Buying & Selling a Business
The exit, explained before you need it: how to sell, what a business is really worth, asset sale versus stock sale, the letter of intent and purchase agreement, due diligence, earn-outs and seller financing, the tax side of a sale, and why a non-compete in a business sale is treated far more favorably than one in a job. Price and structure drive what you keep — talk to an attorney and a CPA before you sign.
All Buying & Selling a Business guides
- The Tax Side of Selling Your Business
How the price gets split across asset categories on IRS Form 8594 decides how much of a business sale you actually keep.
- The Letter of Intent and Purchase Agreement Explained
Which LOI clauses are actually binding, why leverage shifts once you sign, and what reps, indemnification, and covenants mean in a purchase agreement.
- Asset Sale vs. Stock Sale: What's the Difference
Asset sale vs. stock sale explained: how buyers' and sellers' interests differ, price allocation and Form 8594, C-corp double tax, and successor liability.
- What Is Your Business Worth? Valuation Basics
How small businesses are really valued: the three appraisal approaches, normalizing earnings, and why online calculators aren't real answers.
- Earn-Outs and Seller Financing Explained
Why small-business sellers rarely get paid in full at closing, and how to protect a seller note or earn-out.
- Due Diligence When Buying a Business
A lane-by-lane guide to buyer due diligence: financial, legal, operational, and people checks before you sign.
- Non-Competes in a Business Sale Are Different
Sale-of-business non-competes get far more legal protection than employee ones — here's why, and how to negotiate one as a seller.
- How to Sell Your Small Business
A plain-English walkthrough of selling a small business: cleaning up books, how buyers set a price, diligence, brokers, LOIs, and the deal-killers to fix early.