Business Brokers in Indianapolis, IN
Thinking about selling a business that does $1 million or more a year? Get a free, confidential valuation and talk with an experienced broker about your options.
- Free and confidential
- No obligation
- Owners doing $1M+ a year
Prefer to talk? Call (317) 555-0186
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How We Help Indianapolis Owners Sell
From your first valuation to closing day, here is what each service covers.
Selling a company doing $1 million or more a year takes more than a listing ad. The right broker prices it from real earnings, markets it confidentially to qualified buyers and keeps the deal on track to closing day.
Sell Your BusinessFind out what your business is worth before you decide anything. A valuation looks at your earnings, recent sales of similar companies and the risks a buyer will price in. It's free through our form, with no obligation.
Business ValuationThe best sales are planned one to three years out. Exit planning cleans up your books, makes the business less dependent on you and lines up taxes and timing, so buyers see a stronger company.
Exit PlanningCompanies with $2 million or more in revenue often draw strategic buyers and private equity groups. An M&A advisor runs a structured process, compares offers side by side and negotiates terms like earnouts and seller notes.
Mergers and Acquisitions AdvisoryHome health agencies, therapy clinics and dental or medical practices often do well over $1 million a year. These sales involve licenses, payer contracts and patient records, so they need a broker who handles them carefully.
Sell a Healthcare BusinessHVAC buyers pay for maintenance agreements, a healthy mix of replacement and service work, and certified technicians who stay after the sale. A broker shows them the recurring revenue behind your numbers.
Sell an HVAC CompanyPlumbing companies with steady service calls, commercial accounts and licensed plumbers on staff draw strong buyer interest. A broker presents your service mix and team so buyers see a business that runs without you.
Sell a Plumbing CompanyElectrical contractors sell on backlog, licensed electricians and the mix of service, residential and commercial work. A broker packages those strengths and plans how open jobs and permits are handled at closing.
Sell an Electrical Contracting CompanyConstruction buyers look at backlog, equipment, bonding capacity and the crew behind the work. A broker who knows the trade presents those strengths clearly and plans how jobs in progress are handled at closing.
Sell a Construction CompanyIndianapolis sits where four interstates meet, and freight companies here draw real interest. A sale covers trucks, operating authority, customer contracts and drivers, so the right advisor matters as much as the right buyer.
Sell a Trucking or Logistics CompanyManufacturers and distributors sell on equipment, customer mix and the team that runs the floor. A broker helps you show stable margins and answer concerns like customer concentration before they lower an offer.
Sell a Manufacturing or Distribution CompanySelling a franchise means working with your franchisor as well as the buyer. Approval, training and transfer fees all shape the timeline, and an experienced broker keeps both sides moving toward closing.
Franchise ResalesWhat a Business Broker Does for Indianapolis Owners
A business broker helps you sell your company for the best price and terms the market will pay. Most of the owners we hear from run established, privately held companies with steady customers and a team.
The broker values the business, prepares a confidential profile and markets it without naming you. Buyers sign a nondisclosure agreement before they learn who you are or see your financial records.
From there, the broker screens buyers, collects offers, negotiates the letter of intent and guides both sides through due diligence. Your job is to keep running the business well while the deal moves forward.
When It Makes Sense to Hire a Broker
A broker makes the most sense once your company does about $1 million or more in yearly revenue. At that size, the gap between a good sale and a poor one can be worth far more than the broker's fee.
Owners usually reach out for one of a few reasons: retirement, burnout, a partner who wants out, health, or an unsolicited offer they aren't sure how to judge.
If you aren't ready to sell yet, a valuation still helps. Knowing your number now gives you time to fix weak spots before buyers find them.
Why Owners Use a Broker Instead of Selling Alone
Selling on your own can work when a buyer is already at the table, such as a key employee or a competitor. Even then, owners often leave money behind on price, payment terms or how much of the deal is paid at closing.
A broker also protects confidentiality. Word that a company is for sale can unsettle employees, customers and suppliers, so buyers are screened and sign an NDA before they learn your name.
Most important, a broker brings more than one buyer. Competing offers are what push the price and terms in your favor.
What Buyers Look For in an Indianapolis Business
Buyers pay for earnings they can count on. For smaller companies, brokers measure seller's discretionary earnings (SDE); for larger ones, EBITDA. The price is usually a multiple of one of those figures.
A broker will also ask about add-backs: personal or one-time expenses run through the business. Adding them back raises your SDE, and it's one of the simplest ways to show a buyer what the company really earns.
The multiple goes up when revenue is steady, customers are spread out, records are clean and the business runs without the owner on every call. It goes down when one customer or one person holds it all together.
Indianapolis has a deep pool of buyers: individuals using SBA loans, local competitors who want to grow, and private equity groups adding to companies they already own in the region.
What Business Brokers Charge
Most brokers work on a success fee, paid at closing from the sale proceeds. BizQuest puts the common rate at about 10% for businesses selling for $1 million or less, with minimum fees of $10,000 to $25,000.
Larger deals often use a sliding scale, where the percentage drops as the price rises. Some advisors also charge an upfront fee for valuation or marketing, so ask before you sign an engagement agreement.
How Long a Sale Takes
Many sales take six to twelve months from listing to closing. Pricing the business right, having three years of clean financials and answering due diligence requests quickly all shorten the timeline.
Have these ready before your first conversation with a broker:
- Three years of profit and loss statements and tax returns
- A list of equipment, vehicles and other major assets
- Your lease and any key customer or supplier contracts
- A short list of personal or one-time expenses run through the business
- A rough idea of your timing and whether you'd stay on to help the new owner
An Indiana Rule to Know Before You Sell
Indiana changed its rules for business sales in 2024. When more than half of a company's tangible property changes hands, a Notice of Transfer in Bulk goes to the Indiana Department of Revenue 45 days before closing.
Without the state's clearance letter, the buyer can be held liable for the seller's unpaid sales taxes, and buyers know it. An experienced broker builds this step into the closing schedule.
Serving Owners Across the Indianapolis Area
The Indianapolis area has more than 212,000 small businesses, according to the SBA Office of Advocacy, from shops in Broad Ripple to manufacturers along I-70 and freight companies near the airport.
We serve owners across Marion County and nearby towns, including Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Westfield, Zionsville, Greenwood, Avon, Plainfield, Brownsburg and Greenfield.
Ready to find out what your business is worth? Request a free, confidential valuation with the form above, or call (317) 555-0186.
How It Works
Request a valuation
Answer a few questions about your business. It takes about two minutes.
Talk with a broker
An experienced broker reviews your numbers and calls to talk through what your business could sell for.
Decide on your timing
Sell now, plan for later, or simply know your number. There's no obligation.