# Start a Sale · Horizon Canonical: https://withhorizon.co/exit-now Start a sale # Most sell blind. You don’t have to. We introduce you to a vetted buyer, or the right advisor to run your sale. Buyers and advisors do this for a living. Most owners do it once, with no way to tell who’s right for you. It’s part of why we started Horizon. Free to you. [Book a call →](/discovery-call?path=sell&interest=exit-now) 30 minutes · Always confidential [or call 416-660-9229](tel:+14166609229) $0 Your cost, on any path 4,000+ Vetted buyers and advisors 7 days Typical time to an introduction ![](/images/slots/hero-exit.jpg) Which sounds like you? ## Start from where you are today. Two ways to sell, both free to you. The right one depends on your timeline, who you want to know, and how hard you want to push on price. [Path 01 Sell quietly Best if you’d sell to the right buyer tomorrow. 6 weeks To a written offer One buyer Knows you’re selling Meet a buyer →](#quiet)[Path 02 Run a full process Best if you want the highest number, and have the time. About a year To close Many buyers Compete for it Find my advisor →](#firm) Both are free from us, start with an introduction within 7 days, and carry no obligation. Question 1 of 3 ### When do you want to be done? ### Who can know you’re selling? ### What matters most? Our read ### Start with a Value Baseline With no set date, the best return is usually fixing what a buyer would discount, then choosing when to sell. [Book a call →](/discovery-call?path=sell&interest=exit-now)[See the Value Baseline →](/value-baseline) Our read ### Sell quietly, to one buyer A direct introduction to one vetted buyer fits your timeline and keeps it private. A written offer typically takes about six weeks. [Book a call →](/discovery-call?path=sell&interest=exit-now)[How it works →](#quiet) Our read ### Run a full process You have the time and the appetite for a wider market. We’ll introduce you to two or three advisors who do deals your size. [Book a call →](/discovery-call?path=sell&interest=exit-now)[How it works →](#firm) Both paths work. The right one depends on your timeline, who can know and what matters most. Nothing you pick here is saved or shared. [A buyer already reached out, or an offer came in? Talk it through with us.Start here →](/second-opinion) Your path Path 01 · Sell quietly ## One buyer who buys businesses like yours. No broker, no listing, and no contract. Get introduced to a buyer that meets the [Horizon Buyer Standard](#buyer-standard), typically within 7 days.  Have a specific buyer you want to talk to?  We do that too. It’s the right call when: 01 You want it done this year A written offer typically comes within 6 weeks, not after a year-long process. 02 You want it kept quiet Your team, customers and competitors don’t hear about it. Only one buyer sees the business. 03 You don’t want to pay a fee No retainer, no monthly fee and no success fee from you. If a deal closes, the buyer pays us. What happens after you say yes: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Step 1 of 6 · Day 1 Our call with you Step 2 of 6 · Day 7 Introduction to the buyer Step 3 of 6 · Week 2 First meeting with the buyer Step 4 of 6 · Week 3 The buyer reviews your financials and other information Step 5 of 6 · Week 6 Written offer in hand. Your decision. Step 6 of 6 · Months 2 to 5 Diligence, then close - 30 minutes. - What the business does, what it earns, and what you want from a sale. Rough numbers are fine. - A straight answer on whether a direct introduction fits - Buyers see a short profile of your business - When one wants to meet, you hear who it is - We provide you with a summary of the buyer: who they are, what they’ve bought and why they’re interested - You hear what they are looking for, and why now - You get to ask questions about them and make sure it’s a mutual fit - Still nothing signed - You share information under a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) - The buyer asks questions and does their homework on the business - You stay in control of what is shared, and when - The buyer puts a price and terms in writing - You take the time you need to review it with your own advisors - Move forward, or walk away. You’re fully in control - You accept the offer and sign a Letter of Intent (LOI) - Start due diligence and negotiating closing agreements - Lawyers finalize the deal, you close, and cash is wired to your account Start with a call. 30 minutes · No cost · No obligation [Book a call →](/discovery-call?path=sell&interest=exit-now) You spent years building this. Every buyer we introduce passes all six before you ever hear a name. 01 Buying in your industry now Actively acquiring businesses like yours, not “someday.” 02 The money is already there Not lining up financing or calling investors. 03 At least five deals closed You’re not the deal they learn on. 04 They buy at your size You’re not the small deal nobody has time for. 05 A real firm with a real name You know who they are before you agree to meet. 06 They bring a number Serious buyers who come to close, with a real offer. Path 02 · A full process ## The right advisor to run your sale. A full process, run well, is how you get top dollar: several buyers, real tension, someone experienced in your corner. That’s the job of a mergers and acquisitions (M&A) advisor, sometimes called an investment banker, a banker, or a broker. We introduce you to two or three who meet the [Horizon Advisor Standard](#advisor-standard), and help you read their proposals. It’s the right call when: 01 You’ll pay to get top dollar The advisor typically charges a monthly fee from day one, then 2% to 5.5% of the price at close. 02 You can give it the time 2 months to prepare, 2 months in market, then 3 to 6 months to close. 03 You’re OK for the market to know That’s what creates competition. It also means a failed process is hard to run twice. What happens after you say yes: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Step 1 of 6 · Day 1 Our call with you Step 2 of 6 · Week 2 Meet two or three advisors who fit Step 3 of 6 · Week 4 Choose one, with their proposals side by side Step 4 of 6 · Months 1 to 2 Your advisor prepares the business for market Step 5 of 6 · Months 3 to 4 In market, offers come in Step 6 of 6 · Months 5 to 10 Diligence, then close - 30 minutes on the business and what you want from a sale - Walk through what a sale process means and how to prepare - A straight answer on whether a full process fits - Each one meets the Horizon Advisor Standard - Each explains how they would run your sale - You get the questions to ask every one of them - Fees, terms and timelines compared in one place - We help you understand each - You choose the advisor who fits - Marketing materials and a buyer list are built - Your financials are organized for review - You keep running the business - Buyers see a summary with no name, then sign a confidentiality agreement to learn more - Interested buyers make offers - Your advisor creates competition between them - You choose the best offer and sign a Letter of Intent (LOI) - Start due diligence and negotiating closing agreements - Lawyers finalize the deal, you close, and cash is wired to your account Start with a call. 30 minutes · No cost · No obligation [Book a call →](/discovery-call?path=sell&interest=exit-now) Typical ranges for owner-run businesses, not promises. Fees from the Firmex North American M&A Fee Guide 2024-25: 5.5% on a $5 million deal, falling to 2.0% at $150 million. Monthly fees are often credited to the success fee at close. Time to close from the IBBA and M&A Source Market Pulse Survey, Q2 2026: lower middle market deals averaged 11 to 12 months from engagement to close. Every advisor says they do deals your size. Before we introduce one, we look at six things. 01 This isn’t their first deal A record of closed deals representing sellers. You’re not the one they learn on. 02 Deals your size, recently Comparable deals closed in the last two years, not deals ten times bigger than yours. 03 They run a real process The broader market, not the same ten buyers they always call. Competition is what you’re paying for. 04 They know your industry They’ve sold businesses like yours, and know who buys them. 05 You know who runs your deal We ask who will be on your file day to day, so you meet them before you sign. 06 Every fee, before you sign Monthly, success and minimum fees, the tail period and walk-away terms. We go through the proposal with you. We can’t promise how an advisor will perform. We can make sure you’re choosing from the right ones, and help you read every proposal. Most owners don’t know what a tail clause is until it costs them. Not ready to sell yet? See your business the way a buyer would. The Value Baseline shows what a buyer would pay today and what would raise the number, so you can decide whether to sell now or hold. Backed by the [10x Guarantee](/guarantee). [See the Value Baseline →](/value-baseline) ![Horizon](/images/horizon-wordmark-nav.png) Northline Mechanical · Value Baseline $14.6M What your business could be worth in 3 years. Today, $8.4M. Value today+$6.2M hidden value Horizon Score 58 / 100 Multiple 4.2x → 5.5x Status Saleable today How a buyer sees you Recurring contracts4.9 Safety and compliance4.1 Owner dependenceNeeds work2.6 Customer concentrationAt risk2.2 Your highest-value moves Ranked by value [Reprice service contractsRenewals run 8% under market. Reset at the next cycle.+$1.9M](#move-1)[Hand off estimatingTrain a lead estimator so major jobs move without you in the room.+$1.4M](#move-2)[Spread out your top customerOne contractor is 34%. Win two property managers.+$0.9M](#move-3)[Add planned maintenanceTurn one-off repair calls into yearly plans that renew on their own.+$0.7M](#move-4) Plus multiple expansion, 4.2x → 5.5x+$1.3M From owners Matt has worked with ## Walk into every conversation prepared. > “Matt guided our ownership team through the sale of Mid-Canada Mod Center to De Havilland Canada… While the deal was complex with numerous moving parts and tight timelines, Matt kept us focused on the goal line, responding quickly to evolving issues at every stage in process.” ![](/images/mark-fardy.jpg)Mark Fardy, CPA, CAFormer CEO, Mid-Canada Mod Center · Before Horizon > “He’s sharp, direct, and brings real clarity to complex decisions. He listens, quickly gets to the heart of an issue, and isn’t afraid to give candid advice, even when it’s not the answer you were hoping to hear.” ![](/images/rob-griffin.jpg)Rob GriffinFormer CEO, Sideshift Inc. · Before Horizon > “When a buyer approached us, Matt helped us slow down and get clear on how we wanted to show up. He gave us a framework for the conversation, helped us put words to the value we’d built, and kept us focused on what mattered most. The offer ended up 3.5x higher than where it started. Just as important, we walked into every conversation feeling prepared and confident.” OwnerB2B services company > “I’d spent 30 years building my business, but selling it was new territory. Matt sat down with my numbers, showed me how a buyer would look at them, and walked me through everything: the sale process, my staff, my biggest client, the lease. When the offer came in, I understood exactly where it came from and what my options were.” OwnerB2C services company Questions owners ask first ## Straight answers. If yours isn’t here, ask Matt on the call. Why is this free? The buyer, or the advisor you choose, pays us a referral fee if a deal closes. Inbound interest calls are free because we believe owners should be able to access advice and understand what is being offered to them before they decide. Will my team or customers find out? Not from us. Buyers see a short profile once you've given us permission. If someone has access to your calendar or email and you don't want them to know, consider using a personal email. A buyer already sent me a letter. Is it too late? No. Talk to us before you reply or sign anything. We’ll check who they are and what they've bought and give you an opinion. What if I don’t like the offer? Walk away. There’s no contract with us, and you keep everything you learned. Do I need a broker or banker? Not always. If you want to be out sooner, don't want a process, additional fees, or the market knowing you're for sale, direct buyer introductions are the better path. If you want the highest number and can give it a year, a full process usually wins. We'll answer your questions on both. What size of business is this for? Owners of companies with $2M to $100M in revenue, in the United States or Canada. If you’re selling, $1M or more in profit (EBITDA) gives you real options, and $2M or more opens up a much wider pool of buyers. If your profit is smaller today, the Value Baseline is often the best place to start: what a buyer would pay for your business now, and the moves that would raise it before you sell. Every business is different, so we’ll talk through your options on the call. [See the Value Baseline →](/value-baseline) Can you guarantee a sale, a price or a timeline? No. We introduce you to buyers and advisors who meet our standards, but we can’t promise an offer, a price, a timeline or that a deal will close. Buyers and advisors are independent of Horizon, and every decision is yours. The timelines and fee ranges on this page are typical, not promises. We’re not lawyers or accountants, so get your own legal, tax and financial advice before you sign anything. Keep going ## For a sale that’s starting. [Podcast · 40 min3 exits in 10 years, and why buyers smell desperationJacqueline Dinsmore](/worth-owning/jacqueline-dinsmore)[Podcast · 72 minFrom a pulled IPO in 2008 to a $263M salePeter Hwang](/worth-owning/peter-hwang)[Free toolThe diligence checklistWhat a buyer will ask for](/diligence-checklist)[Article · 10 min readWhat is my business worth? How buyers value itMatt Harrison](/articles/what-is-my-business-worth) ![](/images/matt-face.jpg) You talk to Matt Harrison directly Co-founder, President · Former M&A advisor · $100M+ in deals advised · No intake team Matt has your note. You’ll hear back within one business day. Until then, don’t sign or agree to anything new. ## You sell once. Get it right. Thirty minutes tells you which path fits and who you should be talking to. If we’re not the right fit, we’ll tell you who is. [Book a call →](/discovery-call?path=sell&interest=exit-now) You talk to Matt Harrison directly · [or call 416-660-9229](tel:+14166609229)