If you're wondering how to sell your business for the best possible price, one of the most important steps is creating a compelling executive summary that shows potential buyers exactly what they're getting—and why your business is worth the investment.

In this episode, I'm walking you through the final step of creating a one-page business executive summary that can help attract qualified buyers and establish the terms of a successful sale.

But creating a great offering summary isn't enough. You also need to recognize the warning signs of unqualified buyers who could waste your time, derail negotiations, or jeopardize your sale.

I'll share how I structure business offering summaries, why I believe sellers should take the lead in proposing financing terms, and what business owners need to understand about seller financing and SBA-backed loans.

*In this episode, you'll learn:*

- How to create a one-page executive summary when selling your business.

- What information to include, from asking price and projected revenue to seller's discretionary earnings (SDE).

- How to identify serious, financially qualified business buyers—and recognize potential red flags.

- Why proposing a transaction structure can strengthen your negotiating position. - How seller financing, SBA loans, and buyer down payments can work together.

- Why a compelling business story and financial forecasts can help support your asking price.

Whether you're preparing to sell your small business now or planning an exit strategy for the future, understanding how to present your business to qualified buyers is essential to maximizing its value. With experience involving more than 650 business sales, I've learned that a successful transaction begins long before a buyer makes an offer.

**Listen now to learn how to prepare your business executive summary, attract serious buyers, and position your business for a successful sale.** For more insights into business valuation, business brokerage, and selling a small business, explore my book, *Glen Cooper on Business Brokerage*, available on Amazon: https://link.amazon/B0ieUmemI

Most business sellers focus on one question: What is my business worth? But before a serious buyer can get comfortable with a price, they are asking a quieter question: What might happen after I take over?

In Episode 10, I turn to a small but important part of the offering summary: the first-year forecast on the executive summary page. Using a real-world machine-shop example, I explain why this compact box can shape a buyer’s understanding of future revenue, expenses, and cash flow—without pretending the future is guaranteed.

I also share practical guidance for making a forecast more believable, where sellers tend to overcomplicate things, and why a well-prepared offering summary is more than paperwork. It is part of the story a buyer must be able to see before moving forward.

If you have already gathered broker opinions of value and started describing your business, I will walk you through the next piece you may not want to overlook.

In this episode, I discuss:

• Why buyers need a view of the business under new ownership

• The role of a forecasted profit-and-loss statement in an offering summary

• What a real machine-shop sale can teach sellers about defensible projections

• The connection between cash flow to the owner, SDE, and buyer expectations

• The next executive-summary element: price and sales structure

➡️ Get Glen's book 📕 https://link.amazon/B0gZlHFSb

Connect with Glen:

📧 Email: glen@mycoloradobusinessbrokers.com

📞 Phone: 303-919-2694 - Leave a voicemail for a return call

What if the biggest obstacle to selling your business has nothing to do with your financials?

In this episode, Glen Cooper, a business broker with nearly 50 years of experience and over 650 business transactions across three states, shares the one thing that separates businesses that sell from those that sit on the market. He reveals why learning how to write a business offering summary starts with just three paragraphs, and how that simple exercise can unlock the entire story of your business for buyers, bankers, and lending committees.

Glen walks through the full structure of a professional offering summary, the seven journalist questions every business story must answer, and why the emotional power of storytelling is the hidden driver behind successful business sales.

Whether you are a business owner preparing for an exit or a broker looking to sharpen your listings, this episode will change how you think about presenting a business to the market.

What you will learn in this episode:

•Why a compelling story makes your business a better lending risk

•The three-part structure of a professional offering summary

•The seven questions every business buyer needs answered

•How to start writing your business story today, even if you have never written one before

Get Glen's book, "Glen Cooper on Business Brokerage," on Amazon: a 300-page resource with 36 chapters covering the five challenges every business broker and seller faces.

➡️ Get Glen's book 📕 Glen Cooper on Business Brokerage Book

➡️ Get Glen's book 📕 Glen Cooper on Business Brokerage Book

Do buyers purchase businesses based on the numbers—or the story behind the numbers?

In this episode, I explain why your business story may be one of the most valuable assets you own when preparing to sell your company.

Too many business owners assume financial statements alone will convince a buyer. In reality, buyers are human. They're naturally drawn to compelling stories that help them imagine themselves becoming the next successful owner.

I'll explain why storytelling is wired into the human brain, how a well-crafted business story builds trust and increases perceived value, and why every seller should create an offering summary (sometimes called a Confidential Information Memorandum or CIM) that brings their business to life.

You'll also learn a simple framework for organizing your business story, including how to present your systems, your team, your track record, and the future opportunities that allow a buyer to become the hero of the next chapter.

If you're thinking about selling your business—or simply want to understand what makes a business more attractive to buyers—this episode is an essential listen.

• Why every business needs a compelling business story
• How storytelling influences buyer psychology
• Why facts alone rarely persuade buyers
• What belongs in an effective offering summary
• How to structure your business story so buyers see opportunity
• Why systems, teamwork, and track record are the foundation of a valuable business

Whether you're preparing to sell next year or a decade from now, learning to tell your business story could significantly increase the value buyers place on your business.

➡️ Get Glen's book 📕 Glen Cooper on Business Brokerage Book

➡️ Get Glen's book 📕 Glen Cooper on Business Brokerage Book

Most business owners assume they need to spend thousands of dollars on a professional appraisal before selling their business. In this episode, I explain why that's usually the wrong first step.

Instead, I walk you through a practical five-step process for getting multiple confidential opinions of value from experienced business brokers at no cost. You'll learn how to protect your confidentiality, what financial information brokers actually need, what questions to ask during your meetings, and how to compare brokers before deciding whether to hire one.

By the end of this episode, you'll have a clear understanding of how to value a business, avoid unnecessary appraisal expenses, and gather the information you need to make smarter decisions before putting your business on the market.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How to value a business before selling it

• The difference between a business appraisal and a broker's opinion of value

• Why you should obtain multiple free business valuations

• What documents business brokers actually need

• Questions every business owner should ask before hiring a broker

• Mistakes to avoid during the valuation process

Whether you're planning to sell this year or simply want to understand what your business is worth, this episode gives you a proven roadmap to begin the process with confidence.

🔗 Links and Resources:

📕 Glen Cooper on Business Brokerage Book

Connect with Glen:

📧 Email: glen@mycoloradobusinessbrokers.com

📞 Phone: 303-919-2694 - Leave a voicemail for a return call

➡️ Get Glen's book 📕 Glen Cooper on Business Brokerage Book https://www.amazon.com/Glen-Cooper-BUSINESS-BROKERAGE-Doesnt-ebook/dp/B0FLF28CJX/

How do you figure out what your business is really worth? Many business owners assume there's a simple formula—but the reality is that business valuation is one of the most misunderstood parts of selling a company.

In this episode, I break down the valuation framework I've used for nearly 50 years as a business broker to help owners price their businesses with confidence.

You'll learn the difference between **EBITDA** and **Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE)**, why most small businesses sell based on SDE instead of EBITDA, how earnings multiples really work, and when inventory and real estate should (and shouldn't) be added to your valuation.

I also explain why buyers are purchasing your future—not your past—and why understanding that mindset can dramatically improve your asking price and negotiation strategy.

Whether you're planning to sell your business next year or simply want to understand what it's worth today, this episode will give you a practical foundation that every business owner should know.

**In this episode, you'll discover:**

* The difference between EBITDA and Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE)

* Why most small businesses sell for 2–4× earnings

* How to calculate a realistic asking price

* When inventory and real estate add value—and when they don't

* Why future earnings matter more than historical financials

* The four principles that drive small business valuation

If you're serious about maximizing the value of your business before you sell, this episode is the perfect place to start.

**Subscribe** for more practical strategies on buying, selling, valuing, and growing small businesses from nearly five decades of experience in business brokerage.

➡️ Get Glen's book 📕 Glen Cooper on Business Brokerage Book - https://www.amazon.com/Glen-Cooper-BUSINESS-BROKERAGE-Doesnt-ebook/dp/B0FLF28CJX/

If you're trying to learn how to sell a business, most of the traditional sales advice you've heard may actually be hurting your chances of success.

In this episode, I challenge the outdated "Always Be Closing" approach and introduce a more effective strategy for today's buyers: Listen, Teach & Lead.

You'll discover why active listening creates trust, how the "Yes, and..." method improves negotiations, and how understanding the eight key value drivers can help you position your business more effectively with buyers and lenders.

Whether you're preparing to sell your company now or simply want to maximize its future value, this episode will help you better understand buyer psychology, business value, and negotiation strategy.

In this episode you'll learn:

• Why traditional sales tactics often fail when selling a business

• How active listening creates stronger buyer relationships

• The difference between "Yes, and..." and "Yes, but..." negotiations

• The 8 value drivers buyers and lenders evaluate

• How to position your business for maximum perceived value

• Why consultative selling produces better outcomes for both parties

If you want to learn how to sell a business successfully while creating a true win-win outcome, this episode is for you.

➡️ Get Glen's book 📕 Glen Cooper on Business Brokerage Book - https://www.amazon.com/Glen-Cooper-BUSINESS-BROKERAGE-Doesnt-ebook/dp/B0FLF28CJX/

Most business owners think their valuation is determined by revenue, profit margins, and financial statements. They're only partially right.

In this episode of What's Your Business Really Worth?, I reveal why your business elevator pitch can have a direct impact on how buyers perceive the value of your company.

After decades of helping business owners buy and sell companies, I've learned that the way you communicate your business often matters just as much as the numbers.

I break down the powerful Purpose, Promise, Offer, Difference framework and explain how to answer difficult buyer questions with confidence, justify your asking price, and position your business as a premium opportunity.

Whether you're planning to sell next year or ten years from now, this episode will help you understand how a well-crafted business elevator pitch can increase buyer confidence and maximize business value.

🔥 In this episode you'll learn:

📍 Why buyers ask the same questions repeatedly

📍 How your answers influence perceived business value

📍 The Purpose, Promise, Offer, Difference framework

📍 How to justify your asking price without sounding defensive

📍 What separates highly desirable businesses from average ones

If you're serious about selling your business for maximum value, this is an episode you won't want to miss.