For sellers
Selling the business you built, to an owner who will run it.
Most owners sell once. This is what we focus on, we invest our own money in every deal, and we hold what we buy. Here is how we work, and what you can expect of us.
How we work
A private conversation
We start by listening. Tell us a little about the business and what you are hoping for. No names required, and no obligation.
An honest read
We give you a straight, early view on fit and a fair range of value, so you are never guessing where you stand.
Diligence, kept reasonable
We keep our requests organized and our questions fair. Your records do not need to be polished, only accurate, and making sense of them is our job, not yours.
A fair offer
A clear offer with terms that reflect the business as it really is, and the role you want to keep or hand off.
A close on your terms
A process on your timeline, with your privacy protected from the first call to the last signature.
A fair price, and the means to back it
We are careful buyers, and that works in your favor. We do not float a big number to win your attention and then chip away once you are committed. We invest our own capital and arrange financing before we ask you to commit, so the offer we make is one we can actually close.
Your role is your choice
We buy the business outright, and what you do next is up to you. Stay on as long as you like, or step away once we are settled in. The only constant is that the business gets one clear owner to carry it forward.
Confidentiality, on your terms
We speak to no one, not your employees, customers, competitors, or anyone else, unless and until you explicitly tell us to. The first conversation can happen without you ever naming the business. You decide when, and whether, anyone learns anything.
Your people, and your name, carry forward
When the right owner takes over, plenty can stay exactly as it is. We are not here to gut the team you built or strip the place for parts. We buy for the long term, which means your people, your reputation, and the way you do things are what we want to carry forward.
We have run businesses ourselves, so we understand the human side of this, the worry of making payroll and the weight of looking after people who count on you. Where we look to grow is the bottom line, with better tools and technology, not by cutting the things that made the business work.
And because our own money is in every deal, our interests are simple. We do well only if the business does.
Common questions
- Will you pay a fair price?
- Yes, and we will explain how we got there. We would rather make an offer we can actually close on than a flashy one we cannot. Our discipline is what makes the offer real.
- Are you actually able to close?
- Yes. We invest our own capital in every deal and arrange the financing, including SBA, before we make an offer. Iron Keel is a new venture, and we are deliberate for exactly that reason: we would rather move carefully and close than overpromise and stall.
- Will you contact anyone?
- No one, unless and until you tell us to. Not your employees, customers, competitors, or anyone else. Your confidence is the whole point.
- Do you buy the whole business?
- We acquire a controlling interest, so the business has one clear owner going forward. You are welcome to stay involved in a role if that suits you.
- What if my books are messy?
- That is common in great businesses run by busy people. We are used to it, and turning your raw numbers into a clear picture is part of our job.
- Do I have to decide anything now?
- No. The first conversation is just that, a conversation. There is no obligation and no pressure to move faster than you want to.
When you are ready, we are here.
Start with a private, no-obligation conversation, on your terms and your timeline.