One process, from the first conversation to the closing table.

The Vista process

Why it works

• It starts with detail. Our valuation takes work. We request a lot of documents, ask a lot of questions and verify the answers. You get an accurate picture of what your business is worth and what's driving that value. When you sell, buyers won't find anything we haven't already found and disclosed. No surprises, no stress, a smooth closing.
• It brings the market to you. Every offer arrives on the same deadline, an average of 46 first-round offers per business. Not one offer every few days, each with a different deadline. We set the deadlines and run the process. You decide who to sell to.
• Competition sets the price. Buyers make their offers knowing they're competing with other buyers for your business. We never put an asking price on it.
• The leverage is yours. Sell on your own and you're usually negotiating with one buyer and one offer, so the buyer holds the leverage. With us you have many offers at the same time, so you hold it. You keep it through the final round: your finalists submit letters of intent by a second deadline, and every one of them knows you have other options.
• You choose the buyer. No lying awake wondering whether the one offer in hand is a good one. You'll see every offer side by side, move the best five to ten forward, meet them by video and interview them for fit (personality, philosophy, plans for your people) before you pick. You're not selling to just anyone.
• It closes. Buyers review the detailed financials before they submit a letter of intent, so there's no "we didn't know" renegotiation in due diligence.

Part one

Before you go to market

Whether you sell next month or in five years, the first steps are the same.

1. A first conversationYou talk with one of our account managers about where you are: planning ahead and wanting a strategy, or ready to move quickly. No pitch, no pressure.
2. Your owner portalWe set up your private owner portal. You start with a few basic questions about your goals and how the business runs, so our time together goes to what matters instead of the basics.
3. A conversation with your leadYour project lead talks through your goals and what a sale, now or later, could look like for you. This is where your questions get answered.
4. Your documentsWe give you a list of what we need, mainly three years of financial history: profit and loss statements, balance sheets, tax returns and sales reports. Most come straight out of your accounting software, and most owners finish the list in about an hour.
5. Your valuationOur analysts value the business, and Colleen (who leads our valuations) and your lead walk you through it together: what it's worth, the range most offers should fall within, how those offers are likely to be structured, and what would raise or lower the value. There's no fee for the valuation.
6. Your decisionSell now, or we help you develop a strategic plan to meet your goals. The plan fits your timeline: it might raise the value of the business, or get it ready to sell at a specific time by cleaning up a few things and keeping an eye on the rest. We review it with you every six months and revalue the business every twelve.

The strongest offers balance price and terms

You'll see offers with all kinds of structures, and the highest price isn't always the strongest offer. On average, the balance has landed at about 90% cash at closing and a 10% seller note paid over three years. Your valuation assumes that structure, so the value we give you and the offers you'll see are measured the same way.

• Cash at closing. Paid the day the sale closes. Every offer has some. The question is how much of the total it makes up.
• Seller note. You lend the buyer part of the price, and they pay you back over a set period. On our sales it averages 10% of the price, paid over three years. Offers can range from 10–20% over 2–5 years.
• Keeping a stake (rare). You keep some ownership, usually 5–15%, or roll it into the buyer's company. It usually comes from a private equity buyer who wants your knowledge helping the business grow.
• Earn-out (rare). Payments tied to how the business performs after the sale. It usually appears only when the buyer wants to manage a specific risk, most often client concentration.

Which offer is stronger?

Offer A's price is $500,000 higher, but Offer B puts $550,000 more in your pocket at closing, with far less riding on the buyer's success over the next ten years. Which is right depends on your goals and how much risk you're comfortable carrying. That's the conversation we have with you when real offers are on the table.

Will people find out I'm selling?

• Buyers see a blind summary first. No name, no location detail that gives you away.
• Your name comes only after a signed confidentiality agreement.

Planning to sell in the next five years? Start now.

The owners who sell from the strongest position start early. We value the business, meet with you every six months to work the plan, and revalue it every year. When you're ready, you already know what buyers pay for, and you've had time to build it.