Deal Deconstructed | How to Buy, Sell & Value a Business

One company. One full day. From the first conversation to the closing table.

Ever wondered what really happens when someone buys or sells a business?

How do you figure out what a company is actually worth? Who decides the price? Where does the money come from? What happens after an offer gets accepted? And why do perfectly good deals fall apart before closing?

On November 12, we're getting together in Golden, Colorado, to work through those questions using a sample Main Street business transaction.

In the morning, we'll teach you the business sale process we've developed and refined over the last 20 years. We'll explain what needs to happen, when it needs to happen, and why the order matters.

In the afternoon, we'll put a company on the table and work through a transaction together. You'll examine the financials, evaluate the business, consider different buyers, negotiate offers, and follow the deal through due diligence and closing.

You'll see the decisions, tradeoffs, surprises, and occasional stupidity that come with buying or selling a privately held business.

This is a working session. We'll explain how things work, show you real-world examples, and give you a chance to work through the decisions yourself.

No sales pitch. No parade of sponsors. No motivational speakers telling you how to become a millionaire.

Just a full day learning how business transactions actually work.

Who Should Be in the Room?

Business owners who are thinking about selling, whether that's next year or five years from now.

Owners who have received unsolicited calls, letters, or offers from buyers and aren't quite sure what to make of them.

Owners who have no intention of selling but would like to understand what their company is worth and what their options might be.

People looking to buy their first business, experienced buyers, and entrepreneurs looking for their next acquisition.

Attorneys, CPAs, financial advisors, lenders, brokers, and other professionals who work with business owners and want a better understanding of how transactions come together.

You don't need a business degree or a background in mergers and acquisitions. We'll explain the terminology as we go.

And you certainly don't need to have a business for sale.

Here's How the Day Works

We've divided the day into two parts. In the morning, we'll teach you how the business sale process works. In the afternoon, we'll put a company on the table and work through a transaction together.

Morning Session

The Roadmap to a Successful Business Sale

After more than 20 years of working with business owners, buyers, and their advisors, we've developed a process for taking a business from the first conversation to the closing table.

We'll walk you through that process, step by step.

We'll cover what needs to happen, when it needs to happen, and why the order matters. From understanding a company's financials and determining its value to identifying buyers, negotiating offers, structuring financing, conducting due diligence, and getting the deal closed.

We'll explain the terminology, show you where things commonly go sideways, and share the lessons we've learned from hundreds of transactions.

You'll leave the morning with a practical understanding of how a business transaction comes together and a roadmap you can refer to when you're involved in one.

Afternoon Session

Let's Put a Company on the Table

Now we'll put everything from the morning into practice.

We'll introduce a sample Main Street business, give you its financials and background, and start working through a transaction together.

You'll evaluate what the business actually earns, determine what it might be worth, consider different types of buyers, and examine potential offers.

Then we'll follow the deal through financing, due diligence, negotiations, and closing.

Along the way, we'll introduce some of the surprises and complications we've encountered in real transactions. You'll have opportunities to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and consider how you'd handle the decisions facing the buyer and seller.

By the end, you'll have seen how the entire process works, from both sides of the table.

Can't Make the Whole Day? Come Anyway.

We'd love to have you for the entire event, but we know business owners and professionals have schedules that don't always cooperate.

If you can only make the morning, you'll still walk away with our roadmap for buying and selling a business.

If you can only make the afternoon, join us for the hands-on case study and see how a transaction plays out.

Of course, the two sessions work best together, but we'd rather have you for half the day than not at all.

The Details

Thursday, November 12, 2026

Fossil Trace Golf Club, Golden, Colorado

8:00 AM | Breakfast and check-in

9:00 AM to 4:00 PM | Workshop

Morning | The business sale process, step by step

Afternoon | Hands-on business transaction case study

Your registration includes the full-day workshop, case-study materials, worksheets, exercises, breakfast, lunch, and refreshments.

Throughout the day, you'll have opportunities to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and work through the same decisions buyers, sellers, and their advisors face in real transactions.

Eventbrite Exclusive

Regular admission $497

Your Eventbrite Price $97

One ticket gets you the entire day, including meals and materials.

A Word from Ben

I've spent more than 20 years working with business owners, buyers, and their advisors, and I've been involved in hundreds of transactions.

I've seen great businesses sell for great prices. I've seen good businesses get absolutely hammered by bad deal structures. And I've seen transactions fall apart over things that should have been addressed months earlier.

The frustrating part is how often the problems were avoidable.

Most people will never get the opportunity to see a business acquisition from beginning to end. Even the professionals who work around these transactions often see only their particular piece of the process.

That's why we're doing Deal Deconstructed.

I want to take you through the process we've developed over the last 20 years, then put a company on the table, pull the transaction apart, and show you how all the pieces fit together.

Whether you're building a company, buying one, selling one, or advising somebody who is, you'll leave with a much better understanding of what happens when a business changes hands.

See you in Golden.

Ben Brickweg

Founder, Exitworthy