The right service for the right size deal
Not every business sale needs investment-bank-style M&A advisory. For owner-operated companies in the $500K to $5M range — restaurants, professional services firms, distribution businesses, niche manufacturers, e-commerce — a focused brokerage process is the right tool. Faster timeline, lower cost, broader buyer pool of individual operators and search funds rather than institutional acquirers.
Northbridge offers brokerage services for businesses in this range, sharing the same confidentiality discipline and transparent hourly billing as our M&A practice, scaled to fit smaller transactions.
What full-service brokerage includes
- Confidential business valuation — realistic asking-price recommendation based on industry multiples, comparable Houston transactions, and recasting of owner-benefit cash flow.
- Marketing materials preparation — coded teaser ad for listing platforms, full confidential information memorandum for vetted buyers, financial recast and add-back schedule.
- Multi-channel listing — BizBuySell, BusinessesForSale, our own qualified-buyer database, and discreet direct outreach where appropriate.
- Buyer pre-qualification — financial capacity verification, NDA execution, and structured buyer-discovery calls before any business identity is disclosed.
- Showings and meetings — scheduled, coordinated, and chaperoned property and management meetings; protecting the operating business from disruption.
- Offer negotiation — multiple-offer management, term sheet structuring, and negotiation through letter of intent.
- Diligence and closing coordination — secure document sharing through the Northbridge portal, coordination with attorneys, lenders (SBA where applicable), and the title/escrow company.
When brokerage makes sense vs. when M&A consulting does
Brokerage is the right fit when: the business is owner-operator-replaceable, enterprise value is under $5M, the buyer pool is individuals and search-fund operators rather than strategic acquirers, the timeline is 4–8 months, and a percentage-based success fee makes sense given the deal size.
M&A consulting is the better fit when: the business has multiple managers and institutional buyers are likely, enterprise value is $5M+, deal complexity warrants hourly senior advisor time, transaction structure includes earnouts/rollovers/strategic considerations, or you specifically want hourly billing and independent advice rather than a commissioned process. Compare our M&A consulting service.
Brokerage engagement terms
Brokerage is the one Northbridge service where success-fee billing is sometimes more appropriate than hourly — smaller deal sizes don't always justify the budget commitment of an hourly engagement. Most listings are structured as a $1,500 booking retainer plus a transaction commission at close, with the retainer credited against the commission. Hourly options are also available on request.
We'll walk through both structures on the scoping call and recommend the one that's actually a better fit for your situation.