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Articles

Real stories, practical guides, and expert advice from hundreds of buyer-seller conversations on Rejigg.

Audience
Type

Articles

36 articles
Education

Using ROBS to Fund a Business Acquisition

Use 401(k) or IRA savings to fund a business acquisition without taxes or penalties. Learn how ROBS works, how it pairs with SBA loans, and the risks.

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Industry Insight

Self-Funded Search vs. Independent Sponsor: 7 Key Differences (With the Economics Explained)

A side-by-side breakdown of self-funded search and independent sponsor economics: how each buyer gets paid, deal size limits, personal risk, and who writes the equity checks.

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Industry Insight

Why Small-Business Sales Fall Through: 6 Real Reasons

Why do business sales fall through? Six real causes from hundreds of small-business deal calls, and the prevention playbook for buyers and sellers.

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Guide

Sell Part of Your Business: Rollover, Recaps & Phased Exits

Sell part of your business instead of all of it. Rollover equity, majority recaps, and phased exits explained, with data from real buyer calls on Rejigg.

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Education

Broker Agreement Red Flags: 7 Clauses That Can Cost You

Tail clauses can lock you into paying commission months after you fire your broker. Here are the 7 contract terms that catch sellers off guard and how to negotiate them.

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Education

Business Broker vs. M&A Advisor: Which One Fits Your Deal

Brokers handle deals under $2M. M&A advisors handle $5M+. The gray zone in between is where sellers get the wrong help. Here's how to match your deal to the right advisor.

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Education

Are Business Sale Costs Tax Deductible? What the IRS Allows

Broker fees, legal costs, accounting, and due diligence prep can all reduce your tax bill on the sale. Here's exactly which costs qualify and how to document them.

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Education

Earn-Outs in Business Sales: When to Accept and When to Walk

Earn-outs show up in about 30% of deals and they're not always bad. Here's when they work in the seller's favor, how to structure them, and the terms that cause problems.

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Education

EBITDA Explained for Business Sellers: What Buyers Actually Calculate

Buyers will recalculate your EBITDA no matter what you tell them. Here's how they do it, the adjustments they make, and how to prepare so the number works in your favor.

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Education

How to Finance a Business Acquisition: Every Option Explained

SBA 7(a), seller financing, cash, rollover equity, or a mix. Here's how real buyers structure deals, what lenders require, and which option fits different deal sizes.

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Education

How Long Does It Take to Sell a Business?

How long does it take to sell a business? Rejigg deal data: first buyer meeting in under 4 days, written offer by week 8, median 174 days to close. Updated quarterly.

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Education

How to Buy a Small Business: Step-by-Step from Search to Close

The difference between buyers who close and those who search forever comes down to process. Here's the step-by-step from hundreds of real acquisitions.

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Education

How to Create a CIM (Confidential Information Memorandum) Yourself

The CIM is the document that turns browsers into serious buyers. Here's the exact sections to include, what buyers actually read first, and a structure you can follow.

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Education

How to Price Your Business for Sale (Without Leaving Money on the Table)

Price too high and buyers disappear. Too low and you leave money behind. Here's how to find the number that attracts serious offers, based on real deal outcomes.

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Education

How to Approach an Owner About Buying Their Business

How to approach a business owner about buying their business: why most outreach gets ignored, what owners check before replying, and three scripts that work.

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Education

IOI vs. LOI: What Each One Means for Your Business Sale

An IOI means interest. An LOI means intent. The difference matters for your timeline, leverage, and how you negotiate. Here's what to expect at each stage.

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Education

You Got an LOI on Your Business. Here's What Happens Next.

The LOI is just the starting line. Here's the real timeline from LOI to close, the surprises that derail deals at this stage, and how to keep yours on track.

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Education

What Successful Business Sellers Do Differently (from Hundreds of Deals)

After hundreds of real deals, the same patterns keep showing up. Sellers who close do these things. Sellers who don't make the same 5 mistakes. Here's the difference.

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Education

Quality of Earnings Report: What It Costs, What It Covers, How to Prepare

A QofE report costs $15K-$60K and buyers use it to verify everything you've claimed. Here's what they're looking for, what triggers red flags, and how to prepare.

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Education

Questions That Get Honest Answers from Business Sellers

Some questions make sellers defensive. Others open them up. From thousands of real buyer-seller conversations, here are the questions that get honest, useful answers.

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Education

SBA Loans for Buying a Business: Rates, Requirements, and Timeline

SBA 7(a) loans cover up to 90% of a business purchase. Here's the current rate, what lenders require, how long the process takes, and what kills applications.

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Education

SDE vs. EBITDA: Which Metric Applies to Your Business

Under $1M in earnings? Buyers use SDE. Above that, EBITDA. Using the wrong one changes your valuation by 30%+. Here's how to know which applies and prepare for it.

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Education

Seller Financing: How Often It Comes Up and What Terms Look Like

Seller financing shows up in roughly half of small business deals. Here's what typical terms look like (rate, length, percentage), when it helps you close, and when to push back.

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Education

Business Valuation Multiples by Industry: What Yours Might Be

Valuation multiples range from 2x to 8x+ depending on industry, size, and growth. Here's what drives multiples up or down and where your business likely falls.

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Education

Add-Backs: Which Ones Buyers Accept and Which They Reject

Add-backs can lift your valuation 20-50%, but buyers push back on more than you'd expect. Here's which adjustments hold up in diligence and which ones get cut.

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Education

Due Diligence Questions Buyers Actually Ask (Not Just the Checklist)

Forget generic checklists. Here's what buyers actually request and investigate during diligence, based on hundreds of real deals, and what catches sellers off guard.

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Education

What Does a Business Broker Actually Do? (And What Can You Do Yourself?)

Brokers promise a lot. Some of it is genuinely hard to replicate. Most of it isn't. Here's what they actually do, what's worth paying for, and what you can handle yourself.

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Education

What Is a Business Valuation? Methods, Costs, and Free Estimate

A business valuation tells you what buyers will realistically pay. Here's how the three main methods work, what a formal valuation costs, and a free tool to estimate yours.

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Education

What to Expect During Buyer Meetings When Selling Your Business

Buyer meetings are less formal than sellers expect. From hundreds of real meetings: the questions that always come up, the answers that build trust, and how to prepare.

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Education

When to Sell Your Business: 8 Signs from Owners Who Timed It Right

These 8 signals show up consistently in owners who sold at the right time and got strong multiples. Market timing matters less than you'd think. Personal readiness matters more.

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Education

How Much Do Business Brokers Charge? The Real Cost at Every Deal Size

Broker fees change dramatically based on deal size, and the headline rate is never the full story. We break down retainers, success fees, tail clauses, and the total cost at $500K, $2M, and $10M+ deals.

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Education

Do I Need a Broker to Sell My Business? Honest Breakdown by Deal Size

It depends on your deal size and complexity. We break down when brokers earn their fee, when they don't, and what 80% of small business sellers can handle themselves.

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Education

How to Find Qualified Buyers for Your Business (Without a Broker)

Most "buyer lists" are just tire-kickers. Here's how sellers who closed found serious, qualified buyers, what channels actually work, and how to filter out the noise fast.

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Education

How to Value Your Business for Sale: SDE, EBITDA, and Real Multiples

The right valuation method depends on your revenue. We cover SDE vs. EBITDA, real multiples by industry, and include a free calculator so you can estimate yours now.

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Guide

The 7 Steps to Sell a Business Without a Broker

The steps to sell a business without a broker, from valuation to closing day: what to prepare, how to vet buyers, and what happens at each stage.

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Education

What Business Buyers Actually Care About: Patterns from 59 Industries

We analyzed buyer-seller conversations across 59 industries. The questions buyers ask, the issues that kill deals, and what separates sellers who close from those who don't.

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Transaction Debriefs

View all of our closed transactions on the transactions page.

A worker rolls glossy flake epoxy across a garage floor, half shining and half bare concrete, in Northern Michigan; the owner shows a buyer around.
Manufacturing
Northern Michigan

Epoxy Coatings Brand

BuyerIndividual Buyer
Closed in 10 months
A consulting team arranges clay chart blocks at a table under a wall of chart panels, in Atlanta; the owner shows a buyer around.
Software & SaaS
Rejigg Assist
Atlanta Metro

Business Intelligence Platform

BuyerSelf-Funded Searcher
Closed · 5 offers
Printers run a press and stack freshly bound books for packing on a book-printing floor, in small-town Michigan; the owner shows a buyer around.
Printing & signage
50 mi from Detroit

Self-Publishing Services

BuyerSelf-Funded Searcher
Featured in Fast CompanyFeatured in Fast CompanyArticle
Closed · 4 offers
Pickers fill carts from shelves of crates while a van is loaded at a wholesale warehouse counter, in Minneapolis; the owner shows a buyer around.
Software & SaaS
Minneapolis Metro

Mobile Ordering Platform

BuyerSelf-Funded Searcher
Closed on Rejigg
Technicians in headsets repair laptops at a help-desk bench beside server racks and coiled cables, in the Denver foothills; the owner shows a buyer around.
IT services
Denver Metro

IT Consulting & MSP

BuyerSelf-Funded Searcher
Closed on Rejigg
A crew pulls cable into a trench as a bucket truck reaches a light pole beside open switchgear, in the Denver foothills; the owner shows a buyer around.
Construction & trades
Denver Metro

Electrical Services Provider

BuyerSelf-Funded Searcher
Closed on Rejigg
A serpentine conveyor carries crates on green steel legs while a welder works a frame, in the Denver foothills; the owner shows a buyer around.
Manufacturing
Denver Metro

Conveyor Equipment Manufacturer

BuyerPrivate equity
Closed · LOI in 41 days
A barn print shop stocks caps, mugs and tote bags beside a screen-printing press and an embroidery machine, in Pennsylvania farm country; the owner shows a buyer around.
Printing & signage
Rejigg Assist
75 mi from Philadelphia

Promotional Products Company

BuyerStrategic buyer
Closed · 4 offers
A facilitator leads a leadership workshop from an easel to a circle of people in armchairs, in Cleveland; the owner shows a buyer around.
Consulting
Rejigg Assist
Cleveland Metro

Leadership Consulting Firm

BuyerSelf-Funded Searcher
Closed · 5 offers
Analysts sort stacks of coins beside open ledgers, a balance scale and a wall chart of rising bars, in Houston; the owner shows a buyer around.
Financial services
Houston Metro

Financial Consulting Firm

BuyerIndividual Investor
Hear the owner's storyHear the owner's storyPodcast
Closed · 3 offers
A driver loads a truck from pallets of kegs and bottle crates at a beverage dock with a route board, in Cincinnati; the owner shows a buyer around.
Software & SaaS
Cincinnati Metro

Beverage Distribution SaaS

BuyerIndividual Investor
Closed · 4 offers
Security analysts watch a wall-sized network map from a curved desk beside a server rack and a clay padlock, in Boston; the owner shows a buyer around.
IT services
Boston Metro

Cybersecurity Services Firm

BuyerPrivate equity
Closed on Rejigg
Electricians run cable through a timber house frame and fit a light from a ladder beside an open breaker panel, in Missouri; the owner shows a buyer around.
Construction & trades
125 mi from Kansas City

Electrical Contracting Firm

BuyerPrivate equity
Midway Electric finds Missouri native to purchase the businessMidway Electric finds Missouri native to purchase the businessArticle
Closed on Rejigg
A forklift moves pallets of crates between a box truck and a shipping container at a freight dock, in Los Angeles; the owner shows a buyer around.
Logistics
Los Angeles Metro

Cargo Shipping Provider

BuyerIndividual Investor
Closed on Rejigg
Analysts and a nurse in scrubs work under a wall of chart panels in a healthcare data studio, in Portland; the owner shows a buyer around.
Marketing & advertising
Portland Metro

Healthcare Data Business

BuyerSelf-Funded Searcher
Read the buyers' storyRead the buyers' storyArticle
Closed in 75 days
Podcast hosts talk into boom microphones beside an editing desk with a sound-wave ribbon across the monitors, in North Carolina; the owner shows a buyer around.
Software & SaaS
Rejigg Assist
125 mi from Raleigh

SaaS Company for Podcast Space

BuyerStrategic buyer
Closed in 11 months
A grain truck sits on a weigh scale beside a grain bin while a clerk and a farmer tally sacks, in Spokane; the owner shows a buyer around.
Software & SaaS
Spokane Metro

ERP for Agricultural Products

BuyerPrivate equity
Closed on Rejigg
Analysts tick off checklists in a bank back office beside an open vault door and a wall of gauge dials, in Washington; the owner shows a buyer around.
Software & SaaS
Washington Metro

Financial Risk Platform

BuyerSelf-Funded Searcher
Closed on Rejigg
Editors mark up manuscripts at a long table beside a wall of colored book covers, in Washington; the owner shows a buyer around.
Publishing & media
50 mi from Washington

Hybrid Publishing Company

BuyerIndividual Investor
Hear the owner's storyHear the owner's storyPodcast
Closed on Rejigg
Drafters lay out contour site plans on drawing boards beside a surveyor's tripod, in small-town Oklahoma; the owner shows a buyer around.
Software & SaaS
100 mi from Tulsa

CAD Productivity Software

BuyerIndividual Investor
Closed · LOI in 71 days
A clerk feeds paper files into a scanner among rows of filing cabinets and archive boxes, in Baltimore; the owner shows a buyer around.
IT services
Baltimore Metro

Document Services Provider

BuyerStrategic buyer
Closed in 7 months
A groom feeds a horse from a bucket at a white rail beside a feed room of sacks and tubs, in Santa Ana; the owner shows a buyer around.
Manufacturing
Santa Ana Metro

Equine Supplement Company

BuyerIndividual Investor
Closed in 6 months
A black printing press runs off newspapers that stand in tied bundles in a small press room, in Maine; the owner shows a buyer around.
Publishing & media
Maine

Community News Publication

BuyerSelf-Funded Searcher
Closed on Rejigg
A conveyor lifts worm castings into a hopper beside a green silo and sacks on pallets in a brick-walled yard, in Wisconsin; the owner shows a buyer around.
Agriculture
Milwaukee Metro

Worm Fertilizer Company

BuyerSelf-Funded Searcher
Hear the owner's storyHear the owner's storyPodcast
Closed · LOI in 81 days
A clerk tags sealed boxes in a records room lined with shelves and a rolling ladder, in Seattle; the owner shows a buyer around.
Software & SaaS
Seattle Metro

Government RMS Software

BuyerSearch Fund
Closed · LOI in 83 days
A day spa treatment room with a massage table, folded towels, ferns and a stone soaking tub, in San Francisco; the owner shows a buyer around.
Personal services
San Francisco Metro

High-End Experience Day Spa

BuyerSelf-Funded Searcher
Closed on Rejigg
A technician services a carton-folding machine as sealed boxes roll down a conveyor in a brick mill, in Philadelphia; the owner shows a buyer around.
Manufacturing
Philadelphia Metro

Bag Equipment Manufacturer

BuyerSelf-Funded Searcher
Closed on Rejigg
A landscaping crew plants flower beds beside a pond with a waterfall and loads a mower trailer, in suburban Chicago; the owner shows a buyer around.
Construction & trades
Chicago Metro

Landscaping Company

BuyerIndividual Buyer
Closed in 10 months
A forklift loads insulation bales onto a flatbed while a worker cuts batts at a bench in a snowy supply yard, in Anchorage; the owner shows a buyer around.
Construction & trades
Anchorage, AK

Industrial Insulation Company

BuyerPrivate equity
Closed in 6 months
A recruiter interviews a candidate in armchairs beside a wall board of profile cards and a row of waiting candidates, in New York; the owner shows a buyer around.
Consulting
New York Metro

Executive Recruiting Firm

BuyerIndependent Sponsor
Closed in 6 months
A quilt shop with shelves of fabric bolts, a sewing machine and a quilt spread on the cutting table, in Oxnard; the owner shows a buyer around.
Consumer & retail
Oxnard Metro

Quilting Fabric Retailer

BuyerStrategic buyer
Closed · LOI in 36 days
Roofers lay green shingles on a red-brick building beside a loaded green flatbed truck, in West Texas; the owner shows a buyer around.
Construction & trades
West Texas

Roofing Contractor

BuyerStrategic Buyer
Offer in 4 weeks
A welder tests a torch in a shower of sparks beside racks of gas cylinders and a pegboard of helmets, in North Alabama; the owner shows a buyer around.
Distribution & wholesale
North Alabama

Welding Products Distributor

BuyerIndividual Investor
Closed in 69 days
A communications studio with a podium of microphones, a camera on a tripod and a team over storyboards, in Boston; the owner shows a buyer around.
Marketing & advertising
Boston Metro

Strategic Communications Firm

BuyerIndividual Buyer
Closed in 9 months
Racks of hard hats, harnesses and traffic cones fill an open safety-equipment warehouse, in the Inland Empire; the owner shows a buyer around.
Industrial distribution
Inland Empire

Safety Equipment Distributor

BuyerIndividual Buyer
Closed in 4 months
A crew lays a stone patio and a low stone wall and plants young trees beside a mini excavator, in the Silicon Valley foothills; the owner shows a buyer around.
Construction & trades
Silicon Valley

Landscape Construction Company

BuyerIndividual Buyer
Closed in 5 months

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