Start with your own goals
Write a one-page note for yourself: why you are considering a sale, your preferred timing, the role you might want afterward, and the questions you have about your team. Separate firm requirements from preferences. Revisit this note as you learn more.
Create a map of your records
List where the financial statements, tax records, inventory reports, customer sales, supplier agreements, and operating procedures are held. Assign a person to each area. At this stage, you are locating records, not sending confidential files to every interested buyer.
Make customer and supplier patterns understandable
Use the same reporting period when comparing accounts. Separate regular reorders from unusual projects. Explain major changes and identify relationships that depend on the owner. Keep customer names out of an initial general introduction.
Write down how the business runs without you
For quoting, purchasing, order fulfillment, and collections, list the person responsible, the system used, and the decisions that still come to you. Choose one task to document and hand over internally as a small experiment.
Prepare questions for the buyer, too
Ask who would operate the business, how they evaluate fit, what information they need next, and how they propose handling communication during a transition. Record what has been discussed and what remains an open question.
Build the right professional support
The SBA’s sale guidance discusses valuation and professional review of a sales agreement. An accountant, attorney, and qualified transaction or valuation adviser can help you assess your specific situation. These worksheets are for organizing questions and information, not setting a sale price.
TAKE ONE STEP
Your first deliverable: a one-page owner brief and an index of available records.
Further reading: U.S. Small Business Administration: close or sell your business.
This is a general planning resource, not a valuation or personalized legal, tax, or financial advice. Use it to organize a conversation with qualified advisers.
