Your business is worth what a qualified buyer will pay, which is driven primarily by your recast (normalized) earnings and the multiple buyers apply to your industry, size, and risk profile. Lower-middle-market companies typically trade on a multiple of EBITDA or seller's discretionary earnings, but the real figure depends on growth, customer concentration, and how dependent the business is on you. A professional valuation gives you a defensible number rather than a guess.

Start with a professional business valuation rather than an online calculator. A proper valuation recasts your financial statements to show true owner profitability, applies the right method for your size and industry, and benchmarks against comparable transactions. Duran Advisors offers a confidential valuation consultation for Louisiana owners so you enter the market with a realistic, supportable asking price.

EBITDA is earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization — a measure of operating profitability that strips out financing and accounting decisions so buyers can compare businesses on equal footing. For most lower-middle-market sales, the price is expressed as a multiple of EBITDA. The higher and more reliable your EBITDA, the larger the multiple buyers are willing to pay.

An asset-based valuation values the company by its tangible and intangible assets minus liabilities, and usually applies when a business has heavy equipment or limited profitability. An earnings-based valuation values the company by its ability to generate future cash flow, and applies to most profitable operating businesses. Choosing the right method — or blending them — is part of what an experienced advisor does.

Buyers pay for cash flow that continues after you leave, so an owner-dependent business carries more risk and earns a lower multiple. If you hold the key customer relationships, technical knowledge, or daily decision-making, a buyer sees a fragile asset. Building a management team and documented systems before you sell is one of the most reliable ways to increase your sale price.

Selling a business follows a structured process: get a professional valuation, prepare your financials and documentation, position the business confidentially in front of qualified buyers, manage offers and negotiate terms, complete due diligence, and close. Working with an M&A advisor keeps the process confidential, competitive, and on track while you keep running the business.

Most lower-middle-market business sales take roughly six to twelve months from going to market to closing, though preparation can begin a year or more earlier. Timing depends on your industry, deal size, how well your financials are organized, and buyer demand. Businesses that are well-prepared and properly priced sell faster and on better terms than those rushed to market.

Buyers expect three years of financial statements and tax returns, year-to-date financials, a list of assets and equipment, lease and contract details, customer and supplier information (often anonymized early on), and details on staffing. Organized, accurate documentation speeds up due diligence and builds buyer confidence — disorganized records are one of the most common reasons deals stall or fall apart.

A Letter of Intent is a buyer's written, mostly non-binding outline of the proposed deal — price, structure, key terms, and timeline — submitted before formal due diligence begins. Signing an LOI signals serious intent and usually triggers an exclusivity period. It is not the final contract, but its terms set the framework for the binding purchase agreement that follows.

An earn-out is a portion of the sale price paid after closing, contingent on the business hitting agreed performance targets. Buyers use earn-outs to bridge valuation gaps and reduce their risk; sellers use them to capture additional value when they believe in the company's future. The terms — metrics, timeframe, and your role during the period — matter enormously and should be negotiated carefully.

You can sell on your own, but most owners net more — and lose less time and confidentiality — working with an M&A advisor or business broker. An advisor markets your business confidentially to multiple qualified buyers, creates competition, handles negotiation and due diligence, and lets you keep running the company. The increase in sale price and reduced risk typically outweigh the fee.

An M&A advisor manages the entire sale of your business: valuing the company, preparing marketing materials, identifying and qualifying buyers, running a confidential and competitive process, structuring the deal, and guiding you through due diligence to closing. The goal is to maximize your after-tax proceeds while protecting confidentiality and minimizing disruption to your operations.

Business brokers typically handle smaller, Main Street businesses with more standardized sales, while M&A advisors handle larger, lower-middle-market companies that require sophisticated valuation, buyer sourcing, and deal structuring. Duran Advisors works across both, matching the depth of process to the size and complexity of your business. The right fit depends on your company's revenue, earnings, and goals.

M&A advisory and brokerage fees are usually success-based — a commission paid at closing — sometimes with a modest upfront or retainer fee for valuation and preparation work. The structure scales with deal size. We're transparent about fees from the first conversation, and our incentive is aligned with yours: we're paid more when we sell your business for more.

Yes. Our advisory engagements focus on representing business owners who are selling. We source qualified buyers through proprietary outreach and relationships rather than public listings, which keeps your sale confidential and puts your interests first. If you're an owner thinking about an exit — now or in a few years — that's exactly who we serve.

We work with established, profitable lower-middle-market and Main Street businesses across Louisiana, including construction, industrial distribution, professional services, restaurants and hospitality, and other owner-operated companies. Industry experience matters in M&A, and we focus on sectors where we understand the buyers, the deal dynamics, and what drives value.

Confidentiality is built into every step. Your business is presented to buyers anonymously at first, identifying details are released only after buyers sign a non-disclosure agreement and are qualified, and information is shared in stages. This protects your relationships with employees, customers, suppliers, and competitors while we run a competitive process behind the scenes.

In most cases, employees are told after the deal is far enough along that confidentiality risk is low — often near or after closing — to avoid unsettling the team or triggering departures while the sale is in progress. The right timing depends on your situation, key-employee involvement, and the buyer's transition plans. We help you plan this communication carefully.

The best time to sell is when the business is performing well, growth still lies ahead, and you're personally ready — not when you're burned out or forced by circumstances. Buyers pay the most for momentum, not decline. Because preparation can take a year or more, the smartest move is to plan your exit while the business is strong, even if a sale is still a few years off.

Yes. Duran Advisors is based in the New Orleans area and represents business owners throughout Louisiana. We bring local market knowledge — buyer activity, regional industries, and what local businesses sell for — together with a national network of qualified buyers, so your business gets both local insight and broad market exposure.

A local advisor understands the Louisiana market, the regional buyers, and the industries that drive the state's economy, and is available to meet in person through a process that can span months. Duran Advisors combines that local presence with national buyer reach — you get a partner who knows your market and can still bring the right buyers to the table.