{
  "title": "The 18-Month Business Sale Preparation Timeline, Month by Month",
  "url": "https://acquisitions.com/blog/the-18-month-business-sale-timeline/",
  "author": "Moran Pober",
  "publisher": "Acquisitions.com",
  "published": "2026-10-22",
  "updated": "2026-10-22",
  "section": "Selling a business",
  "keyword": "business sale preparation timeline",
  "short_answer": "Spend months 18 to 12 cleaning the books, making the business run without you, and fixing contracts. Spend months 12 to 6 choosing an advisor, setting a price, writing the CIM and quietly marketing. Months 6 to 3 are buyer meetings, offers and a letter of intent. The last three months are due diligence, the purchase agreement, the buyer's financing and closing.",
  "facts": {
    "1. Get the house in order": [
      "18 to 12",
      "Clean books, QoE-ready records, a second-in-command, documented processes, fixed contracts"
    ],
    "2. Go to market": [
      "12 to 6",
      "Choose an advisor, agree a value, write the CIM, build the buyer list, market confidentially"
    ],
    "3. Find the buyer": [
      "6 to 3",
      "NDAs, buyer meetings, offers, sign a letter of intent"
    ],
    "4. Close": [
      "3 to 0",
      "Due diligence, purchase agreement, buyer's financing, working capital peg, closing, transition"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    "https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/7a-loans",
    "https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/how-long-should-i-keep-records",
    "https://www.claconnect.com/en/resources/blogs/private-equity/the-sba-now-requires-a-quality-of-earnings-on-larger-acquisition-loans"
  ],
  "license": "Facts may be quoted with attribution to Acquisitions.com and a link to the url above."
}