Practical guides for Main Street business owners navigating M&A — no jargon, no gatekeeping.
Work through financial, operational, seller, customer, and due-diligence questions before you commit capital to a small-business acquisition.
See the five factors buyers evaluate—clean financials, owner independence, customer concentration, growth potential, and location—before making an offer.
For sub-$5M owners, learn how to value, prepare a CIM, reach qualified buyers, and manage a $99/mo listing while avoiding a broker commission.
Compare car wash and laundromat acquisitions through valuation multiples, operating differences, recurring revenue quality, and exit considerations for Main Street buyers.
Side-by-side comparison of a traditional business broker (8–12% commission + $5K–$15K upfront) versus FlipSheet's $497 CIM + $99/mo marketplace listing — covering cost, timeline, buyer reach, confidentiality, and control.
Restaurants with $300K–$1.2M EBITDA sell at 2.5–3.5× SDE — recurring catering contracts and franchise royalty streams move the multiple. Here's how to value, package, and exit yours in 2026.
Auto repair shops with $200K–$2M EBITDA sell at 2.5–3.5× SDE — recurring fleet and maintenance contracts move the multiple. Here's how to value, package, and exit yours in 2026.
Laundromats with $150K–$1.2M EBITDA sell at 2.5–3.5× SDE — machine age, coin-vs-card mix, and attached wash-and-fold revenue move the multiple. Here's how to value, package, and exit yours in 2026.
Dry cleaners with $300K–$800K EBITDA sell at 2.5–3.5× SDE — recurring commercial-route contracts move the multiple. Here's how to value, package, and exit yours in 2026.
Car washes with strong recurring membership revenue sell at 8–10% EBITDA multiples and 2.5–4× SDE. Learn what drives the multiple, who buys them, and how to close without paying broker commission.
Laundromats sell at 2.5–3.5× SDE, but coin-op vs. card-reader mix, lease terms, and machine age move the multiple. Here's exactly how to value and sell yours without a broker.
HVAC businesses with recurring maintenance contracts command 3–4× SDE multiples. Learn how to document contract value, attract the right buyers, and close without paying 10% commission.
Business brokers charge 8–12% at closing — plus $5,000–$15,000 upfront. Here's where the alternatives actually work, where brokers still make sense, and how to sell your business for under $1,000 total.
Selling your small business is one of the biggest financial decisions you'll make. Here's everything you need to know — from valuation to close.
Pre-sale prep checklist covering financials, operations, and legal — plus a 6–12 month timeline for when to start. Learn what buyers look for in a CIM and how to get your valuation range in 60 seconds.
How do you actually know what your business is worth? This guide explains SDE multiples, industry-specific ranges (HVAC, restaurants, e-commerce, landscaping), common valuation mistakes, and when to get a formal appraisal vs. a free calculator.
Step-by-step seller's guide for Main Street business owners ($500K–$5M) planning an exit in 2026. Covers valuation, CIM preparation, marketplace listing, buyer qualification, LOI negotiation, due diligence, and closing — with AI tools compressing the timeline from months to minutes.
What belongs in a Confidential Information Memorandum, why buyers request one before a site visit, and how Main Street CIMs differ from mid-market M&A.