Our Story

Business Brokerage Referral was born from a common seed: a "there-has-got-to-be-a-better-way" moment combined with the special knowledge and insight needed to create one. The "a-ha" moment came during a dinner between collegues and friends when they discovered many of them had family or friends that either were having trouble with the sale of their business or had sold their business, but had problems along the way.

With one ex-business owner and a few seasoned veterans of the M&A industry sitting at the table, the basics of Business Broker Referral.com were soon developed. Well aware of the potential land-minds and pitfalls business owners face when it comes time to exit their business, it only took a little research confirm the situation and the need for Business Broker Referral.com. 

Unlike many other professions that deal with such life changing issues, little is done to ensure a standard of practice both in terms of quality and ethics.  There is no formal, recognized body that certifies business brokers like attorneys or accountants. Many states don’t even require a license.*  Of those states that do, the license required is no different than that of a residential real estate license,** with the only exception being Neveda. No other state requires any finance, valuation or business transaction training of any kind. 

With so much on the line, receiving professional assitance when selling a business is an imperative, particularly when you consider that close to 90% of business owners have never been through the process of buying or selling a business. The need for confidentiality further complicates the situation as most business owners have few people or resources they can turn to for help.

The vulnarability of business sellers is evident. Year-after-year a certain number of business owners fall victim to a devistating scam or derivation there of that has been perpetuated since the early 1990s or longer.*** Many more fail to get the service they need or pay for, simpley by making the wrong choice.****

Helping those that have struggled to create opportunity for themselves, their families and the community has been an extremely rewarding experience.  So, we took our knowledge and launched Business Broker Referral using a business model we believe protects the integrity of the process by aligning everyone's interests. We do not charge our clients for referrals or accept payment from brokers to be registered. Instead, registered brokers pay us according to their succes with our clients. So, we want only business brokers that can help people get the money they deserve for their hard-earned equity.

If you would like to learn more about us and our backgrounds, please send us an email at CS@BusinessBrokerReferral.com or you can call us at 1-888-215-7612.  We would be glad to talk with you.

* We aware of sixteen states that have licensing requirements, of which only Neveda requires a business broker designation earned through twenty-four hours of additional education. The sixteen states are Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

**  The connection between the real estate industry and the business brokerage industry is still evident in licensing requirements.  To be licensed to broker businesses in the few states that require one, you must possess a Real Estate Agents license. The training is on real estate, with little or no training on finance, valuation or marketing a businesses. The only exception is Neveda, which requires 24 hours of additional education in business brokerage.

*** There are organizations that travel around the country putting on seminars, taughting unique connections and special abilities to reach particular or international markets. They charge large up-front fees and then fail to deliver service. The Geneva Companies out of California was one of the first to run this program. Their presence has diminished, partially as a result of class action law suits like this one in California (click here). However, other organizations continually form to perpetuate programs similar to the original.

****  There are a number of reasons why a business may not sell: lack of profitability, declining industry, location, and lifestyle requirements are a few.  However, one of the major reasons a business doesn’t sell during a listing period is related to how brokers procure business.  Since most business owners have little experience in this area, they tend to list with the broker who suggests the highest selling price.  As a result, the businees is priced too high when it is introduced to the market, which is a disaster since the most viable buyers are typically the first to look at the business.  Then, when the business doesn’t sell, the price is reduced.  However, when this happens, buyers become skeptical (there must be something wrong with it).  Plus, owners often mentally “leave” and quit investing in the business, which shows-up down the line.