If you’re in the market to buy or sell a business in Detroit or in greater Michigan, you will want to use one of the best business brokers in Michigan.
After careful research as well as making contact with every business brokerage firm in the state, here are the 12 best business brokers in the Great Lakes State.
Sunbelt Business Brokers – Southeast Michigan (#1 Best Business Brokers In Michigan)
In almost all of our state by state lists and guides one business broker seems to come up again and again and that is Sunbelt Business Brokers. This is also true for our list of best business brokers in Michigan.
Sunbelt makes it to most of our lists because they have offices in every state in the country. Add that to the fact that they are one of the oldest business brokerages being in business for over 30 years.
Sunbelt Business Brokers brings a good reputation to the table as well as their long track record and success as a business broker. Through the years they have helped bring buyers and sellers together and today boost the largest database of buyers and business listings in the world.
Working with Sunbelt Business Brokers gives you the backing of a business brokerage giant. If you’re looking to buy or sell a business in Michigan definitely give Sunbelt a look.
Transworld Business Advisors of Birmingham (#2 Best Business Brokers In Michigan)
Here is another business brokerage firm that continually makes our lists. Transworld Business Advisors is on our list of best business brokers in Michigan simply because they offer over 40 years of experience and a network of over 600 business brokers that goes around the globe.
On top of this they have sold more than 10,000 businesses through the years and that says quite a bit about their power to get a deal done.
Even though Transworld has this amazing clout as a broker, they can help anyone in any state buy or sell a business. For those looking to buy or sell in Michigan, it doesn’t matter whether your business is a small or a mid-sized business, Transworld can help.
The Transworld in Michigan is located in Birmingham Michigan and serves most of the counties surrounding the Detroit metro area.
Calder Capital, LLC – Business Brokers (#3 Best Business Brokers In Michigan)
Located in Grand Rapids Michigan, the next broker on our list of business brokers in Michigan is Calder Capital.
This is a full-service mergers and acquisitions firm. They specialize in advisor services to businesses throughout the Midwest with values between $1 million to $100 million.
Calder Capital’s focus is to give Lower-Middle Market businesses the same level of service a Middle Market business would receive.
With success fees ranging from 5% to 10%, Calder Capital is on the lower end of commissions charged by most business brokers. They also offer month to month agreements so you’re not stuck in a long term contract but they do charge a monthly retainer that is credited back to you if you sell.
The team at Calder Capital is quite impressive with 15 talented mergers and acquisition advisors on staff.
We did notice that a few of the team members at Calder Capital are also part of Small Business Deal Advisors which we discuss below.
With a large database of over 45,000 buyers, Calder Capital can help you to market your business across every M&A platform meaning you stand a better chance of selling.
This business brokerage offers sell side advisory and buyer side advisor services. So whether you’re looking to buy or sell a business they can help you get the job done.
Advanced Business Advisors, LLC
Next on our list of business brokers in Michigan is Advanced Business Advisors out of Portage Michigan.
This business brokerage serves business owners who are looking to sell their businesses in Michigan and even in Indiana. They mainly deal with companies who have revenue up to $10 million or below.
For companies under $250,000 in annual revenue they do offer a program called Main Street Market Maker which is a lower priced business brokerage service for smaller sized businesses.
Advanced Business Advisors also has services for companies that have revenues of $250,000 to $10 million and this is called ABA – Business Brokers which is a full service brokerage.
With businesses with revenue over $10 million to $50 million they do offer Advanced Business Advisors M&A Services.
The business brokers on staff with this company each have nearly 30 years experience in some business related industry from business appraisals to experience in the restaurant industry.
If you’re looking to sell a business in Michigan, you may want to consider Advanced Business Advisors.
Small Business Deal Advisors
Small Business Deal Advisors is a business brokerage located in Grand Rapid Michigan but sells businesses across Michigan, the United States, and even in Canada.
This business brokerage works mainly with smaller sized businesses and franchises worth less than $1 million. They are looking to serve these businesses because they feel it is an underserved market.
This firm has a staff of 10 and each have many years of experience helping others buy and sell businesses.
Small Business Deal Advisors has a 40,000+ database of buyers, a low success fee of 8%, and no exclusive or long-term contracts.
The one thing we didn’t like about this business broker is that they charge a $795 listing fee and $299 a month to keep the business on the market. (This is credited back to you should you business sell)
While not our top choice of business brokers in Michigan, Small Business Deal Advisors does deserve at least your consideration.
Snyder Partners
If you’re in Western Michigan, then Snyder Partners may be a name you know. For over 30 years Jack Snyder has operated this business brokerage helping others buy and sell businesses throughout the state.
During his 30+ years in the industry, Jack has helped oversee the sale of over 450 businesses. These businesses range in size from very small to over $60 million.
With low commissions between 5% to 8%, this brokerage may be a choice for some business owners.
Snyder Partners is a small firm with just Jack at the reins. If you’re looking for personalized one on one attention then you may want to contact this business broker.
Equity Group of Michigan, LLC.
Next on our list of business brokers in Michigan is a Grand Rapids based firm called Equity Group of Michigan.
This business brokerage has been in business since 1970 and is one of the oldest business brokers on our list. They specialize in small to mid-market companies that have revenues of under $1 million to up to $30 million.
The group of five brokers at Equity Group of Michigan has 100 years of experience combined and they tend to focus on business in the wholesale distribution, manufacturing, service, retail and technology industries.
If you’re looking to sell a website or online business you would want to consider one of the best website brokers on the market and not Equity Group of Michigan.
Business Brokerage & Finance
Business Brokerage & Finance is a business broker located in Plymouth Michigan.
This firm is staffed by Steve Dykstra and Michelle Webster. Steve has 17 years of experience as a business owner and Michelle has 34 years of experience in many different business operations. On top of this they have 15 years of experience as business brokers.
The industries served by Business Brokerage & Finance include franchises retail based businesses, manufacturing, automotive services as well as food & beverage.
Some brokers only deal with businesses with valuations in excess of $1 million. Business Brokerage & Finance works with businesses at almost any level of valuation from $10,000 to over $3 million.
The one thing we dislike about this business broker is their website. It is very dated, does not work well on mobile devices, and just needs to be overhauled. This is not a reflection on the work the brokerage can do, but, it’s always good to see a company that keeps up to date on modern website design. First impressions still count!
Inix Business Brokers
Next on our list is a Michigan business brokerage called Inix Business Brokers. This brokerage services Southeastern Michigan and surrounding areas.
This firm is led by Tanya Popov, who herself has over a decade of experience in the field and holds various designations such as CBI, CM&AP.
There are also three other Business Intermediaries on staff each with many years of experience helping others buy and sell businesses.
Inix Business Brokers prides itself on the fact that they only take on a small number of clients each year. This allows them to provide better service. “Quality over quantity” is their motto.
This business broker handles businesses of all sizes ranging from $60,000 and up and they have over an 80% closure rate.
Capital Business Brokerage
Located in Farmington Hills Michigan, Capital Business Brokerage has 11 business brokers on staff that have expertise in buying and selling independent businesses as well as franchises.
Capital Business Brokerage deals mainly with brick and mortar businesses ranging from automotive repair shops, tanning salons, restaurants, manufacturing businesses and many other industries.
Praxis Business Brokers
Another business broker on our list near the west side of Michigan is Praxis Business Brokers. This firm is located in Grand Rapids Michigan.
The first thing you need to know about Praxis Business Brokers is that they work on a commission basis only. They do not charge up front fees like many business brokers. They also have some of the lower commission rates in the industry. For businesses with that sell of close to $20 million the commission is as low as 2.5% while their average commission fee is 7.5%.
This firm works with businesses from several different industries including franchise resales, distribution, retail, manufacturing, services, e-commerce, and others. Most of the businesses they sell have revenue between $250,000 to $20 million.
During their time as a business brokerage Praxis Business Brokers has closed over 100 deals.
Acela Business Brokerage
Here is a very small business brokerage run by one person from home. Acela Business Brokerage is run by Maria Carrillo-Diekema from her home.
Maria holds designations as an Accredited Business Intermediary (ABI), Business Valuation Analyst, as well holding a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. She also has over 30 years of business experience working in business related industries.
Since her brokerage is small and she works from home, Maria is able to pass on these savings to her client and charge only a 6% success fee. This also allows her to give very personal attention to her clients.
