Sell my business: what happens when you go straight to a buyer
Selling directly to a principal buyer means you negotiate with the party that actually owns the money and signs the purchase agreement, instead of marketing your company to a pool of unknown parties. Maurant Ventures reviews your financials confidentially, tells you honestly whether we are a fit, and if we are, presents a structure in writing.
Written and reviewed by Antoine Campbell. Last reviewed .
Most owners start the sale conversation in one of two places: a broker who wants a listing agreement, or a private equity associate who wants a data room before they will say anything concrete. Both paths can work. Both also put your confidentiality and your calendar in someone else's hands.
A direct sale is narrower. One buyer, one review, one answer. If the answer is no, you have lost a few hours and told nobody. If the answer is yes, you are negotiating terms with the decision maker rather than a go-between.
What a direct sale actually looks like
You will notice there is no marketing step. Your employees, customers and competitors do not learn that you are exploring a sale, because nobody is being solicited.
- You send a short summary: what the business does, revenue and earnings for the last three years, whether real estate is included, and what you want the outcome to be.
- We review it against our buy criteria and respond with a fit answer, not a marketing pitch.
- If it fits, we ask for the documents needed to underwrite it and sign a mutual confidentiality agreement first.
- We present an indicative structure in writing: cash at close, any seller-held portion, and what happens to any real estate.
- If the structure works for you, we move to a letter of intent, then confirmatory diligence, then closing.
Broker listing versus a direct sale
Competitive tension is real. If your business is clean, growing, in a hot category and you are not in a hurry, a well-run process may produce a higher headline number. We will tell you when we think that is the case.
If you are already under a listing agreement, that agreement governs. Maurant does not pay or guarantee broker commissions; any commission you owe stays a seller obligation, and we structure the transaction so it can be paid at close.
| Broker listing | Direct sale to a principal | |
|---|---|---|
| Who you negotiate with | An intermediary representing you to unknown buyers | The buyer who signs the agreement |
| Confidentiality | Marketed to a buyer pool under NDA | One counterparty from first contact |
| Fee structure | Success fee owed under the listing agreement | No fee owed by you to Maurant |
| Certainty of close | Depends on which buyer emerges and how they finance it | Depends on one buyer's diligence and financing |
| Competitive tension | Multiple bidders can raise price | None; the tradeoff for speed and privacy |
How the price gets built
Price follows earnings quality, not revenue. We normalize the profit and loss statement for owner compensation, discretionary spending, one-time items, and market rent if you own the building and the business occupies it below market. What is left is the earnings a new owner would actually inherit.
From there, the structure matters as much as the number. A larger headline price with a fragile financing stack is worse than a slightly lower price that funds on the closing date.
How long it takes
A fit answer takes days. Underwriting a complete financial package takes one to three weeks. From signed letter of intent to close, expect roughly 45 to 90 days when third-party financing or real estate is involved, and less when it is not. Incomplete records are the single largest source of delay.
What Maurant needs to evaluate this
- Three years of business tax returns and year-to-date financials
- A profit and loss statement with owner compensation and discretionary items identified
- Revenue concentration: top customers as a share of total revenue
- Whether real estate is owned, leased, or owned by a related entity
- Existing debt, liens, and any personal guarantees
- Who runs the day to day if you step back, and what your role is now
When Maurant is not the right buyer
- Businesses that lose money with no identified, fixable cause
- Owners who want a full cash exit at a price the earnings do not support
- Companies where the revenue leaves with the owner's personal relationships and nothing transfers
- Situations already under an exclusive listing where the broker has not been consulted
- Pre-revenue, startup, or concept-stage companies
Questions owners ask
- Do I pay Maurant anything to be reviewed?
- No. We are the buyer. There is no fee to you for a confidential seller review, and we do not act as a broker, agent, lender or finder.
- Will my employees find out?
- Not from us. A direct review involves one counterparty and a mutual confidentiality agreement. Nothing is marketed or listed.
- What if I already have a broker?
- Tell us. Your listing agreement stays in force and any commission you owe remains your obligation under that agreement. We structure the deal so it can be paid at close.
- Can I stay involved after the sale?
- Often yes. Some owners want a clean break, others want to keep a minority position or stay on for a transition period. Both are structurable.
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This review is exploratory and does not promise a valuation, financing, offer, or closing.
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