the founders among them, collaborate like a national partnership, supported by more than 300 agents on their teams. Since 1994, the network has facilitated roughly $15 billion in transactions.



We function as one company. We collaborate on deals and share a common pool of vetted buyers across markets, so your business is never limited to one broker's contacts. When it is something the network has sold many times, you get a proven playbook. When it is newer to us, we put it in front of that nationwide network, find the owners and agents who have sold one like it, and build the right game plan together.


Meet the FCBB Summit Team

Our advisors live and work across the Mountain West. Click any name to view that advisor's full bio and contact details.


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Meet the owners: Mike and Lynn Lee


Mike and Lynn Lee own First Choice Business Brokers franchises across the Mountain West as Team Lee. Mike is Managing Director and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA).


Mike Lee, Managing Director, CEPA

Mike got into high tech right out of college and never stopped being an entrepreneur. He founded and bootstrapped IP3 Networks out of his garage, a company that brought high-speed internet access to hotels and public spaces, and grew it as Founder and CEO with backing from Garage Technology Ventures and Sequoia Capital. Later, as head of sales for Tail-f, he was the rainmaker who got AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile to standardize on the company's technology, which led to its acquisition by Cisco, where Mike spent four more years leading sales of network automation and orchestration software.


Across thirty years and many ventures, what he loved most was architecting a deal so everyone walks away feeling like they won. That instinct is what pulled him into business brokerage. Back in 2023, while doing due diligence to acquire a steel-fabrication company, Mike and the owner mutually decided the deal did not make sense to continue. As they wrapped up, the owner told Mike that if he implemented the very changes Mike had been planning to make, he believed he could grow the business for a few more years and sell it for roughly twice as much, and then asked Mike to help him do it as his business broker when the time came. That was the moment it clicked, and Mike became a business broker.


He earned the Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) designation, a credential most brokers do not hold. He brings an operator's eye and a dealmaker's instincts to every engagement.


Lynn Lee, Business Advisor

Lynn Lee spent 30 years in the hospitality industry in sales and business development, focused on large corporate events. She was right alongside Mike through the due diligence on that steel-fabrication acquisition, and while Mike was choosing which business-brokerage firm to build with, Lynn decided she wanted to be part of it.


Married since August 1994, Mike and Lynn have been life partners for three decades and business partners for the last three years. They run the Mountain West as Team Lee.


Why Experience Matters in Business Sales


A national network behind a local advisor

You work with our team in the Mountain West, and you get the reach of the full network behind you. Around 85 independent owner-operators and more than 300 agents collaborate across markets and share qualified buyers, so your business reaches the right buyers faster. Roughly $15 billion in transactions have been facilitated since 1994, which means proven processes, proprietary valuation insight, and a buyer pool that reaches well beyond any single office.


Results that come from preparation

We lead with preparation, and the numbers reflect it. About 87% of the businesses we take to market reach a successful close, because we prepare them properly first and we do not rush to market. A few outcomes worth knowing:

  • 94% of asking price on average, compared with an industry average closer to 85%.
  • 4.7 months average time to close once on-market, compared with an industry range of 9 to 12 months.
  • 95% employee retention 12 months after close.
  • 92% customer retention through the transition.
  • 89% of sellers report their values and culture were preserved.


Straight talk about value

We are straight with you about what your business is worth. Many brokers will tell an owner whatever it takes to win the listing, even a number the market will not support. We will not. Neither of us gets paid until your business actually sells, so our incentive is the same as yours: a price the market will pay, on terms that hold up. When we share an Estimate of Value and a Suggested Asking Price, they are grounded in market data, not in what sounds good in a pitch. We focus on enterprise values of roughly $1M to $10M, which typically means transactions in the $500K to $20M range.


The Strategic Buyer Search

For the right businesses, we run a second track most Main Street brokers do not offer: a Strategic Buyer Search. It is a proactive, confidential, structured outreach to the buyers most likely to value your business, including competitors, ecosystem partners, strategic acquirers, regional operators, private equity, and family offices. Running several qualified buyers in parallel creates competition, and competition tends to produce a better price and better terms.

What we believe

Aligned Outcomes

Every successful deal begins with aligned goals between buyer and seller. We focus on transparency and strategic fit, not just transactions.


Results With Integrity

We are here to deliver outcomes you can be proud of. Confidentiality, professionalism, and trust drive every step of our process.


People Over Process

We do not treat business sales like checklists. We build relationships, understand motivations, and tailor each engagement to the human side of the deal.



Regional Roots, National Reach

From Salt Lake to Jackson Hole, from Missoula to Bozeman, we know the unique dynamics of the Mountain West, and we market your business to a nationwide buyer pool.


What we believe

Misc logo or graphic

Aligned Outcomes

Every successful deal begins with aligned goals between buyer and seller. We focus on transparency and strategic fit, not just transactions.

Misc logo or graphic

Results With Integrity

We are here to deliver outcomes you can be proud of. Confidentiality, professionalism, and trust drive every step of our process.


Misc logo or graphic

People Over Process

We do not treat business sales like checklists. We build relationships, understand motivations, and tailor each engagement to the human side of the deal.

Misc logo or graphic

Regional Roots, National Reach

From Salt Lake to Jackson Hole, from Missoula to Bozeman, we know the unique dynamics of the Mountain West, and we market your business to a nationwide buyer pool.

Our Approach

Two men in suits reviewing financials

A Strategic Starting Point

The Readiness & Value Assessment is the foundational step in our Value Acceleration Methodology™. It gives business owners a clear picture of where they are today and what actions are needed to maximize business value and personal outcomes.


We assess three critical dimensions:

  • Business Attractiveness – how appealing the business is to potential buyers.
  • Owner & Business Readiness – how prepared both the owner and the company are for a future transition.
  • Financial & Personal Planning Alignment – how well the business aligns with the owner’s life goals and wealth planning.

The process delivers:

  • A recasted EBITDA and Range of Value for your business (real vs. tax number).
  • Identification of your Value Gap (what your business is worth today vs. what it could be worth).
  • A Wealth Gap analysis (how the current value supports your post-exit lifestyle goals).
  • A set of actionable priorities designed to protect, build, and harvest value.

The goal? 


To transform a successful business into a significant one—highly valuable, transferable, and aligned with your future vision.

Grow Value with Focused Action

Once the Readiness & Value Assessment establishes the starting point, we move into the Prepare & Plan phase—where real value growth happens. This is where we work alongside business owners over 3 to 9 months (or longer) to execute prioritized strategies that drive value and prepare for a successful exit.


This phase is centered on:

  • Aligning vision with execution through clear business, personal, and financial goals.
  • Creating integrated action plans broken down into 90-day sprints.
  • Focusing on the most impactful value drivers, such as recurring revenue, customer diversification, systems, leadership development, and intangible capital strength.
  • De-risking the business to ensure sustainability, scalability, and transferability.
  • Preparing financials, teams, and processes to be due diligence-ready at any time.

Deliverables include:

  • A fully integrated 90-day action plan rhythm to create accountability and momentum.
  • Workshops to align leadership, refine strategy, and track key milestones.
  • Regular reviews of progress toward closing the Value Gap and reducing the Wealth Gap.
  • A strengthened business that is more attractive, more predictable, and more aligned with the owner’s exit timeline and goals.

Our objective? 


To move from being ready in theory to being ready in reality—so when the right opportunity comes, you’re prepared to say yes with confidence.

It's Go Time!

With the business and owner now fully prepared, we transition to the Go-to-Market phase—where preparation meets opportunity. At this point, the business is both attractive and ready, and the owner is confident in moving forward. This phase is about executing a structured and confidential sale process to achieve the best possible outcome.


Key priorities:

  • Onboarding for Sale – Finalizing documentation, verifying financials, and updating the Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM).
  • Developing a custom marketing strategy to discreetly attract qualified buyers (strategic, financial, or internal).
  • Segmenting and targeting the buyer universe while protecting confidentiality throughout the process.
  • Managing the M&A process end-to-end, including buyer screening, negotiations, deal structuring, and coordination of advisors (legal, tax, financial).
  • Driving toward a clean, high-value transaction with limited disruption and minimized risk.

Deliverables include:

  • A professional and compelling Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM) and supporting materials.
  • A confidential marketing launch plan tailored to ideal buyer types.
  • Ongoing deal management, from offer review to due diligence to closing.
  • Owner coaching and support through deal negotiations, LOI, and definitive agreements.

The result? 


A transaction that meets or exceeds expectations—financially and personally—supported by a proven process and trusted advisors from start to finish.

Maximizing Strategic Value

For certain businesses—typically those with strong financial performance, industry leadership, or proprietary advantages—we offer an enhanced Strategic & Structured M&A Process. This approach leverages a more curated and competitive buyer environment to unlock premium outcomes.


This phase is selective and tailored, used when a broader market auction isn’t ideal and a targeted, relationship-driven strategy delivers better results.


Key elements:

  • Development of a highly targeted strategic buyer list, focusing on synergistic acquirers, private equity groups with a platform fit, or industry players seeking growth.
  • Creation and delivery of an M&A Process Letter outlining key deal parameters, buyer expectations, timelines, and response protocols.
  • Tight management of confidentiality, communications, and buyer engagement to create competitive tension and control over deal flow.
  • Coordination of buyer meetings, responses to indications of interest (IOIs), and transition into final negotiations and due diligence.

Benefits of this approach:

  • Faster time to close, as aligned buyers are prioritized early and engaged decisively.
  • Stronger offers, driven by fit, strategic synergies, and readiness.
  • Increased certainty and control, as timelines and expectations are defined from the outset.

This process is ideal when your business has a clear strategic narrative, a specific buyer type in mind, or the goal of minimizing time in-market while maximizing valuation.

Sealing the Deal with Confidence

In the final phase, we guide owners through the complex, high-stakes final stretch of the sale process—from offer to close and beyond. With value maximized and the right buyer engaged, our role shifts to deal facilitation, negotiation support, and ensuring a seamless transition.


This is where details matter most—and experience counts.


Our focus:

  • Managing deal momentum through the negotiation of Letters of Intent (LOIs) and purchase agreements.
  • Leading coordination of legal, tax, and financial advisors to maintain alignment and protect the seller’s interests.
  • Facilitating the due diligence process—efficiently and thoroughly—ensuring responses are prompt, organized, and complete.
  • Navigating deal structure conversations (e.g., earn-outs, seller notes, equity rollover) to balance risk and reward.
  • Supporting the transition planning to ensure continuity for employees, customers, and the new owner.

Deliverables include:

  • Comprehensive deal management and negotiation support, with frequent communication and real-time issue resolution.
  • Assistance with due diligence packaging and data room organization.
  • Post-close transition plan aligned to the seller’s desired level of involvement and legacy goals.
  • Emotional and strategic guidance throughout to ensure the owner finishes strong—financially and personally.

The outcome? 


A successful and satisfying exit—one that honors the owner’s years of work, protects their legacy, and sets them up for what’s next.

Ready to Work With Our Team?

Whether you are ready to sell your business, want an Estimate of Value, or simply want to explore businesses for sale, our team is here to help. Reach out for a confidential, no-pressure conversation.

Find a Local Advisor



We specialize in aligning seller and buyer goals to create smooth, win-win transactions. More than just advisors, we’re strategic matchmakers with expert dealmakers located throughout Utah, Montana, and Wyoming—ready to guide you at every step.





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