The reasons to sell your business often start well before the first call to a broker. See the moments that usually come first.

The moment you decide to buy a business, the instinct is to start looking. Slowing down here is what actually gets you to a closed deal faster, especially since some of the best opportunities never show up on a listing site at all.

At some point, almost every owner starts asking the same two questions. First, what can I actually get for this business? Then, where do I even start?