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Sale preparation

How to Prepare a Business for Sale

Reconcile the financial record, document who runs the company without the owner, decide what can be shared at each stage, and identify contracts or licenses that may need consent. That work exposes problems while the owner can still choose the timing and sale path.

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A sale process competes with the operating work that still needs the owner's attention.Licensed editorial photography

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Featured guideSale readinessAnalysisUpdated Aug 6, 2026

How Long Does It Take to Sell a Business? A 25-Deal Study

A 25-deal study shows which business-sale intervals were measured—and which seller work still needs its own calendar.

Read the analysis →
In Sale readiness

More preparation guides

  1. 01Sale readinessGuideBusiness Sale Confidentiality Agreement: What to Share and WhenLearn what a business-sale NDA covers, what to share with a buyer, who should receive each file, and when access should end.→
  2. 02Sale readinessGuideSell a Business to a Competitor: What to Share, When to StopStart with masked customer data, name every recipient, and set the access closeout before a competitor receives sensitive operating information.→
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Related topics

ValuationEstimate a credible range by understanding earnings, methods, transaction perimeter, and transfer risk.→Earnings qualityReconcile SDE, EBITDA, add-backs, revenue quality, and the records a buyer will test.→DiligenceOrganize the documents, explanations, and issue ownership that make buyer review manageable.→
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