Sell a Business in Alpharetta & North Atlanta
Selling Your Business in Alpharetta & North Atlanta
You will only do this once. Our three-advisor team prepares the business, creates competition for it, and manages every step to closing — while you keep running the company.
Before You Go to Market
Is Your Business Ready to Sell — Or Just Profitable?
Profitable and sellable are not the same thing. If the business cannot run for thirty days without you, a buyer is being asked to purchase a job, and they will price it that way. If one customer is a quarter of your revenue, a buyer will ask what happens the day that customer leaves. Buyers are not looking for reasons to buy; they are looking for reasons to chip away at the price.
Owners in Alpharetta, Roswell, Johns Creek, Milton, Cumming, and the rest of North Fulton and Forsyth County bring us these situations every week. The difference between a full-value exit and a disappointing one is almost always preparation — and who is sitting beside you when the questions start.
What We Check First
The Readiness Questions Buyers Will Ask
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The 30-day test — can you leave for a month and come back to a business, not a mess?
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Customer concentration — one account at 25% of revenue, or two at 50%, changes a buyer’s terms
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Financials that are clean and verifiable, with personal expenses and family payroll normalized out
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Realistic value expectations, grounded in what buyers are actually paying
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You, your family, and your advisors genuinely ready — cold feet a week before closing is the most expensive mistake in this business
How a Sale Works With Us
From a Confidential Conversation to Closing
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Preparation & Valuation
We model your financials the way a buyer will — monthly, year-to-date, trailing twelve months, three-year forecast — normalize the P&L, and give you an honest valuation and a readiness plan.
2
Confidential Marketing
An owner-approved blind teaser, NDAs, and buyer qualification before your identity is revealed — then a confidential information memorandum to the private equity, strategic, and individual buyers who fit, so they compete.
3
Offer to Close
Letters of intent or indications of interest, negotiated on the facts. Then due diligence with no surprises, the purchase agreement with both sides’ attorneys, and closing — while you keep running the company.
What to Expect
No Surprises — Including the Ones Most Brokers Skip
Tony’s rule on every engagement is no surprises after you go to market. That starts with telling you, before the first offer, what a private equity or strategic buyer is likely to propose — and what a realistic timeline looks like.
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Nine to twelve months from engagement to closing is typical; some sales run faster, some longer
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Rarely 100% cash at closing — most deals include a seller note, an earn-out, escrow, rolled equity, or a stay-on period, and we explain each before the first offer
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A transition period after the sale — plan on a two-year horizon from the day you decide
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A straightforward fee structure agreed up front, with no hidden billing
Meet the Businessmen Who Sell Businesses
Three Advisors on Your Side of the Table
John builds the financial model buyers underwrite. Tony has represented owners with revenues from $3M to $50M in sales to private equity and strategic buyers. Phil is a Certified Exit Planning Advisor who keeps the emotion out of the negotiation. Each of them has owned a business — and each has sat where you are sitting now.
John B. Charleston, III
MBA, CM&AP
Principal | Business Broker & M&A Advisor
Bought and ran a 200-employee company. Builds the financial model buyers underwrite — so the price you accept is the price you close at.
Read John’s story →
Tony Samples
CMAI, CM&AP, M&AMI
M&A Advisor | Merger & Acquisition Master Intermediary
Thirty years running Walmart’s Atlanta region, sixteen with Murphy, representing sellers with revenue from $3M to $50M. His rule: no surprises after you go to market.
Read Tony’s story →
Phil Eleson
MBA, CM&AP, CBI, CEPA
M&A Advisor | Certified Exit Planning Advisor
Former owner-operator and Certified Exit Planning Advisor. Gets you ready years ahead, then keeps the emotion out of the room.
Read Phil’s story →Google Review
Hear From MBNFC’s Clients
“John Charleston got me more money for my business than I thought I was going to get.”
– Eric Ridenour · Google review
Read More Client Reviews →Questions Sellers Ask First
Straight Answers Before You Commit
What Is My Business Worth?
An honest, market-tested valuation — including the factors buyers will discount for, and what to fix before market.
Request a Valuation →Will My Employees Find Out?
Not from us. A blind teaser, NDAs, and buyer qualification protect your identity until we — and you — decide to reveal it.
How We Protect Confidentiality →What if I’m Two Years Away?
That is the best time to talk. Three to five years out is ideal; most of what raises your value takes time to fix.
Seller Resources →Schedule a Consultation With MBNFC
Transition Your Success Into a Seamless Transaction
Discover and capitalize on market opportunities to secure your exit or acquisition.