Buyers pay less
Owner-dependent businesses sell for about 2.9 times yearly earnings. Businesses that run without their founder fetch about 3.9 times.1 Many buyers will ask you to stay on for years instead.
For owners of Michigan trades businesses
Make your business run without you. Then sell it for what it’s worth.
NewExit helps retiring owners put a successor in place, write down how the business really runs, prove it works without them, and then run the sale. We work for you, the seller. Never the buyer.
A first conversation is free, with no pressure. Or write to us at simon@newexit.ai.
- We only represent sellers, and we never buy businesses ourselves.
- No retainer for the sale. That fee is paid at closing.
- A named person on our team signs off every report.
+1.0×
One extra year of earnings in the sale price. On $1 million a year in earnings, that’s about $1 million more.
Average price as a multiple of yearly earnings, from Value Builder research covering 80,000+ companies.1 An industry average, not a promise about your business.
The problem
Most owner-run businesses only work when the owner is there.
In a typical 25-person contractor, the owner prices every job, holds the key customer relationships, approves every purchase and does the books on weekends. A buyer sees all of that walking out the door with you.
Many never sell
Industry estimates suggest fewer than one in three small businesses that go on the market actually sell.2 A business that can’t run without its owner is harder to place.
The fix is known, but rarely done
Advisors agree: hire a successor, write down how things work, clean up the books. It takes 18 to 36 months on top of running the company. Consultants cost too much for a business worth a few million dollars, and brokers sell businesses as they are.
Why now. Private equity firms have bought hundreds of HVAC, plumbing and electrical companies since 2022, and new SBA lending rules in effect since October 1, 2026 put more weight on documented results.3 Buyers and lenders want businesses that work without their owner. Few do.
- Value Builder research, as reported in industry press. Its analytics team says it has analyzed data from more than 80,000 companies. Average price as a multiple of yearly earnings: about 2.9 times for owner-dependent businesses, about 3.9 times for businesses that can run without their founder. Published versions of this research differ in the exact figures but agree on the direction. An industry average, not a promise about any one business.
- Estimates vary and the data is thin, because most of it comes from brokers and advisors. One published range for small businesses is 15% to 30%, with larger businesses doing better.
- SBA Standard Operating Procedure 50 10 8.1, effective October 1, 2026. Among other changes, it calls for an independent quality-of-earnings review on larger business-acquisition loans, where the purchase price is $3 million or more.
What NewExit does
A successor, a system, proof and a sale.
We take the whole job off your plate, in the order a buyer needs to see it.
A successor
We promote someone from inside your business, or help you hire a general manager, who takes over your day-to-day job.
A system
Our software captures how you price work, make decisions and handle each customer. It turns that into written rules, a manual and automations your team can use.
Proof
We measure how involved you are, month by month, until the business clearly runs without you. That includes a 30-day test where you’re completely away.
A sale
We find buyers, run a competitive process and manage the deal through closing. We always represent the seller and never buy businesses ourselves.
What it looks like
Dave takes a month off, and nothing breaks.
Dave, 61, owns a concrete contractor with 25 employees and works 60 hours a week. Here’s how an engagement with NewExit could go for him.
An illustrative example, not a real client.
- We promote his senior estimator to general manager.
- We turn 300 of Dave’s past bids into written pricing rules.
- We introduce the estimator to the five contractors who send most of the work.
- Dave takes a month off. Nothing breaks.
- The business sells for more, to a buyer who keeps the estimator in charge.
How it works
Start with a two-week diagnostic. Then choose your path.
The diagnostic shows exactly where your business leans on you and what that’s costing you. From there, you pick the route that fits your timeline.
Step 1
The diagnostic
2 weeks · $2,500 for our first clients, then $5,000
A close look at how your business really runs, with a written report you can use whether or not you go further with us.
What you get
- Your Owner Independence Score across seven areas, with the evidence behind each
- Your earnings the way a buyer will see them, with owner pay and one-time costs adjusted
- What your business could be worth today and after the fixes, based on comparable sales
- A ranked plan: what to fix first
- A written report that a named member of our team has reviewed and signed off
What we need from you
- A couple of conversations about how the business really runs, recorded with your written consent
- Access to your books: QuickBooks, or files from your accountant
Then choose your path
Sell-now sprint
A 6 to 10 week sprint fixes what buyers discount most, then we run the sale.
- Who it’s for
- Owners who want out within about 9 months
- Time to sale
- 3 to 9 months
Full program
We install the successor and the system, prove it works, and then sell.
- Who it’s for
- Owners planning to sell in 1 to 3 years
- Time to sale
- 12 to 24 months
Free
How much does your business depend on you?
The Owner Independence Score takes about 10 minutes on your phone or computer. You’ll see where your business leans on you and which areas to work on first, and we’ll email you a one-page summary. No financial documents needed.
Opening soon2.4out of 5
Leaning on you
Many day-to-day decisions still come back to you. Buyers see that as a risk and usually pay less, or ask you to stay on for years.
- Customer relationships start here1.5
- Pricing and estimating2.0
- Operations and scheduling3.0
- Finance and approvals3.5
- People and management2.0
- Licensing and compliance4.0
- Documented knowledge start here1.0
An example for a made-up business. Your own results show the same seven areas.
Pricing
Clear prices. The sale fee is only paid at closing.
Start small with a two-week diagnostic. Everything you pay before the sale is credited against the sale fee, so a sale through NewExit costs about 5% in total, preparation included.
-
Owner Independence Score
About 10 minutes. See where your business leans on you.
Free -
Diagnostic · 2 weeks
Your score across seven areas, adjusted earnings, a value range and a ranked fix plan.
$2,500for our first clients, then $5,000. Paid upfront. -
Sell-now sprint · 6 to 10 weeks
Fixes what buyers discount most, then we run the sale.
$10,000 to $20,000Paid upfront. -
Full program
Installs the successor and the system, proves it works, then sells.
$15,000 to $30,000Then $1,000 to $2,000 a month. Paid upfront, then monthly. -
Successor placement
When we hire a general manager for you instead of promoting from inside.
About 20 to 25%of the manager’s first-year pay. Paid when they start. -
The sale
We find buyers, run a competitive process and manage the deal through closing.
5% of the priceNo upfront retainer. Paid at closing. -
Your system after the sale
Keeps your playbook and automations running for the new owner.
$1,500 to $3,000Per month.
One fee in the end. Everything you pay us before the sale is subtracted from the sale fee. An owner who sells through us pays about 5% in total for preparation and sale, which is in line with or below what business brokers typically charge.
These are starting prices. We’ll confirm the scope and the price with you in writing before you commit to anything.
Who we work with
Built for owners who plan to sell within three years.
We’re starting with Michigan trades businesses such as concrete, HVAC, plumbing and electrical contractors, then other owner-run businesses and the wider Midwest.
A good fit if
- You’re an owner, usually 55 or older, planning to sell within three years.
- Your business earns roughly $750,000 to $3 million a year in profit before your own pay. In the trades, that’s typically $3 to $15 million in revenue.
- It’s healthy and stable, and its value isn’t tied to your personal license or craft.
- You’re willing to hand day-to-day control to someone else.
Probably not yet if
- The business is losing money, or its earnings swing from year to year.
- Most of its value comes from your own license, craft or reputation.
- You’re not ready to step back from running it day to day.
Not sure which side you’re on? That’s what a first conversation is for.
How we use AI and protect your data
Software does the heavy lifting. People stay accountable.
Our AI engine does much of the work, and these are the rules we hold it to, because the decisions involved are worth millions of dollars.
The AI drafts. Code calculates. People approve.
Prices, valuations and fees are always computed by code, never written by an AI. A named person on our team signs off before anything reaches you or a buyer.
Every fact traces back to its source.
Each rule or record we capture points to the interview moment or document it came from. If it can’t, it’s rejected.
Consent comes first.
You sign a data agreement before we connect anything or record anything. Our system won’t accept an upload without it.
Each client’s data is walled off.
The database itself keeps one company’s records away from every other company’s. Sensitive notes, like your views on employees, are visible only to you and your lead interviewer.
Sensitive numbers never reach the AI.
We remove bank account, Social Security and tax ID numbers before any text is sent to an AI model.
Your data stays yours.
You can ask to see, correct, export or delete what we hold at any time. We never sell client data.
The team
Who’s behind NewExit.
We’re four University of Michigan students, starting in Michigan with the trades. We’re new, so we’d rather earn your trust one careful step at a time than ask for it up front.
Simon
Partnerships and buyers
Built and sold a landscaping company. Runs an AI consulting business that serves trades companies.
Reed
Owner and advisor relationships
Owns and runs a coffee franchise. Has worked in investing.
Alaric
AI, valuation and client delivery
Studies business and computer science. Has built an AI tool for analyzing business-sale documents at a private equity firm.
Logan
Engineering and product
Studies business and computer science. Builds the platform that does the work.
Questions
What owners ask us.
What does it cost to get started?
The Owner Independence Score is free. The diagnostic takes two weeks and costs $2,500 for our first clients (then $5,000), paid upfront. You only pay for a sell-now sprint, the full program or the sale if you decide to go further, and everything you pay before the sale is credited against the sale fee. The full list is in the pricing section.
How is NewExit different from a business broker?
A broker lists your business and sells it as it is. We first change the business so it’s worth more and easier to sell: we put a successor in place, write down how it runs and tidy the books. Then we run the sale. Consultants and planning tools tell you what to fix, but they don’t do the work.
Do you buy businesses?
No, never. We always represent the seller. The buyers are other people: individuals using SBA-backed loans (often the successor we placed), search funds and independent sponsors, private equity firms building groups of similar companies, and competitors or related businesses expanding into new areas.
Who becomes my successor?
Usually someone already inside your business, like a senior estimator or operations manager, promoted to general manager. If no one is ready, we help you hire one from outside. It’s your decision. We help you choose, then help them step into the job with the rules, manual and customer introductions they need.
Will my employees or customers find out I’m selling?
That’s your call. We sign a data agreement with you before we record or connect anything, and we don’t contact your staff, customers or lenders without your go-ahead. Introducing your successor to your key customers is part of the work, and we’ll agree with you how and when that happens.
What if my business doesn’t sell?
You’d still have a business that runs without you, which is worth having either way: it’s easier for you to step back from, and more valuable to any future buyer. The sale fee is only due at closing, and there’s no retainer for the sale.
How long does it take?
The diagnostic takes two weeks. The sell-now sprint takes 6 to 10 weeks, with a sale usually 3 to 9 months after you start. The full program takes 12 to 24 months from start to sale.
Is my information safe?
Protecting it is a core part of the product. You sign a data agreement first, each client’s data is walled off from every other client’s, sensitive numbers are removed before anything reaches an AI model, and we never sell client data. The details are in the section above, and you can ask us to show, correct, export or delete what we hold at any time.
Find out what your business could be worth without you.
A first conversation is free and there’s no pressure. We’ll tell you honestly whether we can help.
Request a free intro call
Or write to us at simon@newexit.ai