ValuablyBY ATLANTIC COAST
Learning Center The selling journeyYOUR NEXT CHAPTER, EXPLAINED

What selling
actually looks like.

You know how to run your business. Here is a clearer picture of what it takes to sell it: the people, the preparation and the work between an agreement and a handover.

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Explore at your own paceNo account or documents needed
A LOOK INSIDE THE PROCESS
LOITarget close
90day illustrationFollow the moving parts
Starts after an LOI. Preparation and buyer search come before this.
01 / THE WHOLE JOURNEY

Every sale has chapters.
Explore yours.

From preparation to handover, explore one stage at a time. The pace depends on your readiness, goals and the opportunity.

FIVE CHAPTERS / ONE JOURNEY

Hover or select a chapter.Tap a chapter to explore.

Preparation and buyer search happen before the 90-day closing illustration.
Before going to market

Know your business. Know your goals.

A sale starts with a clear picture of what you have built and what you want from your next chapter.

Define your next chapter

Timing, your role afterward and the outcome you need.

Understand the numbers

Review financial records and explain the earnings behind the business.

THE TAKEAWAY

A well-supported value discussion starts with your financial story and your priorities.

How the Atlantic Coast review begins

Start with a conversation. After a confidentiality agreement, share initial financial records in our separate valuation portal. Further review may include tax returns, bank statements and reconciliation. This sale preparation supports, but does not replace, independent buyer or lender review.

02 / KNOW YOUR TEAM

Different expertise.
A shared path to closing.

You bring the business. Your team brings the expertise. Meet the people involved, understand their roles and see how you can help them move things forward.

Choose a role to meet your team

YOUR GUIDE THROUGH THE MOVING PARTS

The broker

MEET YOUR TEAM 02
Atlantic Coast's original illustrated broker character, with swept blond hair and a navy quarter-zip.ATLANTIC COAST · THE BROKER

Bring the whole story together.

Your broker connects preparation, positioning, buyer conversations and execution. At Atlantic Coast, that starts with understanding the business and your goals before going to market.

  1. 01
    Prepare with purpose

    After a conversation and NDA, we review initial financials in our valuation portal. Further review can include tax returns, bank statements and reconciliation.

  2. 02
    Find and qualify interest

    Present the opportunity confidentially, screen buyer fit and financial capacity, and coordinate access to information.

  3. 03
    Keep the process connected

    Organize questions, negotiate commercial terms and coordinate the transaction team so decisions and requests keep moving.

What helps them do their job

Share your goals, a candid picture of the business and timely decisions. Our preparation helps surface issues early; it supports independent buyer and lender diligence.

A useful question to ask

“How will you prepare my business and financial story before buyers start asking questions?”

02 / 06 · Select another role to keep exploring
03 / FROM AGREEMENT TO OWNERSHIP

One transaction.
Several tracks moving together.

A closer look at the work between a signed letter of intent (LOI) and closing. Explore an illustrative 90-day financed transaction based on Atlantic Coast’s timeline.

Before day zero: understand the offer.Walk through a fictional LOI, with the terms and questions explained.
Transaction timeline: LOI to closeDay 0 is the signed LOI, not the start of your sale.

Select a bar or milestone to see what it means. Highlighted owner actions show where your decisions and documents are especially important; supporting requests can arise on every track.

WORKSTREAM / SELECT TO EXPLORE
Day 0153045607590

Financing

Due diligence

Documentation

Closing

Financing

Due diligence

Documentation

Closing

Financing / DAYS 0–14

Lender packaging & term sheets

Led by your transaction team
What happens

The buyer assembles a financing package. The lender outlines proposed terms and its initial requirements. A term sheet is an early financing indication, not a funded loan.

Who handles it

Buyer, lender and broker

What you contribute

Have the business records ready for requests routed through your advisor. The buyer leads their own loan application.

What can slow it down

Incomplete buyer information, an unclear funding plan or business records that do not support the proposed price.

A planning example, not a deadline.

Workstreams overlap and dates vary with the deal, lender, required consents and readiness of the parties. Exclusivity and any extension are negotiated in the LOI. Cash deals remove acquisition-loan work; conventional financing still needs its own underwriting. Neither guarantees a faster close.

3-page PDF · Timeline, team roles & owner checklist
Free to keep and share. No signup.
04 / SMALL STEPS THAT HELP

Make the next question
easier to answer.

Preparation cannot remove every uncertainty. It can make the business easier to understand and give your team more time to address an issue before it becomes urgent.

01

Make the financial story consistent

Work with your CPA to reconcile statements and returns, explain unusual items and support adjustments with records.

02

Keep one organized request list

Track what is requested, who owns the answer and when it is needed. Complete responses reduce repeated questions.

03

Keep running the business

Maintain current reporting and tell your advisor about meaningful changes in customers, staffing or results.

04

Surface transfer requirements early

Locate leases, important contracts and licenses. Identify consents and specialist reviews before they become urgent.

05

Agree how decisions will be made

Keep your attorney and CPA involved, set aside time for review and raise concerns while there is time to address them.

06

Plan the handover

Discuss training, employee communication, customer relationships and your own role after closing.

A SHARED WAY OF WORKING

Keep the process organized.
Keep the conversation constructive.

Agree how requests will be shared, who owns each answer and when decisions are needed. Investigate financial questions early, while recognizing that legal drafting and other work may need to proceed alongside them.

When a concern appears, discuss the facts with the right advisor. Keep the buyer-seller relationship focused on solving the issue and planning a workable handover.

THE FIRST STEP IS A CONVERSATION

You built the business.
Let’s plan your next chapter.

Let’s talk about your business, your goals, and what comes next. We will explain the valuation review and help you explore a path that fits your timing.

Book a free valuation conversation

You will see available times on our shared booking calendar.

  1. 01 / START HERE

    A conversation about you.

    Your business, your goals and the possibilities ahead.

  2. 02 / IF YOU CHOOSE TO CONTINUE

    Confidentiality comes first.

    Complete an NDA before sharing financial documents.

  3. 03 / YOUR VALUATION REVIEW

    A closer look at your value.

    Use our separate valuation portal for documents and preliminary questions. Further review follows as appropriate.

For CPAs, financial advisors and business attorneys
Share this page or its PDF with a client who wants to understand the process. This is a public educational guide, with no client financial information attached.

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