What the assessment covers?
Real earnings: SDE and Adjusted EBITDA
Buyers do not value a business on revenue or on the bottom line your tax return shows. They value it on normalized earnings. We calculate Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE) and Adjusted EBITDA, then document every legitimate add-back for owner compensation and personal expenses. The result is an honest picture of what your business actually earns.
Comparable transactions
We pull actual sales of similar businesses from the past 12 months, not asking prices, but what buyers actually paid. That data sets a realistic multiple range for a business like yours.
Your Estimate of Value and Suggested Asking Price
From your normalized earnings and the comparable data, we produce an Estimate of Value, expressed as a range, along with a Suggested Asking Price. You will see the numbers and the reasoning behind them, so the figure holds up when a buyer and their lender examine it.
A sellability view
Two businesses with the same earnings can sell for very different amounts. We look at the factors buyers reward and the ones they discount: customer concentration, owner dependence, recurring revenue, clean financials, and growth trend. This shows you where value may be added before you go to market.
A clear roadmap
You finish with an honest answer to whether you are ready now or could benefit from a few weeks of preparation first. Most sellers are closer to market-ready than they realize. If cleanup is needed, the most common fix is messy financials, and that can usually be addressed in 4 to 6 weeks.
Why owners trust First Choice Business Brokers
FCBB was founded in 1994 by Jeff and Linda Nyman, who still own and guide the firm. The network includes roughly 85 independent owner-operators and more than 300 agents nationwide who share a common buyer pool. Since 1994, FCBB offices have closed roughly $15 billion in business sales.
In the Mountain West, Mike and Lynn Lee serve owners across Utah, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado. Mike Lee is Principal Broker and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA). We focus on businesses with roughly $1M to $10M in enterprise value, which generally corresponds to transactions in the $500K to $20M range.
- About 87% of listed deals reach a successful close.
- 94% of asking price achieved on average, compared with an industry average near 85%.
- 4.7 months average time to close once a business is on the market, compared with an industry average of 9 to 12 months.
Want a quick estimate first?
If you would like a rough number before you tak with us, use our free Business Value Calculator. It gives you a quick, directional estimate in a few minutes. When you are ready for the detailed picture, the free Market Readiness and Value Assessment gives you the full analysis, the Estimate of Value, and the roadmap.
The World's Authority in Business Sales
© 2026 First Choice Utah | Each office is independently owned and operated | Privacy Policy