Sandra LawsA well-established business often faces challenges when it’s time to change hands. Take a boutique marketing firm owned by a friend. They had built a solid reputation over decades, but struggled to find the right buyer who truly valued their legacy.
That’s when they turned to a professional business broker. These are experts at determining a business’s value and selling it at a reasonable price. They handle all the complexities of the sale so you can just sit back and relax.
So, to buyers and sellers out there, I’ve got a perfect list for you. These high-value business broker firms in San Diego can help both parties make a profit from any business sold.
How much do business brokers charge in San Diego?
Business broker firms charge a commission of 5% to 20% per business sold. This doesn’t account for other fees, such as the business valuation and retainer fees. Additionally, each firm has its own flat fees to consider.
1. Green Life Business Group Inc.
Address: 2878 Camino del Rio S #302, CA 92108
Contact Details: +1 858-245-6324
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Friday: 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM
Green Life Business Group Inc. has been capitalizing on California’s increasing demand for cannabis. After the initial boom, they began consolidating and helping owners buy and sell their businesses for profit.
While their services are niche, they’re the largest cannabis brokerage in California and are trusted by most of the cannabis businesses in San Diego. Their listings are extensive, with distributors and cultivators being the most numerous.
Selling your cannabis business is easy here. In fact, owners love that their businesses are constantly evaluated to ensure compliance with industry standards.
Additionally, these businesses aren’t limited to San Diego alone. Some are in other states, such as Arizona.
Aside from these, there’s a partnership program for those who want to get into the industry, which is a service I love because it can help small businesses skyrocket into super-successful ones.
Made the process of selling my license painless
“Elliot and the entire group at GLB have been a pleasure to work with. As we all know the cannabis industry is tricky to say the least and GLB made the process of selling my license painless and his team made the license sale process effortless. They are straightforward and honest which I appreciated more than anything else. Elliot and his team vetted buyers so that save me many headaches. I highly recommend GLB especially if you are selling a license.”
– Jami Burrows, Google Review
Helped me out tremendously in selling my business
“Green Life, and specifically, Elliot, helped me out tremendously in selling my business. They were able to find a buyer quickly and assisted me throughout the process, often checking in daily to make sure things were on the right track. I would highly recommend them and Elliot in particular.”
– Dylan Tucker, Google Review
2. Rita Barbato (The A List Group)
Address: 10451 Newbliss Wy, CA 92126
Contact Details: +1 813-833-0487
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Friday: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Rita Barbato is known for her professionalism and integrity. Her clients love her strong work ethic and dedication to selling any business put in her way.
Her unique offer to the industry is her knack for handling mergers and acquisitions. Clients found her great at representing both parties and providing valuable market insights through her global contacts.
When selling your business, Rita has a great checklist that her clients appreciate. It’s a comprehensive list that showcases everything that you may need before handing off your business to her.
Another great aspect of her business is her expertise in buying and selling law firms. She’s got 20 years of business experience with this, and a client even mentioned how invaluable she was in helping him buy his own law firm.
Despite her great catalogue, her busy schedule means she can only handle a few businesses at a time.
She has been a pleasure to deal with
“I have been searching for a business to buy for several months. I have dealt with many business brokers. Rita Barbato is by far the best and most professional business broker that I have dealt with. She has been a pleasure to deal with. She answers my messages, phone calls, or emails in a timely fashion. Rita carefully listens to my questions and she makes sure that she understands what information I am asking for and then she gets me the answers to my questions quickly. She has great follow up too. I can tell that she truly cares for both the seller and buyer in a transaction. Rita learns as much as she can about a business that she represents so she can answer a buyers questions effectively. I strongly recommend Rita to both buyers and sellers of businesses!”
– Ron Strong, Google Review
She provided me with so much valuable information and advice
“I can’t say enough great things about Rita! She is absolutely AMAZING—so knowledgeable and generous with her expertise. She provided me with so much valuable information and advice on selling my business, all at no cost. Her insights were incredibly helpful, and she took the time to guide me through every detail. If you’re looking for someone who truly knows their stuff and genuinely wants to help, I highly recommend Rita. She is a rare gem in the industry!”
– DA Euyoque, Google Review
3. Vanguard Resource Group
Address: 16870 W Bernardo Dr #400, CA 92127
Contact Details: +1 858-716-0484
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Friday: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Vanguard Resource Group does more than simple brokerage, as they also offer accurate, reliable business valuations. When selling a business in Southern California, they’re one of the best brokers for the job.
They showcase over 800 businesses sold and more than $400 million in transactions. In addition, their brokers hold elite designations such as Certified Business Intermediary (CBI) and Merger & Acquisition Master Intermediary (M&AMI).
Personally, I love their market data reports and value analysis. They take into account all aspects of the business. This easily gives clients a proper valuation of their businesses.
They can deal with any industry too. They’re not picky, as long as the business isn’t bankrupt.
Businesses don’t have to worry about the odds, since Vanguard helps them stand out by leveraging hard work to represent their clients. The only downside is that their pool is massive, and competition among peers is fierce.
Still, clients love their tailor-made strategic marketing plans that suit their businesses. Additionally, they create a professional business profile that effectively attracts local investors.
Incredibly helpful throughout the process of selling my business
“Don and Ken were incredibly helpful throughout the process of selling my business. From start to finish, it took less than six months. This was my first time selling a business, and I had a lot of questions. They were patient, explained everything clearly, and guided me through each step.
Their calm and steady approach made a big difference, especially when I felt unsure or overwhelmed. They were always quick to respond and available when I needed them.
While you’ll still need to do your own valuation and handle the final steps of closing out the business after the sale is complete, Don and Ken will walk you through the key stages of due diligence and the sale process. They also help manage communication with potential buyers, which is a huge help.
I highly recommend working with them.”
– Rajesh Kathiru, Google Review
Their negotiating was also fair, informative, and balanced
“Vanguard Resource Group did an excellent job marketing and selling our business. We interviewed several Business brokerage companies before choosing Vanguard. Ken and Bill invested the time and listened well to understand how our business operated.
They coached us on how to properly proceed through the preparation, marketing, sale and post sale process. They promoted our company in an positive, straight forward manner. Their marketing materials were professional and well thought out.
Their negotiating was also fair, informative and balanced.
We created our business from scratch and ran it successfully for almost 20 years but had never sold a business.
Their guidance was fantastic.
I would highly recommend Vanguard Resource Group.”
– Patrick Lyons, Google Review
4. Transworld Business Advisors
Address: 701 Palomar Airport Rd, Suite 125, Carlsbad, CA 92011,
Contact Details: +1 760-607-0641
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Friday: 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Transworld has over 45 years of expertise and has connections with the world’s largest business brokerage. I found their advice to be great and timely, keeping up with business trends that make selling and buying easy.
They’ve handled deals across various industries, including manufacturing. For example, they managed the sale of a 60-year-old metal fabrication business in San Diego County. This highlights their expertise in assisting businesses of all sizes and complexities.
They’re not just a brokerage, but they also provide great valuation services. Clients have had great success with these, loving their accuracy and emphasis on giving both buyers and sellers a great deal.
When selling a business here, they offer more than just business advice. I’ve gained a deeper understanding of the stock exchange. Their listings are great, since they’re simple yet effective at attracting buyers.
However, due to their large-scale business model, it can be difficult to reach them.
The entire selling process went so smoothly
“Steven Hanson’s service and professionalism was amazing. I would give him more than 5 stars if I could. Starting with our initial consultation, Steven was very approachable and professional. He answered all of our questions and we never felt any sales pressure from him. Steven was down to earth and definitely knew his stuff. We felt like we had known him for many years. My husband owned a business for over 30 years and know what good service should be like.
The entire selling process went so smooth, I was amazed how he handled every step of the process from prepping the listing to escrow and closing the deal. The communication with Steven was top notch which we appreciated since we were very busy with our own business. The process seemed seamless and now we are retired. Thanks Steven!”
– Angie Flores, Google Review
Made the process of selling a business as easy and streamlined as possible
“Steven and the Transworld team make the process of selling a business as easy and streamlined as possible. I have worked with Steven for 6+ years and sold two business through him. He is the only person I trust to handle the process.”
– Cody Ackermann, Google Review
5. SD Business Advisors
Address: 4225 Executive Square #600, La Jolla, CA 92037
Contact Details: +1 858-348-4969
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Friday: 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM
SD Business Advisors handles everything for their clients. I’ve seen them facilitate the sale of a business from start to finish, providing personalized, professional services that maximize its value.
Before anything can be sold, they first offer clients their structured exit strategy. When utilizing this, clients left businesses with no strings attached, making the transfer of assets easy and quick.
If you’re unsure of your business’s price, they offer a free, accurate valuation that’s great for both parties. Clients loved that SD Business Advisors were quick to respond and kept meeting them in the middle.
Once the valuation process is done, they can officially start marketing your business. These marketing campaigns truly get into the soul of each business, as they’re unique to the businesses they work with.
Unfortunately, their ‘featured businesses for sale’ primarily consist of small to mid-market opportunities, with valuations that vary considerably. If you’re looking to buy or sell a niche business, they might not be the ideal fit.
I highly recommend working with Mitch from SD Business Advisors
“If you’re considering selling your boutique fitness business, I highly recommend working with Mitch from SD Business Advisors. Even before we signed a listing agreement, Mitch was extremely helpful in determining the value of my business and when would be a good time to start the sales process. He explained the process in detail so there were no surprises.
Throughout the process, Mitch was very thorough, responsive, and always available to answer any questions I had. He kept me updated and when we found an awesome buyer, he worked diligently and quickly through a myriad of details to close the sale.
But most importantly, Mitch was supportive and empathetic as he guided me through the emotional roller coaster of selling a small business that I put so much time, energy, and effort into building. He truly understands the personal attachment having gone through the process himself.
I honestly don’t think I would have been able to sell my studio on my own, and I’m grateful to Mitch and his team for all their help and support. SD Business Advisors is an awesome team and I can’t recommend them highly enough!”
– Dena Tarpley, Google Review
Worked very hard to find the perfect buyer for my businesses
“I had the pleasure of working with Amit Wadhera in regards to selling my two franchise locations in Los Angeles. Amit was always professional, courteous and patient with all of my questions and concerns. He worked very hard to find the perfect buyer for my businesses. Thanks to him, the process was fast and efficient. I highly recommend Amit Wadhera to anyone looking for a stress free experience when selling their business.”
– Ronnie Uppal, Google Review
