A Number First, Decisions Later
Most owners we hear from are not ready to list. They want to know whether a sale would fund the next part of their life, and what a buyer would see if one looked today.
That is what the first call is for. A broker gives you a likely price range, explains the two or three things holding it down, and tells you roughly how long a sale would take.
Companies That Fit
We work with owners of established companies doing about $1 million or more a year in sales. Think contractors and trades, repair shops, manufacturers, distributors, health care operators and service companies with crews on the road.
Some of these owners are getting close to retirement. Others have an offer on the table and want a second opinion before they answer it.
The territory runs from Edmond down to Norman and from Yukon over to Midwest City. Our industry pages cover what buyers check in several fields that do well here.
How Buyers Put a Price on It
Buyers pay for earnings they can verify, not for sales or promises. For most companies selling under about $2 million, the starting point is seller's discretionary earnings: profit plus the owner's pay, perks and one time costs.
Larger companies with a manager in place are usually priced on EBITDA. Either way, the earnings figure gets multiplied by a figure that reflects risk. Many Main Street companies trade at roughly two to three times cash flow.
The valuation page explains what moves that multiple up or down.
- Tax returns and profit and loss statements that tell the same story
- People who can run the work without you on site every day
- Customers spread out, so no single account carries the company
- Leases, contracts and licenses a new owner can take over
Oklahoma Rules That Come Up at Closing
Selling here brings a few state steps owners rarely expect. Oklahoma treats the fixtures and equipment in a business sale as taxable, and the buyer can't get a sales tax permit until your state tax accounts are settled.
A buyer who takes over your workforce can inherit your unemployment account with the Employment Security Commission. The county assessor wants a personal property rendition every spring. Our Oklahoma closing steps explain each one.
A Deduction Worth Asking Your CPA About
Oklahoma offers a capital gain deduction that can take some or all of a qualifying gain off your state return. It depends on how long you held the company and where it has been headquartered.
The details are in our guide to the Oklahoma capital gain deduction. It is worth planning for before you sign a letter of intent, not after.
Where Your Information Goes
We are an introduction service, not a brokerage. Your request goes to one brokerage partner that values and sells companies in central Oklahoma. That partner may pay us a referral fee. You pay us nothing.
Read what happens next for the full picture. When you are ready, fill in the valuation form above or call (405) 555-0158 on a weekday.