Hal built his fabrication shop from a single welding rig in the 1970s into a $12 million-a-year enterprise with 45 employees. His clients were loyal, his margins were strong, and he assumed the business could “sell itself” when the time came...

Amanda grew her skincare company into a nationally distributed beauty brand with $5 million in annual sales. She received an attractive offer from a private equity group that wanted to roll her company into a larger wellness portfolio.

Everything looked promising until due diligence revealed major issues...

Tom and Jake inherited their father’s equipment rental business. For decades, they made a good living—steady cash flow, loyal contractors, and a fleet of well-maintained machinery. But when Tom wanted to retire early, Jake wasn’t ready...

Dr. Patel’s company specialized in orthopedic implant design. He had several engineers who’d been with him for over a decade and handled all R&D and client relationships. When he began exploring a sale, two serious buyers emerged...

Ken received an offer to sell his logistics company for $10 million. Excited, he signed a letter of intent and began spending like the deal was done—buying a vacation home and new vehicles.

But Ken never consulted a tax advisor...

Paul ran a boutique digital agency with 18 employees, specializing in hospitality marketing. He wanted out after 20 years to pursue travel and semi-retirement. He found a potential buyer—a regional firm eager to expand into Florida—and they agreed on a price; however, due diligence revealed a problem...

Maria’s handcrafted furniture line had a loyal following and solid financials—$4 million in annual sales and strong profit margins. A younger couple wanted to buy the business and keep her staff and brand intact. It was a perfect fit—until financing became the problem...

Ron assumed his long-time operations manager, Tyler, would take over the business when he retired. They’d talked about it for years—but never put anything in writing...

Leah was a talented creative who grew her small design studio into a million-dollar boutique agency. But after 15 years, she was exhausted. She planned to sell within a year, but instead of preparing, she simply stopped caring—cutting marketing, delaying hires, and letting clients slip away...

Donnie owned three profitable gyms, each in buildings he personally held through separate LLCs. He assumed buyers would love the setup—business plus property...

Dennis had built a respected roofing company with over 25 employees and consistent revenue. He was ready to retire and had a serious buyer lined up—a national roll-up firm acquiring regional contractors...

Carol ran one of the West Coast’s premier photo labs for professional photographers. For decades, she’d been profitable, and she assumed her niche expertise would make her business attractive to buyers...

Mark thought he had the perfect buyer: a private equity-backed logistics group expanding into the Midwest. The LOI was signed, due diligence was underway, and Mark even announced to his staff that the deal was happening...

Natalie’s business was thriving—$8 million in annual contracts and a solid reputation. When she decided to sell, she wanted to push the valuation higher first. Her strategy? Rapid expansion...

After 20 years of building Summit Analytics into a $10 million consulting firm, David and Melissa received a strong offer from a major tech integrator. David was ready to exit and enjoy early retirement. Melissa wasn’t...