1. You Answer Two Short Screens
The first screen asks about the company: name, industry, yearly sales, profit if you know it, location and whether you might sell within six months. The second asks how to reach you and when.
No financial statements are needed at this point. Rough figures are fine.
2. One Brokerage Partner Reviews It
Your request goes to a single brokerage partner that values and sells companies in the District and the nearby suburbs. It isn't posted anywhere or passed to a list of firms.
That partner may pay us a referral fee if you later work with them. You never pay us anything.
3. A Broker Calls at the Time You Picked
The call is a conversation, not a pitch. Expect questions about how the company makes money, who your main clients are, who runs things day to day and what you want out of a sale.
You'll hear a likely price range, the factors holding it down and a rough sense of timing. If the numbers aren't clear enough for a range, the broker will say what is needed.
What the Broker Will Want to Know
Be ready to talk about where revenue comes from, how much of it repeats each year, and what share your largest client provides. If you work for federal agencies, say which contracts you hold and when they end.
It also helps to know your lease terms and roughly what you pay yourself. None of this needs to be exact on the first call.
4. You Decide What Comes Next
Some owners list soon after. Many spend a year getting ready: cleaning up the books, renewing a lease or handing off client relationships. Some decide not to sell at all.
Nothing is signed on the first call. If you go further, the brokerage explains its own agreement and fees directly.
If You Decide to Sell
A sale through the brokerage usually starts with a full valuation based on three years of tax returns and financial statements. The broker then recasts the numbers and writes a confidential profile of the company.
Buyers who sign a confidentiality agreement and show they can pay get the details. Offers come in a letter of intent, followed by about 60 to 90 days of diligence and then closing.
From the day you sign with a broker, a well prepared company typically closes in seven to nine months. The guide to selling in DC covers each stage in more detail.
What Stays Private
Your company's name is never published here. If you sell through the brokerage, buyers sign a confidentiality agreement before they learn who you are. Details are on how we use your info.
While you think it over, the valuation page explains how price is set, and the DC closing paperwork guides cover the District filings.
Start with the request form or call (202) 555-0174.