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A prospective buyer requests information, signs a confidentiality agreement, and asks thoughtful questions. Perhaps they even meet with the owner, but then they go quiet. For a seller, that can be puzzling. If the buyer was interested enough to meet with them, why didn’t they make an offer? At Sam Goldenberg & Associates, we know that getting to the offer stage is more the exception than the rule. Buyers may review many businesses before pursuing one, and...

08 October, 2026

Carlos recently sat down with a business owner to review an SDE analysis. Seller’s Discretionary Earnings, or SDE, is a measure commonly used to estimate the financial benefit a business provides to one working owner. For many small businesses, it is also one of the starting points for determining what a buyer might reasonably pay. The owner had never seen his financial results presented that way. As the conversation continued, it became apparent that he had...

08 October, 2026

It’s natural for business sellers to focus on the number they’ll walk away with from the closing table. You know what the business has meant to you, what it took to build, and what you need from the sale to move on. Buyers are asking a different question: can this business pay for itself and still provide me with a living? To answer that, they need to understand how much the business earns and whether those...

01 October, 2026

Many business owners wonder whether their industry will determine how easy it is to sell their business. While certain industries may experience periods of higher demand than others, buyers rarely make decisions based on industry alone. More often, they focus on the quality of the business itself. A well-managed company with strong financial performance will generally attract more interest than a struggling business in a “hot” industry. Understanding what buyers value can help owners make improvements...

11 September, 2026

When business owners hear the term goodwill, they often assume it simply means having a good reputation. While reputation certainly plays a role, goodwill has a much broader meaning when it comes to valuing and selling a business. In simple terms, goodwill represents the value of a business that cannot be attributed to its tangible assets alone. Equipment, inventory, furniture, and real estate all have measurable value. Goodwill reflects the additional value a buyer is willing...

04 September, 2026

El propietario de un negocio puede hablar inglés lo suficientemente bien como para atender a sus clientes, dirigir a sus empleados, negociar con proveedores y resolver las exigencias cotidianas de la empresa. Eso no significa necesariamente que el inglés sea el idioma en el que pueda explicar con mayor facilidad cómo se desarrolló el negocio, por qué tomó ciertas decisiones, qué ha cambiado con el tiempo o qué necesita comprender un posible comprador. La venta de un...

04 September, 2026

A business owner may speak English well enough to work with customers, manage employees, negotiate with suppliers, and handle the ordinary demands of the day. That doesn’t necessarily mean English is the language in which the owner can most easily explain how the company developed, why certain decisions were made, what has changed over time, or what a prospective buyer needs to understand. Selling a business requires unusually detailed conversations. Financial performance, owner responsibilities, staffing, customer...

04 September, 2026

A Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM) is a marketing document, but it is not a sales pitch. That distinction matters. While the job of a CIM is to present the business favorably, it can accomplish this without overstating its strengths, obscuring its risks, or getting ahead of what the financial records can support. Practically speaking, a CIM should help a buyer and their lender understand how the business functions. It should answer fundamental operational questions, present a...

25 August, 2026

Selling a business is not just about finding someone with the financial resources to make an offer. It’s about finding someone who is prepared to make one of the largest professional and financial decisions of their life. For many buyers, acquiring a business means leaving a stable career, investing a substantial portion of their savings, taking on debt, and assuming responsibility for employees, customers, and the future of the company. Even when the opportunity is attractive,...

21 August, 2026

For many New Mexico business owners, their small business is one of their largest financial assets. Despite that, few have a realistic understanding of what that asset might be worth, and even fewer have a solid grasp on what drives value in a sale. That may seem inconsequential if selling is still years away, but putting a value on your business is more than an exit-planning exercise. It can help you make better decisions today, identify...

14 August, 2026

Receiving an offer on your business is a major milestone, but experienced buyers, sellers, and advisors know that an accepted offer is only one step in the transaction process. The real challenge is navigating the weeks (or sometimes months) between an agreement and a successful closing. While some deals are derailed by unforeseen events, most transactions succeed or fail based on preparation, communication, and expectations. Here are four factors that consistently contribute to successful business sales. 1. Alignment...

10 July, 2026

Want to sell your business? The first step is to clone yourself. Do that, and the question of owner dependency will never come up. If it sounds like ridiculous advice, it's because it is. For most small business owners, there isn't the cash flow to support a COO-level hire. Even when money isn't the issue, the talent is. Someone with your skills, your business acumen, and your deep knowledge of the business is probably already running...

10 July, 2026

Exit and transition planning is a structured process designed to put control back into the hands of business owners. When you can articulate your vision for life post-transition, strengthen your company's attractiveness to potential buyers, and minimize transaction surprises, you are empowered to make choices in your own best interest. Every successful business will change hands someday. The only question is whether that transition happens by design or by default. At Sam Goldenberg & Associates, we often...

07 July, 2026

If you've worked with a good CPA for years, you trust them and for good reason. They know your business, have kept you out of trouble with the IRS, and have probably saved you real money along the way. But there's one question your CPA rarely asks, and that is: What happens when you want to sell? It’s simply not their job to ask that question. That's where a business broker's perspective deviates from your accountant’s and...

25 June, 2026

Ask a business owner what their company sold for and they'll give you one number. Ask them what they actually walked away with — after debt payoff, taxes, the working capital adjustment, and the seller note that's still being paid down — and you'll get a very different answer, usually accompanied by a story. Here's the uncomfortable truth from the intermediary's side of the table: two offers with the same headline price can differ by hundreds...

19 June, 2026