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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.