The things brokers
won't tell you
Honest analysis of the Australian business sale market. Valuations, buyer types, earnouts, and how to prepare for an exit that doesn't disappoint.
Vendor Due Diligence (VDD) in Australian Business Sales: Complete Guide
What is Vendor Due Diligence in Australian M&A? Learn how VDD accelerates sales, reduces risk, and strengthens your negotiating position — plus when it's worth the cost.
Letters of Intent vs Heads of Terms in Australian Business Sales: Which Do You Need?
Expert guide to Letters of Intent (LOI) and Heads of Terms (HOT) in Australian M&A transactions. Learn the differences, when to use each, and what terms to include when selling your business.
Retention Bonuses for Key Employees During a Business Sale
How to structure retention bonuses that keep key employees through closing—including timing, amounts, vesting triggers, and tax treatment in Australian business sales.
Business Sale Confidentiality Agreements (NDAs): Protecting Your Sale Process in Australia
Comprehensive guide to Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) in Australian business sales. Learn when to use them, what to include, and how to protect sensitive information during the sale process.
Personal Guarantees in Business Sales: When Buyers Demand Your Personal Assets as Security
Comprehensive guide to personal guarantees in Australian business sales. Learn when buyers demand them, how to negotiate limitations, and strategies to protect your personal wealth.
Completion Accounts vs Locked Box: Which Pricing Mechanism is Right for Your Australian Business Sale?
Understand the critical difference between completion accounts and locked box mechanisms in Australian M&A. Expert guide to choosing the right pricing structure for your business sale.
Representations and Warranties in Australian Business Sales: A Seller's Guide
Understanding reps and warranties in Australian business sales — what they are, why they matter, and how to protect yourself from post-sale liability.
Indemnity Caps in Australian Business Sales: What Sellers Need to Know
Understanding indemnity caps, collars, baskets, and deductibles in Australian M&A — how to limit your post-closing liability and negotiate favourable terms.
Working Capital Adjustments in Australian Business Sales: What Sellers Must Know
How working capital adjustments work in Australian M&A — including peg mechanisms, true-up calculations, dispute resolution, and strategies to protect your sale price.
Escrow Mechanics in Australian Business Sales: A Complete Guide
How escrow works in Australian M&A transactions — including holdback structures, release triggers, dispute resolution, and tax implications for business sellers.
Vendor Finance in Australian Business Sales: What Sellers Must Know
A comprehensive guide to vendor finance (seller financing) in Australian business sales — including structure, risks, tax implications, and negotiation strategies for SME owners.
Due Diligence Red Flags That Kill Australian Business Sales
The most common due diligence issues that cause buyers to walk away from business sales — and how sellers can identify and fix them before they become deal-breakers.
Non-Compete Clauses in Australian Business Sales: What's Actually Enforceable
Australian courts regularly strike down restraint clauses that go too far. Here's what makes a non-compete enforceable, what buyers demand, and how to negotiate protections that survive challenge.
ACCC Merger Rules 2026: What Australian SME Sellers Need to Know
New ACCC merger notification rules are reshaping business sales in Australia. Here's what SME sellers need to know about regulatory approval, timing, and deal certainty.
Why Clean Financials Are Non-Negotiable in 2026's M&A Market
M&A deal volumes are down. Buyer scrutiny is up. In 2026, clean financials aren't a nice-to-have—they're the baseline requirement for serious buyers.
How Gen AI is Changing M&A Due Diligence in Australia
Generative AI is reducing M&A costs by 20% and accelerating due diligence. Here's what Australian small business owners need to know—and how to prepare your business for AI-powered buyers.
What Is My Business Worth? A Realistic Guide for Australian Owners
Most valuation guides tell you what you want to hear. This one doesn't. We walk through how buyers actually calculate what to pay, adjusted EBITDA, market multiples, buyer type, and the three factors that most shrink the number you were hoping for.
Working Capital Adjustments: What You Actually Receive at Settlement
The working capital adjustment can add or subtract hundreds of thousands from your final sale proceeds. Most sellers don't understand it until settlement, when it's too late to negotiate.
Earnouts: What Every Australian Business Seller Needs to Know
An earnout sounds like free money. It rarely is. Here's why most deferred payments don't pay in full, and how to negotiate better terms before you sign.
How Long Does It Take to Sell a Business in Australia?
The honest answer is 12–18 months from a standing start. Most owners plan for 6. Here's what actually happens at each stage, and how preparation changes the timeline.
How Owner Dependency Kills Your Sale Multiple
The most common reason Australian businesses sell for less than they're worth has nothing to do with profit. It's about what happens when the owner walks out the door.
The Hidden Costs of Selling a Business in Australia
Most business owners plan for what they'll receive. Almost none plan for what gets taken out first. CGT, legal fees, working capital adjustments, here's where the money actually goes.
Recurring Revenue: Why It's Worth More Than Profit When You Sell
Two businesses. Same profit. One sells for 3×. The other sells for 6×. The difference is almost always the same thing.
Asset Sale vs Share Sale: What Australian Business Sellers Need to Know
Most business owners don't choose the structure of their sale, their buyer does. Here's what that means for your tax bill and what you actually walk away with.
How to Sell Your Business Without Your Staff or Competitors Finding Out
A leak at the wrong moment can cost you buyers, key staff, and the deal itself. Here's how professional sale processes are run quietly.
What Buyers Actually Look At in Due Diligence
Due diligence is where deals die, prices fall, and surprises surface. Here's exactly what a sophisticated buyer examines, and how to make sure none of it catches you off guard.
How to Value a Professional Services Business in Australia
Professional services businesses are the hardest to value well, and the easiest to value badly. Here's what buyers actually look at when pricing a practice.
How Buyers Actually Recast Your EBITDA, And Why the Number Is Always Lower Than You Expect
Every buyer adjusts your profit before they make an offer. Here's exactly what gets stripped out, and why the gap is usually 15–35%.
Trade Buyer vs Private Equity vs Search Fund: Who Actually Pays More for Your Business?
Trade buyers, private equity, search funds, they all value businesses differently. Knowing who's likely to buy you changes how you prepare.
What Does a Business Broker Actually Cost? The Real Numbers for a $2M–$5M Sale
Business brokers don't publish their fees. Here are the real numbers, and what you actually get for them.
Why 40% of Earnouts Don't Pay Out in Full. And How to Protect Yourself
Nearly half of earnouts don't pay out in full. Here are the five specific failure modes, and how to contract around them.
5 Things to Fix in Your Business Before You Sell. Start 3 Years Out
The sellers who get the best outcomes started preparing 3 years before going to market. Here's exactly what to fix.
The 6 Reasons Your Business Sale Is Taking Longer Than Expected
Most Australian business sales take 9–18 months. Many take longer. Here are the six most common reasons, most of which are fixable.
What the Key Variables in a Business Assessment Actually Tell a Buyer
Every question in a business assessment sends a signal to buyers. Here's what each variable actually communicates, and what it means for your price.
What Adjusted EBITDA Actually Means When You Sell Your Business
EBITDA is the number buyers care about. But they don't use the EBITDA you report. They adjust it. Here's what that means, what gets stripped out, and why it changes your price.
What Is a Good EBITDA Multiple for an Australian SME?
EBITDA multiples vary wildly by industry, size, quality, and buyer type. Here's what Australian SMEs actually sell for, and what drives the range.
The Real Cost of Owner Dependency When You Sell Your Business
Owner dependency doesn't just lower your multiple. It changes the entire deal structure. Here's what it costs you in price, earnout risk, and deal certainty.
Private Equity vs Trade Buyer: Which Is Right for Your Business?
Trade buyers and private equity funds approach acquisitions completely differently. The one that's right for you depends on what you're optimising for. Here's how to decide.
How to Sell a Business Without a Broker in Australia
You don't need a broker to sell your business. But you do need a process. Here's what it actually takes to run a private sale, the steps most owners miss, and when a broker might still make sense.
8 Common Deal Breakers in Australian Business Sales (And How to Avoid Them)
Most business sales don't fail at valuation. They fall apart during due diligence when buyers discover problems sellers should have fixed months earlier. Here are the eight issues that kill deals most often.
Management Buyout (MBO): When Selling to Your Team Makes Sense
Your management team wants to buy the business. It sounds ideal, but most MBOs fail or take years longer than planned. Here's what actually happens, and how to structure one that works.
Tax Implications of Selling a Business in Australia: What You Need to Know
Capital gains tax can take 23.5% of your sale proceeds. Here's how Australian business owners can legally minimize their tax liability when exiting.
Letter of Intent (LOI) in Business Sales: What Australian Sellers Need to Know
A Letter of Intent marks the shift from casual interest to serious negotiation. What it includes, what's binding, and how to protect yourself before entering exclusivity.
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