Martin The Biz Broker

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Martin The Biz Broker I help business owners prepare, value, and sell their businesses, and help buyers find and evaluate the right opportunities. Lic # 02372118

I work closely with owners to navigate the process with clarity, confidentiality, and professionalism.

10/16/2026

If you have ever thought about selling your business someday, here is something most owners do not hear until it is too late.

The paperwork matters as much as the price.

When a serious buyer shows up, they will ask for your last three years of tax returns, your profit and loss statements, bank statements, your lease, an equipment list, and details on your employees. If an SBA lender is involved, they will want all of it too.

I have seen great businesses lose good buyers because it took the owner a month to pull everything together. Buyers start to wonder what else is missing.

The good news is this is completely fixable. Start a simple folder today. Add your returns, your lease, and your financials. Update it every quarter. It costs you nothing and it can save your deal later.

A clean document package tells a buyer you run a tight business. That confidence shows up in the offer.

What would be hardest for you to find right now if a buyer asked tomorrow?

10/16/2026

How long does it take to sell a business? Often 6 to 12 months (verify current figure). But the clock that matters is LOI to close. Time kills deals, and every surprise a buyer finds in diligence becomes a retrade. Run diligence on yourself before going to market. The timeline shrinks and the price holds.

10/15/2026

A business sale runs: valuation, prep, confidential marketing, buyer meetings, LOI, diligence, purchase agreement, close. The step that matters most is the LOI. Before you sign, you have competing buyers. After, you are exclusive with one. Lock your terms first.

10/15/2026

Quick question I get a lot from business owners: who actually holds the money when a business sells?

The answer is an escrow company.

Think of escrow as the referee. It does not take sides. It holds the buyer's funds, checks that the seller has no hidden liens or unpaid taxes, and only releases the money when every condition in the deal has been met.

In California, escrow also handles the bulk sale notice, requests tax clearances from the state, and pays off creditors before the seller gets paid. That last part is huge for buyers. Without it, you could end up responsible for someone else's sales tax bill.

For sellers, escrow means you are not handing over your business on a promise. The money is already sitting there.

Most business escrows here in LA and Ventura County take 30 to 60 days. Restaurants and bars with liquor licenses usually take longer because the ABC transfer runs through escrow too.

Have you ever been through escrow on a business purchase or sale? What surprised you most? Comment below.

10/14/2026

Quick question for business owners. Would you hand your tax returns to a stranger just because they signed a form?

That is basically what happens when a seller shares financials with every buyer who signs an NDA.

When I represent a seller in Los Angeles or Ventura County, buyers go through a few steps before they see anything sensitive. They fill out a buyer profile. They show proof of funds or a lender prequalification. We talk on the phone so I understand why they want to buy and what they have done before. If they work in the same industry, we slow down and release information in stages.

Customer names, employee details, and lease terms usually wait until there is an accepted offer on the table.

Serious buyers understand this. They expect it. The ones who push back hardest are often the ones you should worry about.

Protecting your information is not about being difficult. It is about making sure the business you built is still strong if a deal does not close.

Owners, what would worry you most about sharing your numbers with a buyer? Comment below.

10/14/2026

Most owners lose money before a buyer ever sees the business. They just find out in diligence.

Undocumented add-backs. A soft last quarter. One buyer and no competition. A working capital peg nobody modeled.

After the LOI, every problem becomes a price cut. Fix them before you sign.

Message me for a candid read on your business.

10/13/2026

Quick question for business owners. If you took a month off starting tomorrow, would your business run the same?

For most owners I talk to, the honest answer is no. And that matters a lot when it is time to sell.

Buyers are not just buying your revenue. They are buying the ability to keep that revenue after you leave. When everything runs through the owner, buyers see risk, and risk lowers the price.

I see this all the time with great businesses here in Southern California. The numbers look strong, but the owner is the salesperson, the manager, the estimator, and the customer service department all in one.

A few things that help right away:

Put your processes on paper so someone else can follow them. Let your team build relationships with your best customers. Give a trusted employee real decision making authority.

None of this happens overnight, but owners who start early almost always sell for more and with better terms.

What is one task in your business that only you know how to do? Comment below.

10/13/2026

A buyer’s advisor calls about your company. Ask who pays them. Sell-side advisors work for the owner: competition, price, terms, net proceeds. Buy-side advisors work for the acquirer: lowest price, best terms, no other bidders. Both are doing their jobs. Make sure someone is doing yours.

10/12/2026

Ever wonder how a business gets sold without the whole neighborhood finding out?

A lot of owners I talk to in Los Angeles and Ventura County assume selling means a public listing with their name on it. That is the fastest way to spook employees and customers.

Here is how I handle it. The business goes out under a blind profile. No name, no address, just enough detail for a serious buyer to raise their hand. Before anyone learns more, they sign an NDA and show me they can actually close. Only then do they see the full package with financials and operations.

From there, I put the business in front of buyers through online marketplaces, my private buyer list, direct outreach to strategic buyers, and other brokers. Many of the best buyers never search listings at all. They hear about deals through relationships.

Good marketing is not about getting the most eyeballs. It is about getting the right buyers to the table at the same time so you have options.

What would worry you most about selling: confidentiality, price, or finding the right buyer? Comment below.

10/12/2026

Every serious buyer runs a quality of earnings review. If it happens after the LOI, any problem they find becomes a price cut while you are locked into exclusivity. A sell-side QoE finds it first, while you still have leverage. It does not raise your number. It protects it. Selling in the next two years? Message me.

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Los Angeles, CA

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+18186333254

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