Business Intermediation
Direct involvement when a consequential business matter requires clarity across the people, information and responsibilities involved.
Defined engagementDiscuss the matter
Chicago · Privately held businesses
A business intermediary for privately held companies.
Chicago Business Intermediary brings financial discipline, commercial judgment and hands-on execution to decisions involving the ownership, operation and transition of privately held businesses.
Privately heldFocused on privately held businesses
AffiliatedIn affiliation with Hedgestone Business Advisors
ChicagolandChicago and the surrounding markets
Qualified accessNDA and proof of funds before identifying information
01 / Our role
One trusted point of judgment at the center of the transaction.
Business transitions rarely need more noise. They need alignment: the right buyer, the right structure, defensible information, and the right specialists at the right moment.
We hold that center by building the financial picture from source records, carrying the file through offers and diligence, and bringing in outside expertise where the situation calls for it.
i.Discretion by default
Selective outreach, controlled information, and respect for the owner's reputation.
ii.Evidence before promotion
A figure is traced to a source document, or it is labeled for what it is.
iii.Owner-level attention
The people who rebuild the numbers stay close through offers, diligence and closing.
iv.Aligned execution
Engagement terms and specialist scope are stated in writing before work begins.
02 / Services
Intermediary work shaped around the objective.
Valuation & Readiness
A defensible view of value, records and readiness before a sale, acquisition or consequential business decision.
Defined engagementDiscuss the objective
Strategy Workshops
Focused working sessions that clarify objectives, surface constraints and turn an important question into a practical course of action.
By defined scopeDiscuss a workshop
The Partner Network
Independent specialists introduced case by case and engaged directly, with their work kept connected to the larger objective.
Developing networkExplore the network
AI Readiness & Operating Design
Readiness assessment, operating design and one controlled pilot, with scope, tooling, data handling and success measures agreed in advance.
Limited pilotExplore the pilot
03 / Where we help
Different decisions. The same need for disciplined execution.
Selling a business
When the next steward matters as much as the price.
Valuation, preparation, buyer curation and transaction guidance, conducted in confidence.
Buying a business
When a defined thesis needs access and disciplined pursuit.
Thesis refinement, market mapping, owner outreach, qualification and coordination.
Beyond a transaction
When a consequential business matter needs structure before action.
Valuation, focused workshops and specialist involvement within a clearly defined scope.
04 / Opportunities
Private opportunities, presented with discipline.
Review current availability, source-labeled figures and protected information before requesting a confidential package.
05 / The work
Four stages, in order.
No. I
Verify
The financial picture is rebuilt from tax returns, bank statements and point-of-sale records. What cannot be traced is labeled for what it is.
No. II
Package
A confidential memorandum that states strengths plainly and surfaces weaknesses before diligence rather than during it.
No. III
Match
The opportunity is presented to buyers whose capital, industry and timeline fit. Others do not receive it.
No. IV
Close
Offer, diligence, lease, licenses, financing and handoff are coordinated until funds clear.
06 / The File Standard
Every material figure should tell the reader where it came from.
Classification
- Verified
- Traced to a tax return, bank statement or point-of-sale record.
- Seller stated
- Disclosed with its source, not presented as independently verified.
- Estimate
- Labeled wherever it appears, for every party.
Weaknesses are disclosed in the file, not discovered in diligence.
- i.A verified figure and an estimate never share a line.
A figure is traced to a source document, or it is labeled as the seller's statement or an estimate. The rule holds in every document, for every party.
- ii.The numbers are tested before market.
Add-backs, payroll and the owner's account of the business are examined during packaging, not after an offer is in hand.
- iii.The sequence is fixed.
NDA before identity. Proof of funds before detail. A signed offer before the full books. The sequence protects both parties.
- iv.An indefensible price is declined.
If the asking price cannot be supported by the records, we say so before taking the engagement.
07 / Partner Network & Execution
The right expertise, assembled around the transaction.
For clients
Specialist support, coordinated
We help define what the situation actually requires, identify specialists who fit it, and stay involved through execution. The network is being built; introductions are made case by case rather than from a standing roster.
- Scope defined before anyone is introduced
- Specialists to be selected on fit, experience and working style
- One coordination point through completion
For partners
A working relationship
A relationship-driven network around privately held business transitions, built on a proposed written standard rather than a directory listing.
- Work that arrives with context and a defined scope
- A single coordination point through the transaction
- Each professional remains responsible for their own work
LegalTransaction counsel, lease and license transfer
Quality of earningsAccounting and financial diligence
Tax and wealth planningStructure and post-close planning
FinancingBuyer capital and structure, arranged independently
InsuranceCoverage review and transaction requirements
Technology and cybersecuritySystems review and transition
TalentKey hires and retention through transition
Brand and growthPositioning and go-to-market
Operations and integrationPost-close operating continuity
Partner categories describe the disciplines we intend to coordinate. The network is being built: no partner is named or displayed, and no specialist has yet been vetted under the proposed standard. The Proposed Partner Standard
08 / Limited pilot
AI that changes the operating rhythm, not only the presentation.
A limited pilot for privately held businesses that need to know where AI belongs before investing in tools. The work assesses readiness, prioritizes one valuable use case and redesigns the workflow around responsible adoption. No case evidence is currently published.
- Stage one01Assess
Establish the objective, readiness gaps and one use case suitable for testing.
- Stage two02Design
Define the workflow, decision rights, human review, data handling and success measures.
- Stage three03Prove
Test one controlled pilot and decide whether adoption or further investment is warranted.
09 / About Us
A measured approach to important transitions.
Chicago Business Intermediary helps owners and qualified buyers navigate privately held business transactions with clarity, preparation and disciplined execution. Every engagement begins with the client’s objectives and stays grounded in the facts required to move forward responsibly.
Who we are
Close to the decision. Close to the work.
Chicago Business Intermediary works with owners, buyers and stakeholders of privately held businesses when the next decision requires clarity, preparation and coordinated action. We bring structure to consequential matters, build a credible financial and commercial picture, and remain involved as the work moves from planning into execution.
Our mission
Make every step more deliberate.
Our mission is to make private business transactions more understandable, better prepared and more accountable. We protect confidentiality, distinguish known facts from estimates, and help each client choose a path that reflects their priorities.
i.Clarity before momentum
Objectives and constraints are understood before a path is chosen.
ii.Evidence before promotion
Claims are traced to a source, and assumptions are labeled plainly.
iii.Accountability through execution
Advice stays connected to the work required to reach closing.
Experience behind the work
Financial discipline with operating context.
Our team brings experience across privately held businesses and Big Four engagements supporting Fortune 100 organizations. That perspective combines financial analysis, valuation review, transaction structure, risk assessment and hands-on operating judgment.
What we are building
A trusted resource for the long term.
We are building Chicago Business Intermediary to serve business owners, buyers and the professionals who support them. Our immediate focus is excellent transaction execution. We will deepen the partner network and expand operating capabilities only where the experience, controls and evidence support them.
Sector perspective
Sector experience includes car washes, restaurants, wholesale and retail, pavement contracting, gyms, salons and dry cleaners. Engagement-level detail is available on request and subject to client confidentiality.
Business focus and affiliation
Chicago Business Intermediary works with privately held businesses and is affiliated with Hedgestone Business Advisors.
10 / Questions
Direct answers before a first conversation.
Selling a Business
What does an engagement cost?
Standalone valuations, exit planning and transaction reviews are billed at a fixed fee, matched to scope and stated in the engagement letter before work begins. For an owner who then decides to sell with us, the valuation is part of the representation.
Will anyone find out my business is for sale?
The listing carries no name, no address, and no detail that identifies the business. A buyer receives identifying information only after executing an NDA and demonstrating proof of funds. Staff, landlords and competitors learn of the sale when the owner tells them.
What am I committing to if I list?
No listing agreement is signed at the valuation stage. A standalone valuation is covered by its own fixed-fee engagement letter, which commits the owner to nothing beyond that piece of work. If an owner later decides to list, the listing agreement states its term, fee and exit provisions in writing before any work begins, and the owner's attorney is welcome to review it before signature.
Buying a Business
What does buy-side representation include?
Refining the acquisition profile, mapping the market, approaching owners directly, qualifying what comes back, and coordinating the pursuit through diligence and closing. Scope and fee are set out in a buyer representation agreement before any work begins.
How does seller financing work without interest?
Where a transaction includes seller financing, the note is written at zero percent: the price and term are set so that no interest accrues. The structure is stated in the offer and carried through the closing documents. A buyer arranging outside financing does so independently.
Network
How does the partner network work?
We help define what the situation actually requires, identify specialists who fit it, and stay involved in coordination. Each specialist would be engaged directly by the client and remain responsible for their own professional work. The network is still being built, so introductions are made case by case rather than from a standing roster.
Is referral compensation received?
Any referral compensation arrangement is disclosed in writing before an introduction is made. The compensation model for each partner category is still being set and is not represented as final on this page.
Engagements
What is a selective mandate?
A defined, time-bound piece of work for a principal or lean investment team that falls outside a standard sale or search: sourcing, screening, diligence coordination or a specific operational initiative. Scope is limited to privately held company and operational support.
What does AI readiness involve?
The pilot assesses the objective, workflow, information, controls and adoption conditions around AI before a tool is selected. One valuable use case is then designed and tested against real work. This is an emerging capability offered as a limited pilot, not an established practice.
11 / Confidential inquiry
Every important transaction starts with a private conversation.
The initial conversation is intended to determine fit, timing and the most useful next step.
By phone: (312) 772-4998
By email: Info@chicagobusinessintermediary.com