i.Core
Business Sales & Exit Advisory
Confidential representation for owners preparing, positioning and transitioning a privately held business, from first valuation through close.
Private transactions · Strategic execution
Where enduring businesses change hands.
We represent owners in the confidential sale of their businesses and support qualified acquirers pursuing privately held companies across Chicagoland.
RegisteredRegistered with the State of Illinois, Reg. #310002115
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 / Capabilities
The work, shaped around the decision in front of you.
ii.Core
Acquisition Search & Buy-Side Advisory
Thesis-led search and pursuit support for entrepreneurs, operating companies and long-term capital seeking privately held businesses.
iii.Network
Partner Network & Execution
Independent specialists brought in for legal, financial, tax, financing and operational needs, with our team coordinating the work around the transaction.
iv.Selective
Family Office & Special Mandates
A defined extension of a principal's team for a private-company or special transaction mandate.
Selective and by referral. Scope is limited to privately held company and operational support. This is not investment management, securities advice or capital raising.
v.Emerging
AI & Operating Systems
Focused pilots that identify a valuable workflow, prove it against real work, and embed it with governance.
Emerging capability, offered as a pilot. No case evidence is published yet, and it is not presented as an established practice.
03 / Mandates
The situation usually announces itself.
For owners
An owner for whom the next steward matters as much as the price.
Valuation, preparation, buyer curation and transaction guidance, conducted in confidence.
For acquirers
An acquirer with a defined thesis who needs access and disciplined pursuit.
Thesis refinement, market mapping, owner outreach, qualification and coordination.
For family offices and long-term owners
A principal requiring a trusted extension for a private-company or special mandate.
Sourcing, screening, specialist assembly and diligence coordination within a defined scope.
04 / Current opportunities
Selected current opportunities.
Identifying information is released only after fit review, NDA and proof of funds.
Available
Car Wash, Lube & Detail Center
Southwest Suburbs
Revenue$730KSeller stated
SDE$190KEstimate
Asking$700KCurrent
FinancingSeller note, 0%Where supported
Name
Under NDA
AddressUnder NDA
Name and address withheld
Request the package
Available
Wholesale Distribution Company
Chicago, South Side
Revenue$5.4MSeller stated
SDE$370K–$407KSeller stated
Asking$1.1M + inventoryCurrent
Buyer profileCashSeller preference
Name
Under NDA
AddressUnder NDA
Name and address withheld
Request the package
Each figure above carries a label. Seller stated and estimate identify the source of a figure; current marks its status as of the listing date; notes such as where supported and seller preference are qualifications, not sources. Figures marked seller stated are provided by the seller and have not been independently verified; figures marked estimate are reconstructed from available records. Figures remain subject to confirmation through diligence.
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 / Emerging Capability
AI that changes the operating rhythm, not only the presentation.
Focused pilots for owner-led and investment-backed businesses: identify a valuable workflow, prove it against real work, and embed it with clear governance. This capability is emerging. It is offered as a defined pilot, and it is not presented as an established practice.
- Stage one01Prioritize
Identify a small number of valuable, feasible workflows with clear owners.
- Stage two02Prove
Build and test a practical pilot against real work and real constraints.
- Stage three03Embed
Turn what works into an adopted system with governance and accountability.
09 / About Us
A measured approach to important transitions.
Chicago Business Intermediary helps owners and qualified acquirers 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.
We are a Chicago-based business brokerage and transaction advisory practice. We bring structure to consequential decisions, build a credible financial and strategic picture, and remain involved through negotiation, diligence and closing.
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 in distribution, automotive services, food service, retail and specialized trades, along with Big Four consulting engagements supporting Fortune 100 organizations. The work draws on financial analysis, valuation review, risk assessment, transaction structure 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, acquirers 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.
Registration and affiliation
Registered with the State of Illinois, Reg. #310002115, in affiliation with Hedgestone Business Advisors.
10 / Questions
Direct answers before a first conversation.
Owners
What does an advisory 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.
Acquirers
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.
Do you receive referral compensation?
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 an AI pilot involve?
Identifying a small number of valuable workflows, building and testing one against real work, and embedding what proves out with clear governance. This is an emerging capability offered as a focused 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