Every answer here is already published on this site — on the homepage, the fees page, the industry pages or the guides. This page exists so you can find the one you need in one place, instead of hunting for it.
26 questions across 6 topics
No questions match your search.
Who buys, how Sentinel is different from a broker, and whether you need to be ready.
It depends on your industry and size. Most lower-middle-market businesses attract some mix of private equity platforms and their add-on programs, strategic acquirers (larger companies in your space), family offices, search funds and individual owner-operators. Your free Exit Profile maps the buyer categories most likely to want your business — and a competitive process puts them up against each other. Free Exit Profile
Not in the traditional sense. A broker lists your business and waits for calls. Sentinel runs a confidential, competitive M&A process: our AI researches and approaches a broad universe of qualified buyers, tailors your story to each one and deconstructs every offer, while our principal and senior deal team lead the conversations that matter. No listing, no retainer — a success fee only at closing. AI vs. broker
No. A competitive process puts private equity platforms, strategic acquirers, family offices, search funds and individual owner-operators in competition — and you choose on price and terms, including your staff, your customers, and how long you stay on. How a sale works
No. Most owners start one to three years out — some are just curious. The account, the Exit Profile and the calculator work exactly the same whether you sell next quarter or in 2029. Knowing your number early is how the best exits start. Create a free account
What your business is actually worth, and what the multiples mean.
Most owner-operated businesses sell for roughly 2 to 3.5 times seller’s discretionary earnings (the owner’s cash flow), and larger companies with roughly $1M+ of EBITDA for roughly 4 to 6 times EBITDA, and more in consolidating sectors such as insurance, veterinary, dental and managed IT. These are market ranges, not a quote or a guarantee. The free 60-second calculator gives you your range; your free Exit Profile shows what moves it. Free valuation calculator
Buyers price a business as a multiple of adjusted EBITDA (earnings with owner-specific costs added back). The multiple is a measure of risk: recurring revenue, a team that runs without you, and clean financials raise it; concentration and owner-dependence lower it. What is my business worth?
Profit, in almost every case. Revenue matters only as context for the profit. A business with $5M of revenue and $500K of adjusted EBITDA is generally worth far less than one with $2M of revenue and $800K of adjusted EBITDA, because buyers are purchasing future earnings rather than turnover. Adjusted EBITDA & add-backs
Owner-operated solo practices typically sell for about 1.5–3.5× seller’s discretionary earnings; established practices with roughly $0.5–1M of EBITDA trade around 4.5–7× EBITDA, multi-provider practices with $1M+ of EBITDA around 6–9×, and platform DSO groups 9–12×. These are market ranges, not a quote or a guarantee. Sell a dental practice
When you pay, what happens if the deal doesn’t close, and what’s in the letter.
Only at the close. Our fee is paid out of the closing proceeds, handled directly by the closing attorneys. There is nothing to pay before that. Fees
You owe nothing. If a deal doesn’t close, we earn nothing — which is exactly why we only take on mandates we believe will close well. Fees
No. No retainer, no listing fee, no monthly charges, nothing upfront. The free valuation, the free account, Vera and a principal’s review all cost nothing before the close. Fees
Yes — ask us to walk you through it. Most owners are surprised how short it is. Nothing is signed until every term is clear to you. Fees
Because every engagement is priced to the business — its size, complexity and the work involved. Fees are agreed with you in writing before anything starts, not quoted as a public rate card. Fees
Sentinel Transitions is the sell-side practice of the Wolfson Equity family, and your engagement agreement is signed with Wolfson Equity. Same team, same principal, same terms. Because our family also sources acquisitions for buyers, we publish exactly how we keep the two apart: Both Sides of the Table.
Who finds out, and when.
Confidentiality is built into how we work. Buyers sign an NDA before they learn your name, document views are logged, and nothing is ever publicly listed. We don’t reveal your identity or share documents with buyers without your approval. How a sale works
Yes. Confidentiality is built into the system, not promised on a page: buyers are qualified and under NDA before they learn your name. Your team, customers and competitors hear nothing until you decide they should. Sell a dental practice
What the engine does, what stays human, and who decides.
Confidentiality is built into how the engine works: buyers sign an NDA before they ever see your name, every document view is logged, and nothing about your business is ever listed publicly. Your information is shared only with buyers you’ve approved. AI vs. broker
Yes — at every stage that matters. A named principal and deal team run your negotiations and are reachable by phone, not just by chat. The AI runs the research and busywork around the clock so the time you spend with your team is spent on what actually needs a person. AI vs. broker
No. The engine finds buyers, prepares materials and deconstructs offers — but every decision is yours: which buyers get approached, what gets shared, and which offer you take. Nothing moves without your written go-ahead. The Engine
It isn’t priced as a discount product. You pay the same way either way — a success fee at closing, agreed in writing, nothing before it. What AI changes is the work: a wider buyer search, sharper offer analysis and an answer any hour, at no extra cost to you. AI vs. broker
The private workspace where your sale lives: your documents, your buyer list, every NDA and offer, tracked in one place you can check any time. Vera, our assistant, answers questions at any hour — and a named principal remains accountable for your outcome throughout. Create a free account
Yes. Vera, our AI, answers your questions at any hour, grounded in your deal’s actual data — the 2 a.m. “did I make the right call?” included. And when you want a person, a senior principal from your deal team is a phone call away. The Engine
How long it takes, what happens when you sign up, and what if you already have an offer.
Most engagements run six to twelve months from first conversation to close: a few weeks of quiet preparation, one to three months of confidential buyer conversations, then diligence and legal work. Preparation quality is usually what sets the pace. How long does it take to sell?
No — an offer in hand is leverage, not a deadline. Before you sign anything (including an LOI with exclusivity), a confidential read tells you whether that offer is strong or simply first. Get a free offer read
You enter your email and we send you a secure link — no password. Click it, add your name and your business, and you’re in your private Sentinel Desk, where your range and context are saved and kept current as market benchmarks change. A senior principal is there whenever you want one, and nothing is shared with anyone without your approval. Create a free account
In about three minutes, no email required to see it: an indicative market range for your business, your five value drivers scored, your fastest fixes priced in dollars from your own numbers, the buyer categories most likely to want your business, an exit-readiness score, and a preview of what buyers would attack first. Free Exit Profile
Yes — the owners who exit best start 6 to 24 months early. Knowing your number and understanding buyer appetite costs nothing and removes the pressure later. Free valuation calculator
Still have a question?
Ask Vera, or ask a principal.
Open a free account and ask anything, any hour — or call and talk to a senior principal directly. Both cost nothing and carry no obligation.