DealPilot vs. hiring a business broker

DealPilot helps you start privately and understand your options before you share sensitive information, manage buyer-process steps, or hire outside help. Here's how the two preparation approaches compare.

Start with a free planning range

The quick answer

  • Use DealPilot if you want to privately create a value planning range, get review-ready materials prepared, and stay in control of what you share and when.
  • Consider outside help if your deal is complex, distressed, highly relationship-driven, or you'd rather have a qualified professional run the entire process for you.

Side by side

Cost model

DealPilot

Free to start, then simple flat prices — never a cut of your sale price.

Traditional broker

Fees and engagement terms vary by provider, mandate, industry, and deal size.

First step

DealPilot

A free private planning range with assumptions shown — no meeting, no commitment.

Traditional broker

Usually a professional engagement process before detailed work begins.

Seller control

DealPilot

You decide what to share, with whom, and when, the whole way through.

Traditional broker

The provider may manage outreach and buyer-process communication depending on the engagement.

Privacy

DealPilot

Nothing about your business is public unless you choose to publish it.

Traditional broker

Varies by broker — ask how your business will be marketed before you sign anything.

Review-ready materials

DealPilot

Available as an add-on once you're ready — you keep the underlying numbers.

Traditional broker

May be included or scoped separately depending on the engagement.

Best fit

DealPilot

Owners who want to understand their options privately before involving anyone else.

Traditional broker

Complex deals, or owners who want someone else to run the entire process.

How DealPilot pricing is different

Professional sale advisors, brokers, attorneys, accountants, and valuation providers all scope and price their work differently. DealPilot is narrower: it is software for owner-led preparation and workflow management. Our prices are flat and shown up front, and DealPilot does not charge a commission based on what your business ultimately sells for.

Where DealPilot helps

  • A free, private value planning range with the main assumptions shown and no commitment.
  • A documented planning report with valuation-range context, starting at $245 flat — no commission, no surprise fees.
  • A seller launch kit to get review-ready documents prepared, including a CIM-style confidential information memorandum draft for owner review before any sharing decision.
  • A private deal room to manage buyer-process records and documents once you're active, including confidentiality agreements (NDAs) and offer paperwork (like the letter of intent, or LOI).

Where outside help can still be right

  • Complex negotiations with multiple moving pieces.
  • Specialized industries where a professional already has relevant buyer relationships.
  • Distress, litigation, or unusual financing situations.
  • You want a qualified professional to run the entire process for you, start to finish.

Common questions

Private planning first — then decide whether DIY software, a broker, or more prep time fits.

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.

Get a private starting estimate

No card, no commitment, and nothing about your business becomes public. See a private planning range with the main assumptions shown.

Get my free planning range