Selling Your Business
You Decided to Sell. Now Get Everything You've Earned.
What separates an exit you're excited about from one you second-guess comes down to two things: how ready your business is to sell, and who's representing you from first conversation to close.
There's No Second Sale
Selling well isn't about the highest price. It's about a deal shaped around what you actually want: the right buyer, terms that hold up, and proceeds that fund whatever comes next.
We work to maximize what your business is worth before it ever reaches a buyer, bring it to the ones most able to pay, and negotiate the terms that protect it, so the value you've built is the value you keep.
A lifetime of work should leave you exactly where you want to be. That outcome is what we're here to deliver — not just full value for what you built, but the future it's meant to make possible.
It all comes down to having the right advisor in your corner. Someone with the experience and tenacity to fight for everything you've earned.
Go to Market With Nothing Left to Chance
When it comes to selling your business, no decision matters more than the advisor you choose. It's the difference between walking away excited for the future and living with regret.
Come from the strongest position. Lloyd Silver is a CFA charterholder, one of the most demanding credentials in finance and extraordinarily rare among business brokers. His analysis builds the case for your company's full value.
An understanding of all sides. Lloyd has built, bought, and sold businesses of his own, and advised on hundreds of transactions on both the buy and sell side.
Maximize the value you receive. It comes down to what you keep after the IRS takes its share, and whether the terms give you the future you want. Lloyd brings in the right tax help early and negotiates the terms that get you there.
Benefit from strong demand. From a network of thousands of buyers, Lloyd brings the right ones to compete for your business. Over a decade running a marketing agency taught him to position a business well and bring your story to the right buyers.
Few bring all of it together. You get the most from a sale you make only once, with the right experience guiding every step.
One Guided Process, From First Conversation to Closing
With The Arbor Method™, you move through five phases, from first defining what you want to reaching it, and never have to guess where you stand or what comes next.
- 1
Envision
Define what a successful outcome looks like, for you and your family.
- 2
Assess
Understand your business's true value, your financial readiness, and your path forward.
- 3
Strengthen
Close the gap between where your business is and the value it could command.
- 4
Position
Tell your business's story to the right buyers, in the right way.
- 5
Arrive
Close, complete the transition, and step into what's next.
Built for Owners Like You
We're built for a particular kind of owner — and if you're reading this, there's a good chance it's you.
- You made this what it is.
- Your name might be on the door, or the side of the trucks. It isn't just an asset you own; it's part of who you are.
- To you, it's a legacy.
- You want your people looked after, and what you built carried on by someone who values it the way you do.
- You value good counsel.
- You want an advisor — someone who respects what you built and tells you the truth, not just what you want to hear.
What Happens When You Reach Out
- A confidential first conversation
- You and Lloyd talk through your business, your goals, and what you want from selling. Confidential, and entirely at your pace.
- A clearer sense of your options
- You come away understanding the paths open to you and what a strong outcome would take, whether you move now or down the road.
- The next step is yours
- If it's a fit, you move forward on your timeline. If it isn't, you've gained a clearer view of the road ahead.
Not Ready to Sell Yet?
That's exactly when value is made. Strengthen your business and your own readiness before you have to, and you reach the market from a position of strength.
Common Questions
Questions Owners Ask Before They Sell
What owners most want to know before they take their business to market.
- What does working with Two Oaks look like?
A structured, five-phase journey called The Arbor Method™ — from your first conversation through post-sale transition. It starts with what a successful outcome looks like for you and your family, before a single number, then moves through understanding your value, strengthening the business, positioning it for the right buyers, and closing the deal. Every step is built around your goals, not a checklist.
- How long does selling a business take?
It depends on where your business starts — some are ready, others benefit from preparation first. Once positioned and on the market, a sale typically takes between 6 and 18 months, with the average around 11. The more that’s been handled up front, the smoother the timeline runs. You set the pace.
- What do I need to do vs. what does Two Oaks handle?
You provide access to your financials, help shape the criteria for which buyers we pursue, make the call on offers, and meet serious, screened buyers when the time comes. Two Oaks handles the rest — recasting financials, addressing risks, building positioning materials, marketing confidentially, screening buyers, and negotiating terms. The decisions are yours; the process is ours.
- What’s the difference between a business broker and an M&A advisor?
Many brokers focus on listing your business and finding a buyer. An M&A advisor takes responsibility for the whole process — preparing the business, running a confidential sale, managing buyers and diligence, and steering the deal to close. At the $1M–$10M size, Lloyd Silver, CFA, runs your sale himself rather than handing it off.
- How do you get paid?
Most engagements have two parts. The work of preparing your business for market is compensated as it’s delivered; the larger piece is a success fee paid at closing — so our interests stay aligned with yours. Every part is laid out and agreed before anything is signed. No hidden costs, no surprises.
- How is my business valued?
Based on how buyers actually evaluate acquisitions — not just a revenue multiple from a database. Two Oaks recasts your financials to reflect what the business truly earns, then weighs the risks and strengths a buyer will pay for. That analytical depth, backed by the CFA charter, means your valuation holds up when a buyer’s accountant tests it.
- Will anyone find out my business is for sale?
Not unless you want them to. Your business is marketed through blind listings — descriptions that present the opportunity without revealing the name or any identifying details. Identity is disclosed only after a buyer signs a non-disclosure agreement and is financially vetted. Until then, employees, customers, and competitors remain unaware.
- How do you find the right buyer?
It starts with what “right” means for you — your financial goals, your priorities for employees, your vision for the business after you leave. From there, Two Oaks builds a customized strategy: targeted outreach, confidential blind listings, private equity and family office engagement, and coordination with other licensed brokers to extend the reach. Not every business goes to the same buyer pool.
Let's Start With a Conversation
No commitment. No pressure. Just clarity.
It starts with a conversation about your business, your goals, and the outcome you're after. Whether you're ready to move now or still weighing it, you'll come away knowing where you stand. A confidential conversation with Lloyd Silver, CFA. Everything we discuss stays between us.