How long does it take to sell a business? The honest answer is: it depends. But "it depends" isn't useful when you're trying to plan your life, so here's a real range and the factors that push a deal toward the shorter or longer end of it.
For most established small businesses — the kind doing $2 million to $20 million in revenue with real operations and real employees — expect six to twelve months from the point you're serious about selling to the day the deal closes. Some move faster. Some take longer. But that range covers the vast majority of transactions we see.
Here's what each phase looks like and what affects the speed.
The Typical Timeline: 6 to 12 Months
Selling a business isn't a single event. It's a series of phases, each with its own timeline. Breaking it down makes the whole thing feel more manageable.
Preparation: 1–3 months. This is the work you do before talking to any buyer. Cleaning up your financials, getting clear on your EBITDA and margins, reducing owner-dependence, and making sure your business is presentable. Some owners can do this in a few weeks. Others need several months — especially if the books need work or there are operational issues to address.
Buyer identification and initial conversations: 1–3 months. Whether you're working with a broker or talking to buyers directly, this phase involves finding the right match. It includes initial meetings, sharing information, and getting to a point where both sides want to move forward. If a buyer is already at the table — someone who approached you or who you've been in contact with — this phase compresses significantly.
Due diligence and negotiation: 2–3 months. Once a buyer is serious, they'll dig into every aspect of your business: financials, legal, operations, customer contracts, employee information, equipment, leases. This takes 60 to 90 days in most cases. During this phase, you're also finalizing the deal structure — purchase price, seller financing terms, transition details, and everything else that goes into the purchase agreement.
Closing: 2–4 weeks. The attorneys handle most of this. Documents get signed, funds transfer, and ownership changes hands. If financing is involved, the lender has their own closing requirements that add a few steps.
Transition: 3–6 months post-close. Most deals include a transition period where the seller stays on to help the new owner get up to speed. This isn't part of the "selling" timeline technically, but it's part of your personal timeline. Plan for it.
Add those up and you're looking at six to twelve months from decision to close, plus a transition period after. That's the reality for most sellers following the steps to selling a small business.
What Speeds Things Up
Some businesses sell faster than others. The common thread is preparation and clarity.
Clean financials. If your books are organized, your tax returns match your P&L, and there are no surprises hiding in the numbers, due diligence moves quickly. A buyer who can verify your numbers without chasing down missing documents stays engaged and confident.
Low owner-dependence. A business that runs without the owner in the building every day is easier to buy. The buyer knows they're purchasing an operation, not inheriting a full-time job. If you have a general manager, a dispatch system, and documented processes, you're in a strong position.
A buyer who knows your industry. When the person across the table understands home services, manufacturing, or trades, you skip the education phase. They know what they're looking at. They ask better questions. They move faster.
Pre-approved financing. A buyer who has lending relationships in place and understands SBA requirements doesn't lose weeks figuring out how to fund the deal.
A motivated but not desperate seller. Sellers who know what they want and can make decisions without agonizing over every detail keep deals on track. Indecision is one of the biggest timeline killers in any transaction.
What Slows Things Down
The flip side is just as important to understand.
Messy books. If your financials are inconsistent, if there are cash transactions that can't be verified, or if your personal and business expenses are tangled together, due diligence takes longer. Every discrepancy a buyer finds creates a question that needs an answer — and each one adds days or weeks.
High owner-dependence. If the business can't function without you, the buyer has to build a plan for replacing your involvement. That takes time to figure out and adds risk to the deal.
Unrealistic price expectations. If there's a gap between what you think the business is worth and what a buyer is willing to pay, negotiations stall. The best way to avoid this is to understand your numbers before you go to market — not after.
Financing complications. SBA appraisals, lender requirements, environmental reports, lease assignments — each of these can add weeks to the timeline. They're manageable, but you need to know they're coming.
Seller indecision. Selling a business is emotional. It's your life's work. But going back and forth on whether you actually want to sell — or renegotiating terms you already agreed to — burns time and erodes buyer confidence. If you're not ready, that's fine. But if you're in the process, commit to the process.
When Is the Right Time to Start?
If you're asking when is the right time to sell my business, the short answer is: when the business is performing well and you're not burned out yet.
Selling from strength gets you a better outcome than selling from exhaustion. When revenue is growing, margins are healthy, and your team is stable, you're in the best negotiating position. Waiting until you're running on fumes means the numbers are already declining — and buyers can see that.
If you're starting to think about it, you're probably 12 to 18 months from a close. That's not a problem. That's actually the right amount of lead time to prepare properly, get your financials in order, and make sure you're approaching the sale as a selling a business checklist you've thought through — not a fire drill.
The best thing you can do right now is have a conversation. No timeline pressure, no commitment — just a clear picture of where you stand and what the process might look like for your specific business. That's how our process starts — a straightforward discussion, not a sales pitch. Get in touch whenever you're ready.