How long a business sale really takes

There is no reliable universal time to sell a business. Timing depends on readiness, buyer qualification, diligence, financing, consents, licenses, tax allocation, real estate, and required approvals. Plan through seven milestones: readiness, a supportable value story, qualified interest, an executable letter of intent, resolved diligence, committed financing and approvals, and a controlled closing. Start by naming the unresolved document, decision, consent, or approval that would move closing if it slipped. Preparation reduces avoidable delay; it cannot guarantee a date. There is no universal business-sale timeline. Plan around…