IAG M&A Advisors

We help your business get acquired by the right buyer, at the right time.

Selling small and medium sized businesses

Sell A Business The Right Way - Create A Lasting Legacy

Through our proven M&A process, we help those selling a business unlock the potential value of their company, ensuring they have the knowledge to make decisions about their future.

 

Create the future you deserve with one of the nation’s leading M&A advisory firms.

Selling Businesses with $1M+ in Annual Sales.

Our analysts & deal makers have decades of experience in selling businesses. We confidentially package, present, & market your business across dozens of channels, including our own buyer lists, to find the right buyer & exit opportunity for you & your business.

Sell a Business Using the Expert Strategy

We help owners of privately held businesses successfully grow and exit their businesses for maximum value.

For Small Businesses up to $5M

For our United States transactions below $6M, a large percentage of those deals tend to be underwritten by preferred lenders approved by the Small Business Administration (SBA). 7(a) SBA Loans can be used to acquire a business, but not all SBA Lenders are alike. 

 

Many only operate in certain sectors; still, others will not write loans above $2M. Since we work directly with approved SBA banks, we know all of the Lenders willing to underwrite in most sectors and we focus our attention on them when referring buyers.


For buyers, using the SBA process can help them buy a business for as little as 10-20% down (depending on the age of the business, among other factors), amortizing over an entire decade with a reasonable interest rate. This keeps the monthly debt service low and allows for a fast return on investment.

More Options To Close When
Selling a Business

For sellers, the SBA is great because it allows for a large percentage of the transaction’s consideration (usually 85-90%) to be provided in cash at closing. It also helps to achieve higher selling multiples since the buyer pool is so much larger and more negotiable when using other people’s money.

The SBA caps 7(a) loans at $5M, but when combined with a buyer’s down payment and any Seller promissory notes structured into the deal, total deal values can go up to $6M. 

 

We know the process and all the players well. And they know us – which puts us (and in turn our clients) in a position to be successful during the closing process.  Whether you want to buy or sell a business, we can help you better understand the process and how it might help.

 

For more information on the Services we provide, please review our M&A Services page.

For Medium and Large Businesses Over $5M+

For businesses that sell between $5M and $150M, a differentiation occurs due to the change in the buyer pool and lending partners in this space.

 

Middle-market deals have a range of different buyers. Once Adjusted EBITDA for a company moves past the $2M mark (or close to it depending on a company’s current growth rate), more institutional buyers come to the forefront. Small family offices, private equity groups, brand roll-up companies, and hedge funds are examples of buyers that operate in this space. 


And of those buyers, there are multiple subsets, including those that will use their own internal cash (or a line of credit already in place) to buy a business or those that will use the capital markets to find funding for a deal (also known as sponsors).

Buyers in this space are often looking for sellers willing to remain with the company, and continue to be a minority owner of the company, for a period of time to help facilitate a smooth transition and continue operating alongside the buyer for that initial phase of the transition.

Approach and Availability

Lending partners in this space range from debt providers (banks, PEGs, etc.) to equity investors. Additionally, many companies have cash on the balance sheet that is targeted at acquisitions at this level.


While the deal process for SMB and middle market transactions tend to be relatively the same, the one extra level of diligence we tend to see is a Quality of Earning (QoE) Report, which provides a detailed analysis of all the components of a company’s revenue and expenses. These reports are frequently prepared by independent third party firms during due diligence in an acquisition. It is not an audit. The QoE is used by the buyer either for their own internal committees or for their lending partners if they are using outside resources for the acquisition.

 

Selling a middle-market business with IAG means you’ll have a dedicated team of advisors controlling the process from start to finish. From preparing financials and marketing collateral, to marketing the company to suitors across the globe, our expert M&A advisors are very focused on your business.

Your Next Step is Risk Free

The journey of selling a business starts with getting the right information and asking the right questions. For our team, there’s no greater reward than transforming the lives of business owners, to create the future they want for themselves and their loved ones.

Book A Strategy Call

Our M&A experts can help you determine the next steps in your selling journey with no obligation. You can ask questions about your business, the state of the market, our process and more at your convenience.

Get A Valuation Estimate

Our instant valuation tool can help you get a ballpark estimate of what your business could be worth in the market today. It uses real world statistics, multiples and calculations to send you a pdf report in 2 minutes.

Get An In Person Meeting

We have M&A Analysts and Transaction Advisors all over the United States and Canada ready to meet with qualified business owners at their locations, or virtually through online meetings with no obligation.