Question 1

What does a business broker actually do?

Accepted Answer

A business broker helps business owners sell their businesses and helps buyers find and acquire businesses. That can include meeting with business owners, reviewing financial information, helping determine value, preparing a business for market, confidentially marketing the opportunity, qualifying buyers, coordinating NDAs, facilitating offers and negotiations, and helping move the transaction through due diligence and toward closing. At The Business Matchmakers, we think of it a little differently. We match the right business with the right buyer—and help both sides get to the closing table.

Question 2

Do I need a real estate license to become a business broker?

Accepted Answer

It depends on your state. Some states require a real estate license or other registration to perform business brokerage activities. In other states, a standalone license generally isn't required for a business-only transaction. The requirements can also change depending on whether real estate, a lease or other regulated assets are involved. CHECK YOUR STATE

Question 3

Do I need experience as a business broker?

Accepted Answer

No. Everyone has to do their first deal. Our model is designed to help people learn the business while giving them the systems, tools, technology and community needed to build their brokerage business. You don't need to walk in already knowing how to value a business or manage an acquisition from beginning to end. That's what the training is for.

Question 4

Do I need an MBA or finance degree?

Accepted Answer

No. You don't need an MBA, finance degree, or traditional corporate background to become a successful business broker. Entrepreneurs, real estate professionals, salespeople, marketers, consultants, and natural connectors often already have many of the skills that translate well into business brokerage. You can learn the numbers. What is much harder to teach is how to build relationships, earn trust, solve problems, and get deals moving.

Question 5

Do I need to have owned a business?

Accepted Answer

No—but business experience can certainly help. Understanding how owners think, what keeps them awake at night and what it means to have your livelihood tied to a business can be incredibly valuable. But you don't have to have owned a company to become a business broker.

Question 6

Is this a job?

Accepted Answer

No. This is an opportunity to build your own business in business brokerage , not apply for a salaried position with The Business Matchmakers. You'll be responsible for developing relationships, finding opportunities, and building your own book of business—with training, tools, technology, systems, and community behind you.

Question 7

How do business brokers get paid?

Accepted Answer

Business brokers are typically compensated when a transaction successfully closes. Compensation structures vary by transaction, brokerage, market, and agreement, but success-based commissions are common. For example, if a $500,000 business sells with a 10% brokerage commission, the gross commission would be $50,000 . That does not mean the individual broker necessarily earns $50,000. Brokerage splits, referral fees, co-broker arrangements, transaction expenses and other factors can affect the broker's actual compensation. There are no guarantees that any particular listing will sell or that a broker will earn any particular amount.

Question 8

Is there a salary?

Accepted Answer

No. Business brokerage is generally a commission-based business . That means there can be significant upside—but there can also be periods where you're working on transactions without getting paid. If you're looking for a guaranteed paycheck every two weeks, this probably isn't the right opportunity. If you're comfortable building something where your income can grow with your production, keep reading.

Question 9

How long does it take to sell a business?

Accepted Answer

It varies—a lot. Some businesses sell relatively quickly. Others can take many months or may never sell at all. Pricing, financial performance, industry, financing, buyer demand, seller expectations, and due diligence can all affect the timeline. That's one reason business brokerage requires patience and a pipeline , not dependence on one transaction.

Question 10

Where do I find businesses to sell?

Accepted Answer

Everywhere. There are millions of privately held businesses, and owners reach the decision to sell for all kinds of reasons—retirement, burnout, health, relocation, partnership changes, or simply being ready for what's next. Building a brokerage practice involves learning how to identify those owners, start conversations, and develop relationships before and after they're ready to sell.

Question 11

Where do I find buyers?

Accepted Answer

Buyers can come from your own network, marketing, business-for-sale marketplaces, direct outreach, acquisition entrepreneurs, strategic buyers, private investors, and other brokers. Part of becoming a Business Matchmaker is learning how to build both sides of the database : Owners who may sell. Buyers who want to acquire. That's where the matchmaking happens.

Question 12

Do I have to understand business valuations?

Accepted Answer

You'll need to learn how businesses are valued—but you don't need to know it before you start. Small businesses are commonly evaluated using measures such as Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE), EBITDA, assets, comparable transactions, and industry-specific factors. Learning how to interpret financials and help establish a defensible asking price is an important part of becoming a competent business broker.

Question 13

Do I have to be good at math?

Accepted Answer

You don't have to be a mathematician. 😂 You do need to become comfortable reading financial statements, understanding basic business metrics, and working with valuation calculations. We have calculators and technology for the math. You need to understand what the numbers mean.

Question 14

Can I do this part-time?

Accepted Answer

Potentially. Some people may begin building their business brokerage practice while maintaining another career or business. But don't confuse flexibility with passivity . Building relationships, finding sellers, following up with buyers, and moving transactions forward requires consistent effort.

Question 15

Can real estate agents become business brokers?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely—and many of the skills transfer naturally. Real estate agents already understand prospecting, listing presentations, confidentiality, negotiations, contracts, transaction management and working on commission. Business brokerage gives you an opportunity to apply those skills to an entirely different asset: the business itself. Your ability to perform business brokerage activities will still depend on your state's licensing requirements and your brokerage relationship.

Question 16

What if I'm not a real estate agent?

Accepted Answer

Don't count yourself out. Depending on your state and the type of transactions you're working on, you may not need a real estate license to broker a business. Start with our state checker to understand the general requirements where you live. CHECK YOUR STATE

Question 17

Can I broker businesses anywhere in the country?

Accepted Answer

Not automatically. Licensing and regulatory requirements vary by state, and the rules that apply can depend on where the business is located and how the transaction is structured. Before working across state lines, you need to understand the requirements that apply to that transaction.

Question 18

What kinds of businesses can I broker?

Accepted Answer

Business brokers work across an enormous range of industries. HVAC companies. Plumbing businesses. Manufacturing companies. Restaurants. E-commerce brands. Medical practices. Sign companies. Service businesses. Construction companies. Professional services. You don't necessarily need to become an expert in every industry. You need to become very good at understanding a business and finding the right match.

Question 19

Do I have to sell restaurants?

Accepted Answer

😂 No. You can develop your own niche, market, and ideal client profile. Some brokers specialize by industry. Others specialize by geography, deal siz,e or buyer type. Part of building your business is figuring out where you want to play.

Question 20

What's the difference between a business broker and a Business Matchmaker?

Accepted Answer

Technically? We're business brokers. But Business Matchmaker describes what we actually do. We're not trying to convince every buyer to buy every business or every owner to sell. We're looking for alignment between the business, the buyer, the seller, the financials, and the life someone wants after the transaction. Not every deal is a match. And that's okay.

Question 21

What does The Business Matchmakers provide?

Accepted Answer

The goal is to give Business Matchmakers the infrastructure to build and grow their business—including training, systems, tools, technology, marketing resources and community. Instead of staring at a blank screen wondering: How do I find sellers? What do I ask them? How do I value this? What documents do I need? Where do I find buyers? What happens after an offer? You'll have a framework to follow.

Question 22

How much does it cost to become a Business Matchmaker?

Accepted Answer

We'll walk you through the current program structure, what's included, and any applicable costs before you make a decision. The first step isn't buying anything. It's finding out whether we're a match.

Question 23

Is income guaranteed?

Accepted Answer

No. There are no guarantees of income, transactions, listings, buyers or closings in business brokerage. Your results will depend on numerous factors, including your effort, market, skills, relationships, experience, deal flow, and ability to develop and close opportunities. This is a business opportunity—not a guaranteed-income program.

Question 24

What happens after I apply?

Accepted Answer

We'll learn a little about you—your background, your market, what you're doing now, and why business brokerage caught your attention. Then we'll determine whether becoming a Business Matchmaker makes sense for both of us. No giant presentation. No weird high-pressure sales call. Just a conversation to see if we're a match. GET STARTED →

LET'S SEE IF WE'RE A MATCH.

You’ve learned what business brokerage is. Now let’s talk about whether it could be your next move.

THINKING ABOUT BECOMING A BUSINESS MATCHMAKER?

Kacy Carlsen