What does an M&A broker do in Houston?

A Houston M&A broker facilitates the buying and selling of businesses. On the sell side, the broker prepares a confidential information memorandum, markets the business to qualified buyers, negotiates terms, and guides the deal through due diligence and closing. Michelet Financial serves as a trusted Houston M&A broker for small and mid-market Texas businesses.

How do I find a sell-side M&A advisor in Houston?

Look for a Houston M&A advisor with transaction experience in your industry, a proven process for preparing a business for sale, and the ability to run a competitive auction process. Michelet Financial provides sell-side M&A advisory in Houston — from business valuation through closing — helping owners maximize deal value and minimize tax exposure on exit.

What is sell-side M&A and why does it matter in Houston?

Sell-side M&A refers to the advisory services provided to the business owner who is selling their company. In the Houston market, where oil & gas, healthcare, construction, and professional services businesses change hands frequently, having an experienced sell-side M&A advisor ensures you understand the true value of your business, attract the right buyers, and negotiate optimal deal terms.

M&A Advisory Services | Mergers & Acquisitions Advisor

Q: Do I need an M&A advisor to sell my business?

Not legally, but practically ? yes, in most cases. Buyers, especially strategic buyers and private equity firms, do this professionally. Without experienced advisory, most sellers leave significant money on the table through suboptimal valuation, poor deal structure, and tax inefficiency. Our fee is typically a fraction of the additional value we help you capture.

SELL-SIDE ADVISORY

Sell-Side M&A in Houston

When it's time to exit, you need a Houston M&A broker who understands deal structure, tax implications, and how to run a competitive process that maximizes your sale price.

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Houston M&A Brokerage

We prepare your business for sale with a professional Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM), identify and qualify strategic and financial buyers, and run a controlled auction to drive maximum deal value.

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Business Acquisition Strategies Houston

Whether you're acquiring a competitor, a complementary business, or a platform company, we provide Houston buy-side M&A advisory — target identification, valuation, due diligence support, and deal negotiation.

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Exit Planning & Tax Strategy

The best Houston M&A deals start with planning 1–3 years before closing. We help business owners in Houston TX structure ownership and operations to minimize taxes on exit and maximize after-tax proceeds.

Experience That Closes Deals

Wall-Street-Grade M&A Experience, Based in Houston

When you sell a business, you are negotiating against buyers and brokers who do deals every day — so you want a Houston merger and acquisitions advisor who has operated at the highest level of corporate finance. Our founder, Brandt Michelet, served as a financial strategy lead at Landry’s, Inc. under Tilman Fertitta — one of America’s largest privately held restaurant, hospitality, and entertainment companies, with 600+ venues and billions in annual revenue.

That means your M&A advisor and business broker has structured, valued, and pressure-tested transactions at a scale most local business brokers never touch — and brings that same discipline to selling your business, acquiring a competitor, or planning your exit. We pair institutional deal experience with the tax strategy of Michelet Financial, so your transaction is structured to keep more of the proceeds in your pocket.

Whether you need a sell-side advisor to take your company to market, a buy-side partner to evaluate an acquisition, or business exit planning to maximize value before you sell, you work directly with a senior advisor — never a junior associate. Call (225) 396-5511 for a confidential consultation.

M&A Advisory Services

Mergers & Acquisitions Advisory for Small and Mid-Market Businesses

Most M&A advisors work exclusively on large deals. We bring institutional-quality M&A thinking to small and mid-market business owners — whether you’re buying, selling, or merging. Brandt Michelet’s background managing acquisitions and financial strategy for a Fortune-500 company translates directly to deals at your scale.

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Sell-Side Advisory

Preparing your business for sale: valuation, financial statement normalization, deal structure analysis, buyer identification, negotiation support, and tax optimization of the transaction. We represent your interests through close.

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Buy-Side Advisory

Finding, evaluating, and acquiring businesses. Target identification, due diligence financial analysis, valuation, deal structuring, and integration planning. We help you avoid paying too much for the wrong business.

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Due Diligence Financial Analysis

Quality-of-earnings analysis, financial statement review, working capital normalization, debt and liability identification — the financial due diligence that determines whether the deal is worth doing and at what price.

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Deal Structure Optimization

Asset sale vs. stock sale, earn-out structures, seller financing, rollover equity — deal structure has enormous tax implications for both buyer and seller. We optimize the structure to maximize after-tax proceeds.

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Business Acquisition Financing

SBA 7(a) loans, seller financing, PE partnerships, bank acquisition financing — we help you understand and access the capital needed to complete an acquisition without over-leveraging the acquired business.

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Post-Merger Integration

The deal is done — now what? Financial systems integration, cultural alignment, operational consolidation, and performance tracking to realize the synergies that justified the acquisition in the first place.

The Process

How We Advise on M&A Transactions

Strategic Fit Analysis

We start by understanding the strategic rationale — why this deal, why now, what does success look like. Acquisitions made without clear strategic logic rarely create value.

Financial Due Diligence

Deep analysis of the target’s historical financials — quality of earnings, normalized EBITDA, working capital requirements, off-balance-sheet liabilities, and cash flow reliability.

Valuation & Offer Strategy

Independent valuation of the business, pricing strategy, and negotiation support. We make sure you know what something is worth before you offer a dollar for it.

Deal Structuring & Close

Structure the transaction for maximum tax efficiency, coordinate with legal counsel, navigate closing conditions, and get you to a successful close with no surprises.

FAQ

🏫 Houston, TX

Business broker and M&A advisor for Houston businesses — energy services, healthcare, construction, and distribution. Business broker Houston searches start here.

🈗 New York, NY

Merger and acquisition consultant for New York business owners. M&A advisory for professional services, media, and B2B companies. Business broker New York engagements handled remotely.

🌞 Los Angeles, CA

M&A advisory and business brokerage for LA businesses — entertainment services, consumer brands, and tech-adjacent acquisitions and sales.

🌴 Miami, FL

Business broker services in Miami — acquisitions and sales in hospitality, logistics, and Latin American trade businesses. M&A advisory firms serving the Miami market.

🏠 Chicago, IL

M&A consulting and business brokerage for Chicago — manufacturing, distribution, professional services, and mid-market transactions.

M&A Advisory Questions

What does an M&A advisor do for a small business?

An M&A advisor guides you through the process of buying or selling a business — from determining value and preparing financial materials, to finding counterparties, negotiating terms, and closing the transaction. For small business owners, who typically have never sold a business before, an advisor levels the playing field against sophisticated buyers who do acquisitions regularly.

Do I need an M&A advisor to sell my business?

Not legally, but practically — yes, in most cases. Buyers, especially strategic buyers and private equity firms, do this professionally. Without experienced advisory, most sellers leave significant money on the table through suboptimal valuation, poor deal structure, and tax inefficiency. Our fee is typically a fraction of the additional value we help you capture.

What is the tax impact of selling my business?

It depends on the deal structure. An asset sale vs. stock sale has dramatically different tax implications for both parties. Earn-outs, installment sales, and rollover equity each have their own tax treatment. The difference between a well-structured sale and a poorly structured one can easily be six or seven figures in after-tax proceeds. Tax planning should begin 1–3 years before a planned sale.

How do you value a business for a potential sale?

We use a combination of income-based (EBITDA multiples, DCF analysis) and market-based (comparable transaction analysis) approaches. The right methodology depends on your industry, business model, and the likely buyer profile. We normalize your financial statements to reflect true owner earnings and identify value-enhancing changes you can make before going to market.

What size businesses do you work with?

We primarily work with businesses in the $500K to $20M revenue range — the small and mid-market segment that is too large for DIY transactions but too small for the major investment banks. This is the segment we know best and where our Fortune-500 financial background adds the most value relative to traditional business brokers.