Horizon Business Brokers
Welcome to On The Horizon, the podcast that takes you inside the world of buying, selling, and valuing businesses. Brought to you by Horizon Brokers, we’re your trusted guide to navigating the world of business transactions—whether you’re an entrepreneur looking to sell, an investor seeking the perfect acquisition, or simply curious about the process.
Join us as we explore expert insights, real-world strategies, and success stories to help you seize your next opportunity—because your future is just beyond the horizon.
Horizon Business Brokers
EP #8: Smart Money Moves In Small Business M&A
The small business market isn’t quiet—it’s selective. We break down where real deals are getting done, why recurring revenue and sticky contracts pull top multiples, and how a subtle shift in SBA rates is reshaping buyer power and deal structures. From MSPs and janitorial services to landscaping and marketing firms, we explore the traits lenders love and buyers chase, and we contrast them with sectors fighting headwinds like restaurants, retail, and construction without maintenance contracts.
We also zoom in on the buyer landscape that’s fueling competition: corporate refugees, first-time buyers, hungry searchers with MBAs, and private equity moving downstream into the $500k to $1M cash flow range. That crowding lifts quality listings—especially when the exit process creates urgency. You’ll hear how we use a segmented, 13,000-strong buyer database to field multiple offers quickly, push highest-and-best terms, and evaluate more than price by weighing culture and leadership fit to protect teams and legacy.
If you’re a seller, you’ll get a practical roadmap to raise value before you list: clean books and documented add-backs, SOPs and cross-training to reduce owner dependency, long-term contracts to de-risk revenue, and real curb appeal that signals operational pride. We walk through valuation methods—equity, enterprise, asset, and liquidation—and show how creative structures can outperform a simple turnkey sale. We also call out modern deal killers and how to neutralize them: government disruptions in GovCon, labor shocks in construction, and tariff-driven margin pressure in manufacturing and distribution.
Whether you’re buying or preparing to sell, this conversation gives you the current playbook: what lenders need to see, how to compete as a buyer, and how to present a business that inspires confidence. If this resonates, subscribe, share it with a colleague, and leave a review—what should we dig into next?
Ready to explore your financing options? Visit horizonbrokers.com or call 703-910-7384 for personalized guidance on making your business acquisition dreams a reality.