Sell Your Business for What It's Actually Worth
Most brokers tell you what you want to hear. First Choice Business Brokers (FCBB) tells you what a buyer will actually pay, and then we help you get there.
What You Get When You Work With Us
Expert Valuation
Buyer Matching
Stress-Free Selling
The Honest Truth About Selling a Business
Most businesses listed for sale never sell. Not because they are bad businesses, but because the process starts wrong.
Here is how it often goes. An owner decides they want $2M for their business. They call a broker. The broker says sign here and I will get you $2M. The business goes to market overpriced, sits for 12 to 18 months, attracts no serious buyers, and eventually gets withdrawn. The owner has lost a year, disrupted the business, and is no closer to an exit.
We do it differently. Before we list anything, we assess your business the way a buyer would. We look at your financials, your operations, your customer concentration, your owner dependency, and your market position. We tell you honestly what a qualified buyer is likely to pay, not what you hope to hear. Then we decide together whether to go to market now or spend 6 to 12 months fixing the things that are holding your value down.
That honest preparation is a big reason about 87% of the businesses we take to market go on to close, at 94% of asking price on average, compared with roughly 85% across the industry. Most unprepared businesses do not sell. We assess from the buyer's perspective first, and we only go to market when we believe the business can sell and you agree it is time. Nobody at FCBB gets paid until your business sells.
What the First 30 Days Actually Look Like
Most of the first 30 days is not glamorous. It is thorough. After our initial conversation, we begin gathering everything a buyer will eventually want to see: financials, tax returns, operational documentation, lease agreements, and customer data.
You are busy running your business, so this stage takes some patience on both sides. We chase, we follow up, we organize. Once we have what we need, we complete our Market Readiness and Value Assessment, which gives you:
- A realistic valuation range based on what comparable businesses have actually sold for
- A buyer's-eye assessment of your business, including what looks strong and what raises questions
- A clear recommendation: go to market now, or prepare for 6 to 12 months first
- A roadmap to improve your Suggested Asking Price before we list
There is no pressure and no upfront fee for this assessment. Our job is to tell you the truth, not to collect a listing.
How we protect you throughout the process
Confidentiality is not a checkbox for us. It's a system.
Every buyer signs a Non-Disclosure Agreement with real legal teeth before they receive a single piece of identifying information. We start with a blind teaser, enough for a buyer to know whether they are interested, without revealing who you are or what you do.
If a buyer wants to learn more, we get on a call with them first. We want to understand who they are, what they are looking for, and whether they are genuinely a fit for your business, before you ever know their name. We vet them financially. We screen for cultural fit. We do not waste your time with buyers who are not qualified or not serious.
Only after we are satisfied that a buyer is legitimate, financially capable, and a genuine fit do we share the Confidential Information Memorandum, the full picture of your business. And only after that do we arrange an introduction. You stay focused on running your business. We handle everything else.
What Our Sellers Say
I worked with Mike and the First Choice team on the sale of our company. They protected confidentiality, created strong buyer interest, and helped us choose from multiple offers. The process was organized, communication excellent, and we closed on great terms right at our $6.9M asking price.
Jason M.
CEO, Plumbing & HVAC Contractor
We didn't think we could get more than $500K for our business. Mike ran the valuation and came back at $1M. We were skeptical - but he was right. We had it under contract in 60 days and closed at the full $1M within 6 months, even with a government shutdown slowing down the SBA process."
Renan Y
Founder/CEO, Environmental Consulting Firm
Mike and the team sold our construction related business for $800K. The process was professional, confidential, and they delivered exactly what they said they would. We are raving fans.
Jaime M
President, Construction Trade Services
Industries We Know Best
We have closed more than 40 transactions across the Mountain West. We are generalists in that we help owners from any industry, and we tend to work most with construction and manufacturing companies.
If your business is in a different industry, ask us. We have likely sold something similar, or we know who has.
38%
Construction and specialty trades
21%
Manufacturing and fabrication
14%
Retail and consumer businesses
The Network Behind Your Sale
Behind your local advisor stands one of the largest business brokerage networks in the country. First Choice Business Brokers was founded in 1994 by Jeff and Linda Nyman, who still own and guide the firm. The network includes around 85 independent owner-operators and more than 300 agents nationwide, all sharing a common pool of vetted buyers, and it has handled roughly $15B in transactions since 1994.
That scale shows up in results. Across the network, about 87% of businesses taken to market close, at 94% of asking price on average, in an average of 4.7 months once on the market, compared with an industry norm of 9 to 12 months. After closing, 95% of employees and 92% of customers are typically retained, and 89% of sellers feel their culture was preserved. In the Mountain West, Team Lee serves Utah, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado, focusing on businesses with roughly $1M to $10M in enterprise value and transactions in the $500K to over $20M range.
Maybe, maybe not, and we will tell you honestly. If your business is profitable, your financials are clean, and you are ready to engage a buyer seriously, we can often have you under contract within 60 to 90 days.
If your business is owner-dependent, your records need cleanup, or your valuation expectations need calibration, we will tell you that too, and we will give you a specific plan to get ready. Either way, the conversation costs you nothing.
Ready to Begin Your Selling Journey?
Let us talk about how we can improve the value of your business and guide you through a smooth transition. Reach Team Lee, Mike and Lynn Lee, at 435-800-4400 or teamsummit@fcbb.com. Mike Lee is Principal Broker, CEPA.