Six stages, from valuation to handover
Selling a business is a managed process, not a listing and a wait. Here is exactly how ECBB takes you from a private valuation to the closing table — confidentially, at every stage.
Before anything goes to market, you get the number — priced by a senior broker against 22 years of closed East Coast comps.
- Confidential review of 2–3 years of financials
- Lease, staffing, and transferability assessment
- Documented valuation range from closed comps
- No listing agreement, no obligation
When you decide to sell, we build the deal book — the document buyers and lenders both underwrite against.
- Engagement and listing agreement
- Confidential Business Review (CBR) prepared
- Financials packaged lender-ready
- Announcement plan agreed — who learns what, when
Your business goes to market without its name. Thousands of registered buyers see the profile; none see your identity.
- Blind listing — category, county, and financial profile only
- Daily email blasts to registered, matched buyers
- NDA and financial disclosure required before identity is revealed
- Weekly activity reporting to you
We filter the curious from the capable, and bring you offers worth your time — then negotiate on your side of the table.
- Buyer financial qualification and vetting
- Buyer/seller meetings — structured and on the record
- Offers presented with earnest money deposit (EMD)
- Price, terms, and transition negotiated
A signed contract is managed to the closing table on a weekly cadence — so no party stalls the deal.
- Weekly communications plan
- Buyer due diligence managed
- Lender, landlord, and license coordination
- Legal closing documentation prepared
The keys change hands — and the transition is managed so the business you built lands safely with its new owner.
- Final paperwork review and closing
- Announcements — employees, vendors, customers
- Training and transition period per contract
- Accounts and relationships handed over
Your business is marketed blind — no name, no address. Buyers sign an NDA and disclose their financials before they learn who you are. Employees, customers, vendors, and competitors hear nothing until after closing, on an announcement plan you approve in stage six.
Frequently asked questions
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How long does it take to sell?
Well-priced Main Street businesses typically go under contract in 3–6 months. From a signed LOI, most deals close within 60–90 days — 75–120 days when the buyer uses SBA financing. Clean books shorten every stage.
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What does the process cost me?
Nothing up front. The valuation, CBR, and all marketing are free — ECBB’s commission is paid from proceeds at closing. If your business doesn’t sell, you owe nothing.
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Do I keep running the business during the sale?
Yes — and you should. Buyers and lenders price the business on its current performance, so business as usual is the best thing you can do for your valuation. The process is designed not to disturb operations.
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Who decides which buyers learn my identity?
You do, through the process. Every buyer must sign an NDA and complete a financial disclosure first, and your broker screens them before the CBR is released. Unqualified or competitive lookers never get past the blind profile.
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What if I get a lowball offer?
Offers come with earnest money, so they’re serious by construction. Your broker presents every offer with context — how it compares to the valuation and to closed comps — and negotiates from your side of the table. You are never obligated to accept.
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What happens after closing?
A training and transition period, negotiated into the contract on your terms. Announcements to employees, vendors, and customers follow the plan you approved — typically after the keys change hands, not before.
Stage one is free — and private
A confidential valuation gives you the number, the plan, and the choice. No listing agreement, no obligation.