Southwest Vehicle Graphics Shop Sold for $300K, LOI in 44 Days

About the Business

• Industry: Commercial Services – Vehicle Graphics & Fleet Branding

• Location: Southwest

• Size: $500K–$750K in annual revenue, 4 full-time employees

• Sale price: $300,000 (asking price: $390,000)

• Listing to signed LOI: 44 days

• Signed LOI to close: 105 days

The Challenge: A Clean Exit Before a Move

The owner was relocating out of state and wanted a clean exit with her team taken care of.

44 Days to a Signed LOI: How a Backup Buyer Saved the Sale

What happened at every stage

1. Valuation: Baton set the asking price at $390,000, about 2.8 times cash flow.

2. Buyer Outreach: Two serious buyers emerged soon after launch, and both submitted LOIs within the first three weeks.

3. Offer Selection and Negotiation Support: The owner first signed with another buyer, but after 20 days that buyer still hadn't shown proof of financing. The Baton advisor had kept the runner-up buyer pre-qualified with a lender, so the owner signed his LOI the day after the first LOI ended.

4. Diligence and Closing Support: Baton made sure financing was proven before employees met the buyer and coached the owner on retention conversations with her team. The SBA loan funded and the deal closed 105 days after the LOI.

The Results

The buyer, a local first-time owner financed with an SBA 7(a) loan, took over with the shop's general manager committed to staying on. Through Baton's process, the business:

• Sold for $300,000 with SBA financing

• Signed a replacement LOI one day after the first LOI ended

• Closed 105 days after the signed LOI

What's next for the owner?

The owner handed the shop to its new owner after a short transition, clearing the way for her move out of state.

Advice and Lessons for Future Sellers

1. Prove financing before you introduce your team. Holding off on employee meetings until a buyer showed lender support protected the business.

2. Always have a backup buyer. A ready runner-up turned a stalled deal into a signed LOI overnight.

3. Take care of key employees early. Retention conversations before closing secured the general manager's commitment to stay.