The latest thinking on selling, valuing and buying a business.
A daily updated reading list from the Iconic blog, the M&A advisory firm I work with. Every article is written by the Iconic team and its advisors and is credited to its author. Tap any headline to read the full piece on iconic.co, then book a call when you want to talk through what it means for your business.
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Top M&A Advisory Firms (2026): Iconic, Houlihan Lokey and More
Iconic, Houlihan Lokey, Lincoln, William Blair, Harris Williams, Capstone, Generational and more M&A advisory firms compared on size, fees and best fit.
By Erik Salazar · Originally published by Iconic
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Best Business Brokers Compared (2026)
Iconic, Transworld, Sunbelt, FCBB, Murphy, Morgan & Westfield, Website Closers and BizBuySell compared on model, fees, deal size and best fit.
By Erik Salazar · Originally published by Iconic
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Veterinary Practice Valuation: What Your Clinic Is Worth
Veterinary practice valuation: the SDE and EBITDA multiples clinics sell for, how corporate groups and vet buyers price them, and what moves the number.
By Iconic Advisory Team · Originally published by Iconic
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How to Value a Construction Company: Multiples and Methods
How to value a construction company: the SDE and EBITDA multiples contractors sell for, and how backlog, bonding and equipment move the price.
By Iconic Advisory Team · Originally published by Iconic
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Dental Practice Valuation: What Your Practice Is Worth
Dental practice valuation: the SDE and EBITDA multiples practices sell for, how dentist buyers and DSOs price a practice, and what moves the number.
By Iconic Advisory Team · Originally published by Iconic
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Selling a Family Business: What Every Owner Should Know First
Only 20-30% of businesses that go to market actually sell. What selling a family business takes: readiness, valuation, timing, and a clean transition.
By Roberto Sanabria · Originally published by Iconic
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Debt Recapitalization Explained: How It Works and Why Owners Use It
Debt recapitalization lets owners pull cash from a business without selling it; 2025 volume hit $72.2B at 5.21x average leverage. Here's how it works.
By Naveen Selvadurai · Originally published by Iconic
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Succession Planning Steps: How to Write a Business Succession Plan
Succession planning takes five steps: set goals, value the business, develop a successor, structure the transfer, document it. How to write your plan.
By Iconic Advisory Team · Originally published by Iconic
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Iconic Recruits Two of America's Top M&A Advisors as Its Broker Network Triples and Seller Base Doubles in Under a Year
Iconic adds Adrianna Smith and Lana Hout as Executive M&A Advisors, bringing 150+ closed transactions and $175M in deal value as its broker network triples.
By Erik Salazar · Originally published by Iconic
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Evaluating Offers to Buy a Business: What Terms Really Matter
Evaluating offers to buy a business means reading past price: 76-89% cash at close is typical, and 25% of signed LOIs die in due diligence.
By Erik Salazar · Originally published by Iconic
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How to Sell a Failing Business Before It Runs Out of Options
Failing businesses often sell for 0.5x-1.5x SDE versus 4x-7x for healthy peers. Here's how to sell a failing business before creditors control the timeline.
By Advisory Team · Originally published by Iconic
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Red Flags When Selling a Business: What Buyers Find in Due Diligence
The due diligence red flags that cost sellers most, from books that don't tie to tax returns to customer concentration, and how to fix each before you sell.
By Roberto Sanabria · Originally published by Iconic
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Selling a Business Without a Broker: Risks, Steps, and Costs
Selling a business without a broker can save an 8-15% commission but adds real risk: here's what FSBO costs, the legal steps, and where deals fail.
By Naveen Selvadurai · Originally published by Iconic
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How Buyers Evaluate a Business Before Making an Offer
Buyers price your business on adjusted EBITDA, buyer type, and risk: multiples run 2.0x SDE to 4.5x EBITDA, and 83% of $5M+ deals draw 3+ offers.
By Erik Salazar · Originally published by Iconic
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Seller Financing a Business Sale: Risks, IRS Rules, Protections
Is seller financing a good idea? What it means, the IRS rules on interest and installment sales, what can go wrong, and how sellers protect a note.
By Advisory Team · Originally published by Iconic
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What Is a Good EBITDA Margin? Benchmarks by Industry Explained
A good EBITDA margin beats your industry's norm. US public companies outside financials averaged 17.4% in 2026, from under 4% to 36% by sector.
By Naveen Selvadurai · Originally published by Iconic
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What Is M&A Advisory? What an Advisor Does and How They're Paid
M&A advisory is the work of running a business sale from valuation to closing. What an M&A advisor does, how they are paid, and when you need one.
By Erik Salazar · Originally published by Iconic
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What Is Company Valuation? A Founder's Guide to Knowing Your Worth
Most private companies sell for 2-6x earnings. Here's what company valuation measures, the 6 methods buyers use, and what moves your number.
By Aaron Webb · Originally published by Iconic
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What Your Business Transition Checklist Should Include
Only 20-30% of listed businesses sell. A business transition checklist covers valuation, timeline, and the documents buyers require.
By Advisory Team · Originally published by Iconic
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How to Value a Business: Methods Buyers and Sellers Trust
How to value a business: most privately held companies sell for 2x-6x earnings. See the SDE and EBITDA multiples, methods, and market data behind the number.
By Roberto Sanabria · Originally published by Iconic
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What Drives ISP Valuation Multiples in 2026?
ISP valuation multiples run 4x-8x EBITDA for legacy carriers and 14x-18x for scaled fiber platforms. Here's what drives the gap in 2026.
By Naveen Selvadurai · Originally published by Iconic
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What Buyers Look for When Selling an ISP: Value Drivers Explained
Selling an ISP? Small operators trade near 3x-4x SDE while $5M-$50M deals hit 5.5x EBITDA. Here's what drives your number and who's buying.
By Erik Salazar · Originally published by Iconic
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What Drives SaaS Company Valuation? A Deep Dive Into ARR Multiples
SaaS company valuation runs on ARR multiples, not profit: public medians fell to 3.3x by Q1 2026 while private M&A deals hold near 4.5x revenue.
By Aaron Webb · Originally published by Iconic
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What to Know Before Selling a SaaS Company to the Right Buyer
SaaS businesses sell for a median 2.57x revenue and 4.06x SDE on BizBuySell; here's what drives your multiple, which buyers pay more, and how the sale works.
By Advisory Team · Originally published by Iconic
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What Drives Robotics Valuation Multiples in 2026?
Public robotics comps trade near 15x-18x EV/EBITDA while private M&A deals close near 11.9x - what moves robotics valuation multiples in 2026.
By Roberto Sanabria · Originally published by Iconic
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How to Choose the Right Plumbing Broker to Sell Your Business
Plumbing businesses sell at a median 2.24x SDE and sit 202 days on market. How to choose a plumbing broker who lifts your multiple and clears license risk.
By Naveen Selvadurai · Originally published by Iconic
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What Buyers Look For When Selling a Robotics Company
Small robotics companies sell near 2-4x SDE; mid-market automation deals run 9-14x EBITDA. Here's what moves your number and who's buying.
By Erik Salazar · Originally published by Iconic
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How Escrow Accounts Protect Business Transactions During M&A Deals
Nearly 90% of private-target M&A deals hold part of the price in escrow. Here's how much, for how long, and how escrow protects both sides of a sale.
By Aaron Webb · Originally published by Iconic
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Specialty Retail Valuation: A Deep Dive
Specialty retail businesses sell near 2.26x SDE (1.62x-3.08x); liquor stores hit 3.33x, smoke shops 1.98x. Here's what moves your multiple.
By Roberto Sanabria · Originally published by Iconic
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What Buyers Look For When Selling a Specialty Retail Business
Specialty retail businesses sell for roughly 2.6x-2.74x SDE. See what buyers pay for, how inventory and leases affect price, and what moves your number.
By Naveen Selvadurai · Originally published by Iconic
Articles, summaries and author names come from the public feed of the Iconic blog and remain the work of their authors and Iconic Business Technologies, Inc. Full articles open on iconic.co. This list refreshes automatically every day.
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