Heirloom
How Heirloom sells a business

The eight stages of a private sale.

Heirloom prepares the company, finds and qualifies buyers, negotiates the offers, and manages diligence, financing, and closing. Each stage below shows where you are needed.

See fees

Three to four months on average from launch to closing, 40% faster than a traditional sale.

The eight stages01/ 08
1Goals
2Numbers
3Value
4Privacy
5Market
6Meetings
7Offers
8Close
STAGE 01 · GOALS

Your goals and timing

HEIRLOOM · We learn the business, your timing, the outcome you want, and any buyers to exclude.

YOUJoin one working conversation and introduce your accountant or bookkeeper.
YOU RECEIVE
A sale plan and information request.
Scroll to move through the stages.

Financial preparation

The books, payroll, tax return, and your own explanation often disagree. Your advisor records the resolution and the evidence for it, and every buyer document, lender package, and diligence answer uses that figure.

Owner compensation · Project RidgelineAdvisor review required
The records disagree
Books
QuickBooks · officer compensation
$186,400
Payroll
Payroll register, including a family member with no recorded hours
$214,000
Tax return
Filed return, provided by the accountant
$186,400
Owner explanation
Working conversation, March
$214,000
Advisor review required
Updated in
Owner compensation adjustmentOn hold
Adjusted earnings$817,400
Valuation$2.86M – $3.38M
Buyer materialsOn hold
Lender packageOn hold
Diligence answersOn hold
Buyer question: Why is owner compensation adjusted to $214,000?

Advisor review required.

When a sale runs into trouble

The buyer's lender says no

We check financing readiness before meetings and keep other qualified buyers engaged where practical.

Diligence finds a problem

We look for accounting gaps, customer concentration, lease issues, and unsupported adjustments before market, so they are explained before they become a price cut.

The buyer tries to lower the price

We compare the stated reason with the records, challenge unsupported changes, and return to other buyers when the process supports it.

You change your mind

We stop outreach, revoke buyer access, tell buyers only that the owner withdrew, and follow the retention rules in your agreement.

Timing

What sets the timeline

A traditional sale of this size takes six to nine months. Heirloom closes in three to four months on average from launch to closing. Timing depends on how ready the business is, buyer interest, financing, diligence, and legal work.

PreparationBefore buyer outreach
Buyer processDepends on buyer interest and the business
Diligence and financingRun in parallel where practical
ClosingOne shared list of conditions and owners

This is an expectation, not a guaranteed closing date.

Track record

Millions in enterprise value already transacted.

Heirloom has closed sales for owners like you, and our founder, Suyash Agrawal, bought and ran small businesses himself before starting the firm. Your sale is prepared the way a buyer will test it, by people who have been the buyer.

Check sale readiness