Money records
- 3 years of tax returns and profit-and-loss reports
- Owner pay and one-time expenses separated from normal business costs
- A first estimate of SDE, meaning your yearly take-home profit as the owner
Private sale-prep checklist
Is your business ready for private review?
Use this checklist before you share your company name, customer list, or financials. It shows what buyers usually ask for and where DealPilot can turn your answers into a private planning range.
Free to start. No credit card. Your business is not listed unless you choose to publish later.
What this helps protect
You do not over-share private details before you know who is serious.
You see the weak spots before a buyer uses them to push down price.
You get a cleaner path from rough estimate to paid review-ready materials.
The 3 buckets buyers look at first
You do not need a perfect sale package to start. You do need enough order to support the story behind the numbers before confidential sharing.
Customer proof
- Top customers by revenue, with any concentration risk clearly understood
- Recurring contracts, renewal dates, service plans, or repeat purchase patterns
- A plain explanation of how new customers find the business
Owner handoff
- Who runs scheduling, sales, hiring, and customer service when you are away
- Key employees who must stay after a sale
- Licenses, leases, vendor accounts, and systems a buyer would need transferred
Fix these before you go public
These problems do not mean your business cannot sell. They mean you should clean up the story before giving buyers leverage.
- Financials only live in your head or in a messy spreadsheet
- One customer or one employee could seriously hurt the business by leaving
- You are not sure what private information should wait until after an NDA, or confidentiality agreement
Frequently Asked Questions
Sale-readiness questions owners ask before sharing confidential details or going to market.
How do I value a small business without hiring a broker first?
Start with a private planning range based on revenue, owner take-home profit (often called SDE — Seller's Discretionary Earnings), industry context, and owner involvement. DealPilot walks you through those inputs so you can see a planning range and the assumptions behind it before you share sensitive details or hire outside help.
Is a free business value estimate the same as a certified appraisal?
No. A DealPilot planning range is an informational owner tool — not a certified appraisal, formal valuation opinion, or guarantee of sale price. Use it to organize numbers and readiness notes. Bring in a qualified appraiser, CPA, or attorney when you need formal opinions for financing, tax, or legal decisions.
Can I sell my business without a broker using DealPilot?
Many owners prepare privately first, then decide whether to sell themselves, hire a broker later, or pause. DealPilot is owner-led software for planning ranges, readiness work, and review-ready materials. It does not replace brokerage, legal, or tax advice, and it does not promise buyer pools or marketplace inventory.
What information do I need to start a private planning range?
Rough annual sales and yearly take-home profit are enough to start. Tax returns, add-backs, customer mix, and how much the business depends on you make the range more useful later. You can refine inputs over time without publishing anything.
Will my business stay private while I use DealPilot?
Yes. Your planning work stays in a private workspace by default. Nothing about your company name, financials, or sale intent goes public unless you choose a specific share or publish step.
How is DealPilot different from listing my business on a public marketplace?
Public listing sites focus on exposure. DealPilot focuses on preparation first: a private planning range, readiness gaps, and organized seller materials. You decide if and when to share with anyone. DealPilot does not invent buyer demand or promise listing liquidity.
What does Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE) mean?
SDE is a common small-business profit measure: roughly the yearly cash benefit to one full-time owner-operator after adding back owner salary, personal expenses run through the business, and one-time costs. Buyers often apply an industry multiple to SDE when forming an offer range.
How long does it take to prepare a small business for sale?
Timelines vary by industry, bookkeeping quality, and how owner-dependent the business is. Many owners spend weeks to months cleaning financials, documenting processes, and reducing key-person risk before a serious process. A private planning range helps you see which prep steps matter most for your situation.
Do I need perfect financials before I start?
No. Start with the best numbers you have, then tighten them. Cleaner P&Ls, tax returns, and documented add-backs usually improve buyer confidence later. DealPilot helps you see readiness gaps early so you are not learning them under diligence pressure.
What does DealPilot cost after the free planning range?
The initial planning range is free to start. Optional paid tools include a documented planning report, a seller launch kit, and a monthly deal room when you are actively managing a process. Pricing is flat and listed on the pricing page — not a percentage of sale price. If you have a promo code such as TRACTION129, you can enter it at checkout when offered.
Turn the checklist into a private planning range
DealPilot starts with the same basics a buyer will ask for: revenue, profit, owner involvement, customer mix, and risk. Your answers stay private while you decide what to do next.
Start the free readiness estimate