Most business owners work for years to build something valuable, then guess at what it’s worth when it’s finally time to sell. That guess can cost you real money. We sit down with business broker and M&A advisor Hitash Patel of TransWorld Business Advisors to get practical about exit planning for small business owners and what actually drives a strong business sale.

We talk about when to bring a broker into the conversation, why the best time to think about an exit is earlier than you think, and how a business valuation can double as a roadmap. Hitash explains how he looks beyond financial statements into operations, legal readiness, and the transferability of the business. We also tackle the word everyone throws around but few define clearly: multiples. Instead of treating a multiple like magic, we break it down as risk assessment, including owner dependence, customer concentration, and what buyers worry about when they take over.

From there, we walk through the real mechanics of taking a company to market: using a teaser to protect confidentiality, requiring NDAs, vetting buyers, and building a Confidential Information Memorandum that tells the company’s story with the data to back it up. If you’ve ever wondered how buyers are found, how serious buyers are separated from curious clickers, or how to sell on your timeline instead of in distress, this conversation lays out the playbook.

If this helps you, subscribe, share it with a fellow owner, and leave a review. What part of selling a business feels most uncertain to you right now?