SELL-SIDE M&A ADVISORY

Sell Your Business at Maximum Value

Icon brings operator credibility and investment bank execution to every sell-side engagement. Confidential process, rigorous valuation, and a buyer network built over decades.

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Icon Exit: Sell-Side M&A Advisory

You built something real. When you are ready to sell, you deserve an advisor who has been in your chair, not a career banker reading from a playbook. Icon Exit is full-service sell-side M&A advisory built specifically for lower middle market established business owners.

The Icon Difference

Confidentiality

Your employees, customers, and competitors never know a thing until you are ready. We manage every outreach, NDA, and conversation with strict confidentiality from day one.

Valuation Expertise

We build defensible valuations backed by financial models, market comps, and quality-of-earnings preparation. You go to market knowing exactly what your business is worth and why.

Buyer Network

Private equity firms, strategic acquirers, family offices, and independent sponsors. We know who is actively buying in your industry and we reach them directly, not through a listing.

Our Process

Discovery

We learn your business, goals, and timeline. Financials, operations, growth story, and what matters most to you in a deal.

Valuation

We establish a defensible valuation range using market comps, financial modeling, and quality-of-earnings analysis.

Preparation

We build the CIM, data room, and target buyer list. Everything is ready before the first outreach.

Marketing

Confidential, targeted outreach to qualified buyers. We manage all communications and protect your identity.

Negotiation

We evaluate offers, negotiate terms, and structure the deal to maximize your outcome while protecting your interests.

Close

Manage due diligence, coordinate advisors, and stay involved until the wire hits your account.

Pricing

Icon Exit operates on a success fee model. Our fee is a percentage of the total transaction value, typically 4-6% for lower middle market deals. In many cases, the buyer covers the advisory fee as part of the deal structure. No upfront retainers. We get paid when you get paid.

Ideal Client

We serve owner-operated established businesses across the Nashville area and Southeast. You have profitable operations with transferable value and you are planning to sell within 6-18 months. If you want PE-grade representation without the investment bank attitude, we should talk.

What Our Clients Are Saying

“

Daniel and his team handled the entire sale of my company with a level of confidentiality and professionalism that exceeded every expectation I had going in. My employees never knew. My competitors never knew. And when we got to the closing table, the deal structure protected everything I cared about. I spent twenty years building that business and I needed someone who understood what that meant. Icon did.

Brian S.

Owner, Regional Distribution Company

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to sell a business?

Most business sales take 6-12 months from engagement to close. Timeline depends on business complexity, buyer availability, market conditions, and deal structure. Well-prepared businesses with clean financials typically sell faster.

Will my employees find out I am selling?

Confidentiality is central to everything we do. We use blind marketing teasers, require NDAs from all buyer candidates, and control information flow at every stage. Your employees, customers, and competitors will not know until you are ready.

What does Icon charge for sell-side advisory?

Icon charges a success fee based on deal value, typically 4-6% for lower middle market transactions. Many deal structures allow the buyer to cover advisory fees. We do not charge upfront retainers for standard sell-side engagements.

What is my business worth?

Business value depends on revenue, EBITDA, growth trajectory, customer concentration, industry multiples, and strategic factors. Lower middle market businesses typically sell for 3-7x EBITDA. Icon provides professional valuation services through our Toolkit starting at $500.

What happens if the deal falls through?

Not every deal closes, and we are transparent about that. If a deal does not close, we regroup, assess what happened, and adjust the strategy. Our success fee model means we only get paid when you get paid.

Other Ways We Help

Raise Capital

Growth capital and acquisition financing for owners who want to scale.

Explore Icon Capital

Business Valuations

Know exactly what your business is worth before you make any move.

Get Your Valuation

Exit Planning

Strategic planning for owners 1-5 years from exit.

Explore Exit Planning

Related Services

Exit Planning: Long-range planning to maximize business value before a transaction
Business Valuation: Data-driven valuation report to understand what your business is worth
Icon Capital: Capital raising advisory for growth, recapitalization, or partial liquidity

Ready to Explore Your Options?

Start with a confidential conversation. No commitment, no pressure. Every conversation is confidential.