# CT Acquisitions: M&A advisory matching founder-owned businesses with the right buyer > CT Acquisitions (CT Strategic Partners LLC, Sheridan, Wyoming) is an M&A advisory firm for founder-owned U.S. businesses ($1M-$25M EBITDA). We work both sides of the table: on the sell side we run confidential sales and recapitalizations for owners, and on the buy side we find, vet and negotiate acquisitions for buyers. We also run exit planning for owners who are not ready yet. Our network includes 500+ private equity firms, family offices, search funders and strategic acquirers. No fee to you on buy-side introductions; sell-side mandates are paid on success at closing. Terms are agreed in writing before any work starts. ## Core seller resources - [Business Broker Alternative for Founders: Confidential Process](https://ctacquisitions.com/business-broker-alternative/): The national guide to alternatives to a traditional business broker. What business brokers actually charge (6-12% success fee plus $5K-$250K retainers), the five hidden costs of the broker model, when you actually need a broker, and the eight questions to ask before signing any engagement letter. - [Free Business Valuation Tool](https://ctacquisitions.com/survey/): A 90-second calculator that gives a sector-adjusted EBITDA multiple range for your business based on industry, revenue, EBITDA margin, owner dependency, recurring revenue percentage, and growth trajectory. No email required. - [How to Sell Your Business in 2026: The Complete Founder's Guide](https://ctacquisitions.com/sell-your-business/): Comprehensive seller guide covering valuation, the brokered auction model and why it usually does not serve sellers, the four buyer types in the lower middle market, and what the sale process looks like in practice. - [Business Brokers by State](https://ctacquisitions.com/business-brokers/): Directory of 46 state-specific guides covering local broker market data, typical fees in each state, and the alternatives to a traditional broker. - [Schedule a Confidential Call](https://ctacquisitions.com/call/): Book a 30-minute confidential call to discuss selling your business. No pitch, no obligation. ## Valuation and multiples - [Business Valuation Resources](https://ctacquisitions.com/business-valuation-resources/): The owner's reading list on what a business is worth. The five factors that move valuations (sector, size, recurring revenue, owner dependency, growth), EBITDA vs SDE, the four buyer pools and what each pays, pre-exit preparation, and comparable transaction benchmarks. - [Business Valuation Multiplier: How Multiples Work in 2026](https://ctacquisitions.com/business-valuation-multiplier/): Typical EBITDA, SDE, and revenue multiples by sector. Home services 4.0x-7.5x EBITDA, pest control 5.5x-9.0x, B2B services 4.5x-8.5x, healthcare services 5.5x-10.0x, light manufacturing 4.0x-7.5x, logistics 4.5x-8.0x. The five business-specific adjustment factors and how strategic buyers pay 1.5-2x more than financial buyers. - [Business Valuation Template: The Framework Buyers Actually Use](https://ctacquisitions.com/business-valuation-template/): The four-step valuation framework: normalize EBITDA, identify sector multiple range, apply business-specific adjustments, validate against comparable transactions. - [Sample Business Valuation Report](https://ctacquisitions.com/sample-business-valuation-report/): An annotated walkthrough of what a real professional valuation report contains, with a worked example for a $4.2M EBITDA HVAC business. ## How to buy or sell a business - [Buying and Selling a Business: The Complete 2026 Guide](https://ctacquisitions.com/business-buy-sell/): The four transaction paths, valuation methods, deal structure (asset vs stock sale, earn-outs, rollover equity, escrow, working capital), the diligence process, financing the buy side, tax considerations, and the advisor question. - [Business Acquisition Attorney: When You Need One](https://ctacquisitions.com/business-acquisition-attorney-near-me/): What an M&A attorney does, typical fees ($15K-$500K+ by deal size), how to vet one, and where their work intersects with the rest of the deal team. - [Mergers and Acquisitions Attorney: How to Choose One](https://ctacquisitions.com/mergers-and-acquisitions-attorney/): Boutique M&A firms vs BigLaw vs solo practitioners, fee structures, vetting questions, and sector specializations. ## Industry-specific seller guides - [Selling a Restaurant Business in 2026](https://ctacquisitions.com/selling-a-restaurant-business/): Multiples by restaurant type (independents 1.5x-3.5x SDE, restaurant groups 3.5x-6.5x EBITDA, QSR chains 5.0x-9.0x), the four buyer pools, and how to prepare a restaurant for sale. - [Selling a Retail Business in 2026](https://ctacquisitions.com/selling-a-retail-business/): Independent retail 1.5x-3.5x SDE, retail chains 3.5x-6.0x EBITDA, specialty retail with omnichannel 4.5x-8.0x EBITDA. - [How to Sell an Amazon FBA Business in 2026](https://ctacquisitions.com/sell-amazon-fba-business/): The 2026 market reality after the aggregator gold rush. Sub-$1M SDE 2.0x-3.5x, $1M-$3M SDE 3.0x-4.5x, $2M+ EBITDA 4.0x-7.0x. - [Selling an E-commerce Business in 2026](https://ctacquisitions.com/sell-ecommerce-business/): DTC and Shopify-focused brands. Unit economics, channel mix, brand strength, and how DTC roll-up earn-outs work. - [Accounting Practice Sale: A 2026 Owner's Guide](https://ctacquisitions.com/accounting-practice-sale/): Small practices 0.9x-1.2x revenue, mid-size 1.0x-1.4x revenue, larger 4.0x-7.0x EBITDA. Why accounting practices have retention guarantees. - [Selling a Tax Practice in 2026](https://ctacquisitions.com/tax-practice-for-sale/): Typical multiples 1.0x-1.4x annual revenue, seasonal timing, and standard transition structures. - [Dental Practice Sale Contract](https://ctacquisitions.com/dental-practice-sale-contract/): What is in a dental practice sale contract, key negotiation points, asset vs stock sale, restrictive covenants, accounts receivable, real estate, and DSO-specific terms. - [Selling a Freight Brokerage in 2026](https://ctacquisitions.com/freight-broker-business-for-sale/): Sub-$1M EBITDA 3.0x-4.5x, $1M-$5M EBITDA 4.0x-6.0x, $5M+ EBITDA 5.0x-7.5x. ## Selling in specific markets - [Sell Your Business in California](https://ctacquisitions.com/sell-your-business/california/): California deal market by metro: LA basin, Bay Area, San Diego, Sacramento, Central Valley. - [Sell Your Business in Texas](https://ctacquisitions.com/sell-your-business/texas/): The Texas Triangle (DFW, Houston, Austin, San Antonio), energy services, and home services consolidation. - [Sell Your Business in Florida](https://ctacquisitions.com/sell-your-business/florida/): The most active home services M&A market in the country. Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville. - [Sell Your Business in Atlanta, Georgia](https://ctacquisitions.com/sell-your-business/atlanta-ga/): One of the three most active US metros for PE-backed home services consolidation. - [Sell Your Business in Chicago, Illinois](https://ctacquisitions.com/sell-your-business/chicago-il/): The primary buy-side hub for Midwest home services consolidation. ## Buy-side resources (for acquirers: PE firms, search funders, holdcos, strategics) - [For Capital Partners](https://ctacquisitions.com/partners/): How CT Acquisitions sources off-market founder-owned businesses for PE firms, family offices, and search funders. CT works both sides: sell-side advisory paid on success at closing, and buy-side sourcing where the buyer engages and pays. - [2026 Lower Middle Market Buyer Demand Report](https://ctacquisitions.com/2026-lower-middle-market-buyer-demand-report/): Aggregated and anonymized buy-box data from 100+ PE firms, family offices, search funders, and independent sponsors actively deploying capital. - [Business Acquisition Loan: Types, Terms, and How to Get One](https://ctacquisitions.com/business-acquisition-loan/): SBA 7(a), conventional, seller financing, mezzanine. Typical terms, rates, down payment (~10% for SBA 7(a), part can be a standby seller note), how lenders underwrite the deal (the debt-service-coverage ratio governs everything). - [SBA 7(a) Loan to Buy a Business](https://ctacquisitions.com/sba-7a-loan-to-buy-a-business/): Eligibility, the ~10% down requirement, standby seller notes, rates (prime + a capped spread), the ~45-90 day process, and what disqualifies a deal. - [Leveraged Buyout of a Small Business](https://ctacquisitions.com/leveraged-buyout-small-business/): How an LBO works at small scale (senior loan + seller note + modest equity), the math, the three return levers (debt paydown, EBITDA growth, multiple expansion), and where over-leverage breaks it. - [Roll-Up Strategy: How Buy-and-Build Acquisitions Work](https://ctacquisitions.com/roll-up-strategy/): The platform-and-add-on model, multiple arbitrage, cost and revenue synergies, financing, who runs roll-ups, and what makes one succeed or fail. - [Buy-and-Build Strategy](https://ctacquisitions.com/buy-and-build-strategy/): The modern, integration-focused roll-up, the value levers, the integration challenge, the financing (senior debt + acquisition line + seller notes + rollover + sponsor equity), and what separates the disciplined version from the over-leveraged kind. - [Business Acquisition Strategy: How to Build One](https://ctacquisitions.com/business-acquisition-strategy/): The thesis, target criteria, sourcing (proprietary outreach is where the best deals come from), financing, diligence, integration, and the discipline to stay on-thesis. Expect 50-100 opportunities reviewed per acquisition that closes. - [Holding Company Acquisition Strategy](https://ctacquisitions.com/holding-company-acquisition-strategy/): The permanent-capital model, how holdcos buy and hold businesses, the structure, conservative financing, and how it differs from PE (no exit pressure, patient capital, compounding). - [Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA)](https://ctacquisitions.com/entrepreneurship-through-acquisition/): Search funds (funded and self-funded), the model, the economics (~20-30% searcher equity in a funded search, most or all in a self-funded SBA deal), the process, and what it takes to buy a business and run it. - [How to Buy a Competitor: The Strategic Acquisition Playbook](https://ctacquisitions.com/how-to-buy-a-competitor/): Making the approach (often through a third party for confidentiality), valuing the synergies (don't pay the seller for synergies you create), structuring, financing, antitrust (most small deals are below HSR thresholds), and integrating without losing customers. - [How Do Buy-Side M&A Advisors Get Paid](https://ctacquisitions.com/how-do-buy-side-advisors-get-paid/): Retainers, success fees, hourly arrangements, who pays (the buyer engages a buy-side advisor; sell-side mandates are paid on success at closing), and what a buy-side advisor actually does. - [The 100-Day Plan After Acquiring a Business](https://ctacquisitions.com/100-day-plan-after-acquiring-a-business/): The first week (communicate, stabilize, don't make big changes), the first month (learn deeply, lock in retention, quick wins), the first quarter (upgrade reporting, assess the team, set direction), and the mistakes to avoid. - [How to Source Business Acquisition Deals](https://ctacquisitions.com/how-to-source-business-acquisition-deals/): The channels (public marketplaces, broker/advisor relationships, proprietary outreach), why off-market deals get better prices, and how to build a sourcing pipeline. - [How to Build a Platform Acquisition Strategy](https://ctacquisitions.com/how-to-build-a-platform-acquisition-strategy/): Picking the platform, defining add-on criteria, the sourcing engine, and running a multi-year consolidation. - [How Private Equity Creates Value (Value Creation)](https://ctacquisitions.com/private-equity-value-creation/): The three levers, EBITDA growth, multiple expansion, deleveraging, the 100-day plan, buy-and-build, and what it means for owners selling to a PE-backed buyer. ## About - [About CT Acquisitions](https://ctacquisitions.com/about/): Founded by Christoph Totter. M&A advisory (sell side, buy side and exit planning) headquartered in Sheridan, Wyoming. Terms are agreed in writing before any work starts. - [Contact](https://ctacquisitions.com/contact-us/): 30 N Gould St, Ste N, Sheridan, WY 82801. (307) 522-0262.