Articles

Articles

How to Handle a Deal Killer: HVAC

In retail business transactions, few issues derail deals faster than the condition and responsibility of the HVAC system. What was once a routine maintenance item has increasingly become a major financial and legal sticking point between buyers, sellers, and landlords. In today’s leasing environment, many commercial landlords now push full HVAC responsibility onto tenants, including […]

watch_later 03/09/2026

Articles

The Blind Spot in Every Main Street Deal

Why the Deals We Lose Were Often Lost Years Before We Got Involved Here’s a scenario most Main Street brokers have lived: qualified buyer, motivated seller, a price everyone can live with. And the deal dies because of the lease. A clause on page fourteen gives the landlord power to kill the assignment, renegotiate to […]

watch_later 03/09/2026

Articles

Don’t Overlook the Human Factor: It’s Often the Key to the Right Deal

In our world as business intermediaries, we spend a lot of time talking about valuation, deal structure, and managing expectations. And yes, those are all essential pieces of getting a deal across the finish line. But the more time I spend in this business, the more convinced I am that the most important part of […]

watch_later 03/09/2026

Articles

Delegation of Management is Key to Selling a Business

Most often an Owner starts or acquires a company because the industry is something they’re skilled in and (hopefully) enjoy. As their team and Sales grow, too often they themselves work more and more in the business and do not delegate their management responsibilities as Founder. Waiting until they’re ready to sell before thinking about […]

watch_later 03/09/2026

Articles

Building the Future of Our Profession, Together

Dear IBBA Members, It is a true privilege to serve as your 2026 Chair of the International Business Brokers Association. When I think about this role, I do not think about a title. I think about stewardship. I think about protecting and advancing a profession that changes lives every single day. Like you, I am […]

watch_later 03/09/2026

Articles

A Thankful Reflection on an Extraordinary Year

Dear IBBA Members, As I close out my term as Chair of the Board of Governors, I find myself reflecting with immense pride and gratitude on all that we have accomplished together over the past year. It has truly been a landmark year for the IBBA—and it’s thanks to the dedication, passion, and professionalism of […]

watch_later 12/08/2025

Articles

AI Is Changing Brokerage. Are You Ready?

The business brokerage world is shifting faster than most people realize. Technology has already changed how buyers search, how sellers prepare, and how deals move from start to finish. But nothing is reshaping our industry more than artificial intelligence. It is not a small upgrade. It is a complete shift in how the best brokers […]

watch_later 12/08/2025

Articles

Why Search Funds are Becoming an Increasingly Important Buyer

Forgoing the traditional corporate or startup route, more business school graduates from top universities and mid-career professionals are pursuing their goals through search funds: raising capital, acquiring established companies, and stepping in as owner-operators. For business brokers, the growth of “entrepreneurship through acquisition” represents an increasingly important sector of the buyer landscape. Search funds have […]

watch_later 12/08/2025

Articles

A Tribute to Steve Mariani

As the business brokerage world prepares to wish Steve Mariani happiness as he retires in December 2025, we pause to reflect on a meaningful and impactful career, Steve has shaped our industry in ways few individuals could have even strived to. For more than 25 years, Steve has been a positive force, not through loud […]

watch_later 12/08/2025