If you want to acquire a New York business, what you need is access to verified opportunities, the right ownership and financing structure, and a buyer-side advisor who knows where deals collapse and how to prevent it.
We match you against current mandates — including off-market opportunities not listed publicly — and walk you through ownership and financing structure for your specific situation.
3 locations, $450K net profit, asking $1.6M at 3.6× EBITDA. Off-market.
Asking prices and EBITDA multiples by sector, based on closed New York transactions 2023–2025. These are the numbers you need before you make an offer.
| Sector | EBITDA Multiple | Typical Asking Price | Key Buyer Consideration | Time to First LOI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F&B — Casual / Café SoHo · Williamsburg · Astoria | 2.5× – 3.8× | $150K – $2M | Lease assignment clause & "good guy" guarantee are the #1 deal-breaker. Verify before LOI. | 30–45 days |
| F&B — Multi-location / Group NYC-wide | 3.0× – 5.0× | $1M – $8M | Multiple leases need individual assignment review. Does the brand live in the founder? | 45–75 days |
| Wellness · Spa & Fitness Manhattan · Brooklyn | 2.8× – 3.5× | $200K – $1.5M | Membership & instructor/therapist retention above 80% drive the premium. | 45–60 days |
| Beauty & Aesthetics UES · Flatiron · Williamsburg | 3.0× – 4.0× | $300K – $2.5M | Medical aesthetics attracts a higher multiple if a licensed physician stays on staff. | 45–75 days |
| Hospitality · Boutique Hotel Manhattan · Hudson Valley · Hamptons | 4.5× – 7.0× | $2M – $30M+ | Freehold vs. long lease changes the multiple significantly. OTA diversification matters. | 60–90 days |
| E-commerce · Online Brand Remote / NYC HQ | 3.0× – 4.5× | $400K – $5M | Revenue concentration: if top 3 SKUs or channels are 60%+, discount accordingly. | 30–60 days |
| Education · Tutoring / School Manhattan · Queens | 2.8× – 3.8× | $400K – $2.5M | Accreditation status and student retention post-ownership change are the primary risks. | 60–90 days |
| Professional Services FiDi · Midtown | 2.0× – 3.5× | $250K – $3M | Are client contracts with the company or with named individuals? Portability determines value. | 75–120 days |
EBITDA multiples are based on normalised EBITDA after owner-salary add-back. Total acquisition cost = (EBITDA × multiple) + key money + security deposit + inventory at cost. Understand how these multiples are derived →
We represent sellers with confidential mandates. Before we share listing details we qualify buyers — not for friction, but because the right match protects both sides. Typical duration: 5–7 business days.
Sector preference, indicative budget, location priorities, and timeline. A no-obligation conversation to identify which current or forthcoming mandates fit.
Before any business name, location, or financials are shared, you sign a mutual NDA — it protects you as much as the seller. No NDA, no IM.
A brief statement of how the acquisition would be funded — cash, SBA loan, seller note, or equity partner. Not a formal proof-of-funds request.
We identify the right entity and, for international buyers, the correct visa route before you invest time in an opportunity you cannot legally close on.
The full Information Memorandum for matching mandates, with a summary of known issues (lease term, key-man, regulatory flags) so you decide before site visits.
20–40 page document with 3-year recast financials, growth narrative, lease summary, staffing overview, and known risk factors.
We normalise seller financials with documented add-backs. You see the recast methodology, not just the headline number.
Sellers who choose not to list publicly. Qualified buyers in our network get exclusive access before these reach any platform.
Foreign nationals can own 100% of almost any US business — the outcome depends on the entity, the visa route, and sector-specific licensing. Get this right before you make an offer.
LLC (flexible, pass-through), S-Corp (US persons only), or C-Corp (standard for foreign owners & outside investment). We match the entity to your tax residency and target sector.
E-2 Treaty Investor (fast, treaty countries), L-1 (intra-company transfer), EB-5 (green card via investment), or O-1 for specific profiles. Aligned to your nationality and investment size.
Some licenses carry residency or approval requirements (e.g. liquor / SLA). We confirm which buyers can legally acquire a given target before you commit time to it.
Generic checklists miss the New York-specific issues that kill deals at the final stage. These are the six areas that determine whether a transfer completes — red items are the most common deal-killers.
We prepare a target-specific due-diligence checklist for every qualified buyer — including which items to verify before LOI, and which issues are price-adjustable vs. deal-breakers.
In New York's SME market the business and the owner are frequently the same thing — the chef whose name is the brand, the founder whose relationships are the revenue. Key-man risk is a spectrum: the question is not "is there a dependency?" but "how concentrated is it, and what is the appropriate price discount?"
The owner's personal network is 40%+ of revenue. Genuinely at risk post-change.
0.5–1.5× multiple reductionReputation is built around the owner — menu, press, social all reference them.
12-month transition + brand licenseDaily operations run in the owner's head — no SOPs, no management layer.
SOP documentation as condition| Mechanism | Standard terms | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Seller transition period | 6–12 months post-close support at an agreed monthly rate | Any business where owner revenue dependency exceeds 25% |
| Staff retention bonus pool | Holdback of 5–10% of price, released if named staff stay 12 months | Where 3+ business-critical staff could leave at close |
| Earnout structure | Base at close + deferred tied to revenue/EBITDA over 12–24 months | Where claimed EBITDA lacks 12 months of verified history |
| Non-compete covenant | Seller restricted within a defined radius for 2–3 years | Non-negotiable where seller brand/relationships are material |
Once you grant exclusivity, your leverage disappears. Lock these terms in at LOI stage — before the seller has no competing offers to manage.
Specify total consideration, timeline, and the split of cash at close vs. deferred. Earnout terms must be defined at LOI, not the APA — introducing an earnout later typically collapses the deal.
80–90% at close, 10–20% deferredGives you time to complete diligence without competing buyers. Don't agree to 60+ days without staged milestones — open-ended exclusivity lets the seller run the clock on a better offer.
30–45 days, milestone extensionsList every material condition that must be satisfied before completion: lease assignment consent, license transfer, regulatory approval. As CPs — not best-efforts — so you can walk cleanly if unresolved.
Each CP with an outside dateDefine what the seller provides, in what timeframe and format. A data-room obligation with a response SLA prevents seller delays from running out the exclusivity clock.
Full data room within 5 business daysA reverse break fee — payable if the seller withdraws without cause during exclusivity — compensates you for diligence costs and management time. Standard on larger deals.
Deals $2M+: 2–3% of priceDefine the seller's post-close duties: duration, hours per week, which staff introductions and customer relationships must be personally transferred. "Reasonable assistance" is unenforceable.
3–12 months, per key-man assessmentCurated mandates with verified financials. Full IM, financials, and location released to NDA-signed buyers only. Figures shown are indicative.
Figures are indicative. Full financials, exact location, and seller details are released after NDA execution. New mandates added regularly — including off-market opportunities not shown here.
Before making an offer, understand how businesses are priced in New York — the EBITDA methodology, sector benchmarks, and how lease terms affect what you should pay. See the full valuation guide →
We'll respond within 4 hours with matched mandates and ownership-structure options for your specific situation. No obligation, completely confidential.