Brentwood Growth

06/18/2026

Most business owners eventually ask the same question: "What is my business worth?"

The challenge is that many owners wait until they are thinking about selling to find out.

Some owners are thinking now.

Some are thinking soon.

Most are thinking one day.

No matter where you fall on that timeline, understanding the value of your business can help you make better decisions today.

It can help you identify opportunities, reduce risk, create more options for the future, and better understand what buyers may eventually evaluate.

In this article, Brentwood Growth founder John Bartlett shares why the timing conversation often matters just as much as the valuation conversation.

For advisors who work with business owners, exit planning conversations often begin with numbers. What is the business worth? What could it sell for? How much does the owner need to retire? Those are important questions.

06/16/2026

Now. Soon. One Day.

Most trades business owners thinking about selling fall into one of those three groups.

What many owners do not realize is that the future buyer is not always an outside buyer.

Sometimes the next owner is already inside the business.

A long-tenured GM.
A key employee.
A leadership team that helped build the company.

One of the challenges with an internal transition is that the value of the business can eventually reach a level that exceeds what a GM, key employee, or leadership team can afford to purchase outright.

That does not mean the path is closed.

There are ways to structure a transaction that can help make an internal transition possible when the right people are in place.

The first step is understanding what your business is actually worth today and which exit path fits.

Learn more: tinyurl.com/yxcmax68

06/11/2026

Most business owners know the profit number that shows up on their P&L.

Fewer know the number a buyer is actually looking at.

When buyers evaluate a business, they do not simply take the net income number from QuickBooks and stop there.

They look at owner compensation.
They look at personal expenses running through the business.
They look at one-time costs that are unlikely to happen again.

The goal is to understand the real cash flow the business generates.

That number often tells a different story than the one owners see on their financial statements.

Understanding the difference is one of the first steps in understanding what your business is actually worth.

Learn more: tinyurl.com/yxcmax68

06/10/2026

Most business owners know they will transition out of their business someday.

What they often do not know is when they should start planning.

Some owners are thinking now.

Some are thinking soon.

Most are thinking one day.

The timeline matters because it influences the decisions being made today.

In his latest article, Brentwood Growth Founder John Bartlett explores how timing, valuation, and planning come together to create stronger exit options over time.

One of the things I have learned after thousands of conversations with business owners is that most think about selling as a future event. One day, they will decide to sell the business.

06/08/2026

Most of what we do never shows up in the final number. It shows up in the process.

Grateful to Tom Wolvin and the Horizon Services team for trusting us with this one.

06/06/2026

Brentwood Growth was recently named the #5 sell-side M&A advisor in the U.S. on Axial's 2026 Industrials List.

What matters most to us is what sits behind that recognition.

Thousands of conversations with trades and service business owners about what their business is actually worth, what buyers look for, and how to create more options for the future.

Some are thinking now.

Some are thinking soon.

Most are thinking one day.

The strongest outcomes usually start long before a transaction does. They start with understanding value, reducing risk, and building a business that creates more options over time.

Thank you to the owners, advisors, and partners who trust us to be part of that journey.

Read more: tinyurl.com/y39k4nam

06/05/2026

Declining gross margins are one of the fastest ways to kill buyer confidence.

Most owners don't know it's happening until they're already at the table.

There's a number in your business that matters more than revenue. More than profit. Most owners have never seen it.

Watch the clip to see what that looks like in a real business, then grab some time if you want to know what that number is for yours: bit.ly/bwg_meeting

06/05/2026

Good businesses attract good buyers.

Tom Wolvin built Horizon Services into exactly that. When the time came to transition, we worked to find the right buyer and get the deal across the line. That is the job.

Congrats to Tom and welcome to Zephyr.

06/03/2026

Today is the day.

Every trades business owner eventually reaches the same crossroads:
Sell it.
Hand it off.
Or step back from the day-to-day.

The question is whether the business is actually structured for the path the owner has in mind.

At 12:00 p.m. EDT, Brentwood Growth founder John Bartlett is hosting a live workshop focused on:
• The three common exit paths for trades businesses
• What buyers actually evaluate
• What impacts valuation
• How owners begin building real optionality before transition conversations begin

If you own a trades or service business and want a clearer understanding of what your business is actually built for, this session is designed for you.

Last chance to register: brentwood-growth.com/liveworkshop/

06/02/2026

Most trades business owners know they will eventually leave the business. What many do not know is which path makes the most sense when that time comes.

Most assume the exit conversation starts when a buyer shows up. In reality, many transitions happen internally through a leadership team, long-tenured GM, or key employee.

Tomorrow, Brentwood Growth founder John Bartlett is hosting a free live workshop covering:

• The three common exit paths for trades businesses
• What impacts valuation
• How internal transitions are typically structured
• What owners should understand before transition conversations begin

Whether your timeline is now, soon, or one day, understanding your options early can create significantly more flexibility later.

Save your seat: brentwood-growth.com/liveworkshop/