Sell-Side M&A Advisory  |  Northeast Ohio

Sell your business with experienced guidance, on your terms.

FFBA guides Northeast Ohio owners through every stage of a sale — valuation, preparation, confidential marketing, negotiation, and closing.

Schedule a Confidential Consultation →Know what it's worth →
The process

Preparation makes the difference.

Start with a conversation →
  • 01

    Valuation

    What the business is worth today, and which items a buyer will discount.

  • 02

    Preparation

    Clean numbers, clear records, and the answers a buyer will ask for before they ask.

  • 03

    Confidential marketing

    A vetted buyer list approached directly — no listing sites, no word reaching your crew or customers.

  • 04

    Negotiation

    Price is one line of the deal. We negotiate the rest — terms, structure, and what happens to your people.

  • 05

    Closing

    We hold the schedule and manage the lenders and lawyers so you can keep running the company.

The difference

What sets our
advisory apart.

More of the value stays with you

Our fee is structured around performance, so a greater share of the sale remains in your hands.

Prepared for diligence

We organize documentation and diligence before a buyer asks for it, so momentum never stalls at the point deals usually do.

Senior advisors, start to finish

You work directly with our principals from the first conversation through closing — never handed off once the engagement begins.

Our community

Committed to the Northeast Ohio business community.

FFBA is actively involved in the region's business community. Ben Calkins co-founded the Center for Free Enterprise, which supports the growth, education, and successful transition of business owners across the Cleveland area.

Learn more about the Center for Free Enterprise  →
Your advisor

Ben Calkins

Ben Calkins

Founding Partner

“After forty years of sell-side deals, I've never met an owner who regretted preparing early. I've met many who wished they had.”

Ben Calkins  ·  Founding Partner

Ben Calkins has advised on hundreds of M&A transactions across the Great Lakes region over four decades. He leads every FFBA engagement personally, from first conversation through closing.

Credentials & recognition

40+ years

of Ohio M&A practice

AV Preeminent

Martindale-Hubbell rating

Super Lawyer

Named in multiple years

Marquis Award

Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement
Co-founder

Center for Free Enterprise

Co-founder

North Coast Angel Fund

Former President

Ohio Venture Association

Co-founder

Martindale-Hubbell Client Distinction

Start here

Know what your business is worth.

A Broker Opinion of Value is a thorough, no-cost assessment of your company's value today — and what could increase it before you go to market. Whether you plan to sell this year or several years from now, it's the right first step.

No obligation  ·  No fee
I'm Buying a Business →I'm Selling a Business →

Contact Us

Ready to discuss your business transition strategy with our experts.

Email Us

hello@fastforwardba.com
Replies within one business day.

Visit Our Office

7160 Chagrin Road, Suite 155Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
By appointment, Mon–Fri.

Call Us

440-750-2319
Mon–Fri, 8am–6pm ET.