How We Find Buyers for Your Business

Your business will be marketed confidentially to every potential buyer who could pay a premium. Most brokers post your business online and wait. We actively hunt down competitors, strategics, private equity, and qualified individuals - then bring them all to the table competing for your business.

Here’s exactly how we find buyers and why our approach delivers more offers at better prices.

The Post-and-Pray Problem

Here’s what most brokers do: They list your business on BizBuySell, maybe Axial, send an email blast to their internal database, and wait for the phone to ring. That’s it. That’s the whole “marketing plan.”

The problem? This only reaches buyers who are actively browsing listings. It completely misses the strategics and competitors who would pay a premium for your business - because they’re not scrolling through business-for-sale websites. They’re running their own companies.

It also means no competitive pressure. When buyers trickle in one at a time, there’s no urgency. No competing offers. No leverage for you.

The result: fewer buyers, lower offers, and longer time on market. This is exactly why we do things differently at Arx.

More Buyers Mean Higher Offers

We don’t wait for buyers to find you. We go find them.

For every business we take to market, we identify and contact 250+ targeted buyers in the first four weeks. Email and phone outreach to decision-makers at companies that could genuinely benefit from acquiring your business.

Our goal is simple: bring EVERY qualified buyer to the table and drive the best possible offer. We do this through systematic, targeted outreach - not hope.

Buyers Ready to Move on Day One

We maintain two key data assets:

Registered buyer database: Thousands of active acquirers who have found us, signed up, and told us exactly what they’re looking for. They’ve raised their hands and said “I want to buy a business.” What this means for you: Serious buyers see your opportunity within days of going to market - not months.

Enriched company database: Tens of thousands of companies across industries and regions - competitors, strategics, potential acquirers. This isn’t a list we bought. It’s a database we’ve built and enriched continuously. What this means for you: We already know who might want to buy your business before you even sign with us.

When we take your business to market, we don’t start from scratch. We immediately identify hundreds of potential buyers in your industry, adjacent industries, and competitive landscape - then begin targeted outreach. The result: More buyers, faster, competing for your business.

Week 1: Fast Movers From Our Database

In the first week, we reach out to buyers who are already in our system - people actively looking for acquisition opportunities.

These are buyers who found Arx through our marketing, signed NDAs with us, and registered as active acquirers. They contact us regularly looking for the right opportunity. They’re hungry and ready to move.

Why we start here: It tests the market and generates quick interest. These buyers often move fast because they’re already vetted and funded. We get early feedback on positioning and pricing, and we can identify any objections that need addressing.

We add new buyers to this database every single day. By the time we bring your business to market, we have dozens of active buyers ready to review opportunities immediately.

Weeks 2-3: Strategic Buyers Who Pay Premiums

This is where Arx really separates from legacy brokers.

In weeks two and three, we conduct intensive outreach to companies that could strategically benefit from acquiring your business. All outreach is strictly confidential.

Who we target:

Direct competitors - Companies in your exact industry and market. They might want to eliminate competition, gain market share, or absorb your customer base. These buyers often pay a strategic premium because they understand your value.

Adjacent industry players - Companies in related industries who could expand into your market. Cross-industry consolidation is increasingly common, and these buyers bring fresh capital and strategic vision.

Geographic expanders - Companies in your industry but in other regions, looking to expand into your market. Your business becomes their entry point.

Industry consolidators - Companies actively rolling up businesses in your space. Serial acquirers who are well-funded and experienced.

How we identify them:

We use AI-powered tools to analyze industry, size, and geography to create an initial target list. Our research team then finds decision-makers and gathers contact information.

Within a few days, we have a customized list of 250+ potential buyers specific to YOUR business. This isn’t a generic list - it’s tailored.

How we reach them:

Direct outreach. Email and phone calls to decision-makers (CEOs, owners, corporate development teams). LinkedIn outreach when appropriate. Industry network referrals.

This is NOT mass email blasts. Not generic listings. Not spray-and-pray tactics.

Weeks 2-4: Well-Capitalized Investors Ready to Close

Running concurrently with strategic outreach, we reach out to investment firms, private equity, and family offices.

Who we target:

Private equity groups - Funds looking for platform investments or add-ons. Well-capitalized and they move quickly.

Family offices - Wealthy families making direct investments. Often interested in lower middle market businesses with patient capital and long-term hold periods.

Search funds - MBA-led acquisition vehicles looking for businesses to buy and operate. Motivated buyers with investor backing.

Our advantage: relationships

We’ve built relationships with investment firms investing in the Pacific Northwest and lower middle market. We know which funds are actively deploying capital, which industries they’re targeting, and which deal structures they prefer.

We reach out to decision-makers directly - partners, associates, investment committees. These relationships mean faster responses and serious engagement.

Week 3+: Casting a Wider Net

Yes, we do post your business on listing platforms. But it’s the fourth phase, not the first - and it’s never the only thing we do.

Where we list:

• Axial - Lower middle market M&A network (our primary platform)
• BizBuySell - Largest business-for-sale marketplace (for SBA-eligible businesses)
• Industry-specific platforms when appropriate

Why we still use listings:

Online listings reach buyers we might not identify through direct outreach - individual buyers, unexpected strategics, international buyers browsing US businesses. It’s belt-and-suspenders. We want EVERY possible buyer to see the opportunity.

Every inquiry - from any source - goes through our vetting process. You never deal with unqualified browsers.

The Numbers: What a Real Process Looks Like

Outreach volume: 250+ companies contacted through direct outreach, customized for each business.

Total response (from all sources): 50-150 signed NDAs from serious buyers - coming from our direct outreach, listing inquiries, registered buyer database, and network referrals. 10-20 buyer-seller meetings with qualified, vetted buyers. 3-5 letters of intent - formal offers to purchase.

These numbers vary by industry, business attractiveness, market conditions, and timing. The goal isn’t volume - it’s finding the RIGHT buyers and creating competition among them.

Your Identity Stays Protected

You’re probably thinking: “If you contact 250+ companies, someone’s going to figure out it’s my business.”

We protect your identity through staged disclosure - code names, NDAs before any real information, financial vetting before we share your details. You approve everything before it goes out, and we control all information flow.

See our complete confidentiality protocol in our process documentation.

Why This Approach Works

A real example:

For a recent biotech client, we reached out to approximately 350 strategic buyers and competitors. The result: 6 formal offers. Competitive bidding drove the winning offer 50% HIGHER than all other bids - and achieved double the initial financial valuation.

That premium - that’s what happens when you bring all buyers to the table. Our job is to find them all.

See our complete process from evaluation to closing.

Who Competes for Your Business

We bring every type of buyer to the table and let the market decide who values your business most.

Strategic Buyers - Companies in your industry or adjacent markets. They buy to eliminate competition, gain market share, or expand capabilities. Why this matters: They often pay premiums because they see value that doesn’t show up on a balance sheet - your customer relationships, your market position, your team.

Financial Buyers (Private Equity and Investors) - Investment firms buying for cash flow, growth potential, or as a platform for add-on acquisitions. Why this matters: They’re well-capitalized, move quickly, and often have flexible deal structures that can work in your favor.

Individual Buyers - Entrepreneurs and executives looking to buy and operate a business. Why this matters: They’re often willing to pay more for the “perfect fit” and tend to be more flexible on transition terms since they plan to run it themselves.

Competitors - Direct competitors in your market. Why this matters: They understand your business deeply, can move through due diligence fast, and often see strategic value others miss.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you decide which buyers to contact?

We customize the list for each business. We start with your direct competitors, then expand to adjacent industries, geographic neighbors, industry consolidators, and strategic buyers who might see value. Our AI tools and research team identify 250+ targets, and we review each for quality and relevance.

What if my industry is too niche?

The number varies by industry. Technology and healthcare businesses might have hundreds of potential buyers. Highly specialized industries might have fewer. The goal is to reach EVERY qualified buyer - not to hit an arbitrary number. Even a niche business usually has more potential buyers than owners realize.

What if a buyer approaches me directly during the sale?

Direct them to us. We’ll vet them, set appropriate expectations, create urgency, and make sure they don’t get information they shouldn’t have. Buyers approaching you directly can damage your negotiating position if not handled properly - let us protect your interests.

How long does the outreach process take?

Four weeks for the intensive outreach phase: internal database in week 1, competitors and strategics in weeks 2-3, financial buyers concurrent, and listings from week 3 onward. But we continue marketing until we have a signed letter of intent.

What if buyers aren’t interested?

We turn down about 85% of businesses that approach us. If we took your project, we’re confident it will sell. But if the market tells us otherwise, we’ll have our finger on the pulse and help you adjust pricing, positioning, or timing.

Do you contact my competitors without telling me?

Yes - they’re often the best buyers and willing to pay strategic premiums. We’re always open to a do-not-contact list. Tell us upfront which competitors you don’t want approached and we’ll respect your wishes.

Not ready to talk? Get your instant exit score to see where your business stands.

The Bottom Line

Remember the post-and-pray problem? Brokers who list your business and wait for the phone to ring?

That’s not us.

We contact 250+ targeted buyers in four weeks. We tap a proprietary database of thousands of active acquirers. We use AI-powered research to find buyers you didn’t know existed. And we do it all while protecting your confidentiality at every step.

The difference between selling for $5 million and $6 million is often just bringing the right buyers to the table. We go find them. We drive better outcomes.

Continue exploring: Why choose Arx · Our process · Our fees