Our Process

Our Process To
Sell Your Business

Advanced planning is the key to the best results in the sale of a business. We provide business owners the greatest chance for a successful sale by sticking to this clearly defined process.

Planning & Guidance

Waiting too long, or not planning in advance, can cause many business owners to miss their window of opportunity to sell their business. Prior to listing, we go through the pre-sale process with you. We have access to tools and numerous resources to help you maximize value and create more effective sales results.  We include high-quality and realistic valuation services to give you greater negotiation strength and help you set proper expectations when planning with your CPA and other professionals. This guidance is included with your listing package.

Strategizing Comprehensive & Custom Marketing

Our staff will work with you to understand the history of your business to create a detailed business analysis of your company that isn’t just about the numbers. Our team creates marketing pieces that are valuable tools as part of our listing services and commitment to you, including an executive listing summary and a comprehensive confidential business review package. As part of our marketing strategy customized to your business industry, we list your business on high-ranking businesses for sale websites, create proprietary distribution materials that reach thousands of potential buyers, as well as talk directly to other buying agents and private equity investors. 

Identifying Qualified Buyers

We identify qualified buyers and secure the necessary privacy documents needed to pre-qualify interested parties. Our expert team of brokers handles all inquiries so you only have to deal with legitimate parties and avoid wasting time or releasing confidential information to non-qualified inquirers.

Negotiating

During the negotiation phase, we will secure qualified offers, schedule and assist with onsite visits, and analyze all offers. Additionally, we help your team of advisors analyze deal structures, negotiate the best terms for you, and offer creative input for alternative considerations.

Closing the Deal

In the final step, closing the deal, we will secure letters of intent and help facilitate required due diligence. Our team will work with you and your attorney to keep the deal on track and not lose momentum. We also have numerous finance partners and investor relationships as well as access to a wide array of options to assist a buyer if needed.

We provide a no-charge, no-obligation,
one-on-one meeting with an
experienced broker.

Bob Paden

With over 25 years of dedicated experience, Bob empowers small business owners in the Indianapolis metro area to achieve their entrepreneurial visions, whether by building scalable operations or crafting highly sellable entities. For three decades, he’s cultivated a robust network of owners, buyers, and strategic partners, a resource he fully leverages to help clients meet their unique objectives.

Bob’s expertise spans a diverse range of industries, including trade-based businesses like construction, HVAC, skilled trades, and manufacturing, as well as white-collar professional service firms such as law, finance, marketing, and technical services. Beyond his client work, Bob actively contributes to his community, serving as Treasurer for the Boone County Chamber Board and as well as a board member for both the Central Indiana Police Foundation (CIPF) and Fiscal Sponsorship Allies (FSA).  

Bob holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, and teaches there as well in the Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program, which is ranked among the Top 50 programs in the U.S.

He lives with his wife Lori in Zionsville, just outside Indianapolis, and in his free time, he enjoys working on his home, playing golf, and traveling.

Marissa Ihssen

With a degree in psychology and a professional background in social work, Marissa
brings a people-centered lens to every project. Her experience includes being a Project
Planning Specialist at GE Aerospace, creating efficient processes and structures that
help teams work smarter and stay aligned. Marissa joins the Main Street Market Maker
team with Advanced Business Brokers to dedicate time and attention to smaller
business opportunities and provide excellent and supportive customer service.
Outside of work, she is a mom of three young men who finds joy in the everyday chaos
of family life. She loves strong coffee, warm beaches, and any excuse to spend time in
the sunshine. Hot yoga and hammocking are some of her favorite ways to reset and
stay grounded and help her show up with more presence both at home and in my
professional life.

Steve DeMaio, JD, CEPA

Steve brings more than 20 years of experience as a legal and financial professional to
his work with business owners preparing for transition and sale. He advises owners and
their families through every stage of the exit planning and transaction process, with a
focus on thoughtful assessment, risk management, and strategic value enhancement.
Steve is a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®) and an active member of the Exit
Planning Institute. He previously served as Director of the Small Business Development
Center in Toledo, Ohio, where he worked closely with entrepreneurs across a wide
range of industries on growth, financing, and succession planning initiatives.
Earlier in his career, Steve practiced law with a nationally recognized Chicago-based
law firm and held roles in capital markets and commercial banking with leading financial
institutions. This multidisciplinary background allows him to approach business
transactions with a practical understanding of legal, financial, and operational
considerations.
As a business broker, Steve specializes in industrial and manufacturing companies,
skilled trades, and professional service firms, including marketing, staffing, and financial
services businesses. Steve earned his Juris Doctor from Loyola University Chicago
School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Notre
Dame. He lives in the Toledo area with his wife and two daughters. Outside of work, he
enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time at his family’s lake house.

Dr. Mark Hagar

A lifelong resident of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Dr. Mark Hagar brings decades of hands-on experience in small business ownership, acquisitions, and turnarounds to his role as a business broker. Over his distinguished career, he has acquired and operated more than 20 companies and engineered over 50 successful turnarounds, giving him a uniquely practical understanding of what makes businesses succeed, and sell. His portfolio spans manufacturing, distribution, and service firms in industries including printing, education, military contracting, aerospace, and orthopedics. This diverse background enables him to identify value, anticipate buyer needs, and structure complex deals with confidence and precision.


Mark holds a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) from Cranfield University’s School of Management in Bedford, England—one of Europe’s leading business schools. His research on small business resilience and operational excellence has been recognized by the Small Business Institute (SBI), the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE), and the International Council for Small Business (ICSB).


In addition to his business career, Dr. Hagar has served as a member of faculty at several institutions of higher education, including Holy Cross College (Notre Dame), Trine University, and the University of Saint Francis. He also hosted Your Business Matters, a small business–focused radio show and podcast for more than a decade and is the author of Small Fortunes – the Acquisition Entrepreneur’s Guide to Buying a Profitable Small Business.


A passionate advocate for entrepreneurs, Mark previously chaired the Indiana Leadership Council for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), representing small business owners before state and federal legislators. He currently serves as President of the Allen County, Indiana Economic Development
Commission.


As a broker, Mark specializes in industrial, manufacturing, and distribution firms, with particular expertise in special situations, distressed assets, and complex transitions where experience, creativity and discretion are central to success.