Thinking About Selling Your Business Within a Year? Read This First

So You're Thinking About Selling Your Business Within a Year, Read This First!

If you're saying to yourself, "I'm Thinking About Selling My Business Within a Year", timing is everything. This window offers real opportunity, but also real risk. Unlike owners who plan 3–5 years out, you don’t have time for major structural overhauls or long-term tax strategies. What you do have is the chance to take smart, focused action now that can directly improve your outcome.

At Infinity Business Brokers, we’ve worked with sellers in every stage of readiness, and some of the most successful deals came from owners who acted quickly and strategically, even on a short timeline.

Here’s what you need to focus on right now to avoid costly mistakes and prepare for a strong sale.

1. Tighten Up Your Financials

When you're close to listing, nothing matters more than clean, accurate financials. This is the first thing buyers and lenders scrutinize, and if they don’t trust your numbers the deal falls apart before it starts.

Here’s what to do:

• Separate personal and business expenses immediately

• Ensure your P&L, balance sheet, and tax returns align

• Recast your financials to reflect true owner benefit (we can help with that)

• Be ready to explain any fluctuations in revenue or margin

The cleaner and more transparent your numbers are, the more confidence buyers will have – and the stronger your negotiating position becomes.

2. Reduce Dependency on You

Buyers don’t want to acquire a job. They want a business that can run without the owner at the center of everything. If you're still the main point of contact for customers, vendors, or employees, now’s the time to shift that dynamic.

Quick-win strategies include:

• Delegating key responsibilities to team members

• Training a second-in-command or elevating a manager

• Creating basic documentation for key processes

Even simple steps to show you’ve begun removing yourself from day-to-day operations can make a big difference in buyer perception.

3. Diversify Your Revenue

If more than 30–40% of your income comes from one client, you're carrying what's called "customer concentration risk." Buyers see that as a liability and it often reduces your valuation or makes financing difficult.

What you can do now:

• Strengthen existing secondary accounts

• Offer small incentives to reactivate dormant customers

• Launch a simple campaign to generate new clients (even a handful can help balance the books)

Even slight improvements here reduce perceived risk and increase buyer confidence.

4. Start Assembling Your Deal Team

When you're selling on a short timeline, speed and accuracy matter. Trying to DIY this process or working with an inexperienced broker can delay or derail your deal.

You'll want:

• A qualified business broker (like our team)

• A tax-savvy CPA

• An attorney with experience in business transfers

Your deal team will not only help you prepare your business for market, but also protect you during negotiations, due diligence, and closing.

5. Be Realistic About Value – and Strategic with Pricing

Emotionally pricing your business is one of the most common mistakes we see. The number in your head might not match market reality and if you price too high, your business may sit unsold while qualified buyers pass you by.

At Infinity Business Brokers, we use recent comps, industry multiples, and detailed recasting to set a value that’s competitive, accurate, and defensible. Pricing smart from the beginning gets you to the finish line faster and with less stress.

Don’t Let Time Work Against You

Selling within a year is completely doable (and often highly profitable) with the right prep and the right people on your side. But every month that goes by without taking action reduces your flexibility and increases the risk of leaving money on the table.

👉 Schedule a confidential call today

We’ll talk through your unique situation, outline a game plan, and help you move forward with clarity and confidence.