Our Four Pillars Inside the Playbook Inside the Toolkit Pricing My Story FAQ Insights

Thinking about becoming a Business Broker?

Sierra Bay Academy gives prospective and new Business Brokers the practical knowledge, tools and support to understand the profession, get started, and become successful selling businesses for a living.

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Sierra Bay Academy

Or start with the free Business Broker Career Guide →

Who it's for

Sierra Bay Academy is for you if…

You're curious about it.

You heard this career exists and something clicked. Now you want an honest picture of what it really involves before deciding whether it could be right for you.

You're weighing it.

You’re considering a Business Broker position, buying into a franchise, or going out on your own, and you want to know what you’d actually be signing up for.

You're starting out.

You’ve taken the first steps toward becoming a Business Broker and want to understand what it really takes to build the skills, confidence, and credibility to be good at it.

Wherever you are today, get the full picture before you make a decision. Find out what it really takes to sell businesses for a living. And if becoming a Business Broker is the right move for you, get the practical know-how and the tools to start prepared.

The Academy

Four pillars with everything you need

The Business Broker Playbook
teaches you

The complete video course. Over 60 video lessons and exercises across 10 modules in three parts, taking you from understanding the profession and setting up your practice, to mastering the trade and closing your first deal. 

+ Click here to see what's inside.

The Business Broker Toolkit
equips you

Your complete brokerage operating system. Checklists, templates, valuation models, and reference guides, everything you need to run a professional practice from day one. 

+ Click here to see what's inside.

The Business Broker Roundtable
elevates you

Your live practice community. Weekly roundtable with Q&A, peer learning, and real deal problem-solving. Monthly challenges and practice exercises. 1:1 office hours available as an add-on.

The Business Broker Network
 resources you

A curated collection of trusted partners and providers including attorneys, SBA lenders, accountants, advisors, listing platforms, and a list of tools and services that support our work as business brokers.

My story

How I became a business broker

I spent most of my career in FinTech, working around the globe, until life threw me a curveball and I had to figure out how to make a living in the small town I lived in.

That's when I came across business brokerage and it sounded like a good fit. I had some support from a group when I started, but mostly I had to figure it out myself. There was no complete playbook handed to me.

It was a hard start. But by year six, I invoiced $700,000 in commissions in a single year.

Here's what matters more to me than the money: I control my own time. All I need is my laptop and my phone. I've taken month-long trips to Europe, and on a nice day I'll ride my bike to the beach at 2pm on a Tuesday. I'm not a digital nomad, I keep a home base, and most of my clients are local. But I've closed deals start to finish over Zoom, with people I never met in person.

It's an amazing job. And it is deeply satisfying to guide a business owner through one of the biggest decisions of their life. But make no mistake, it's a hard job, and most people underestimate just how hard.

I built this course to give you what I never had: an honest look at what it actually takes to become a business broker. The good, the hard, and the unglamorous truth, plus the material and the guidelines for what works and what doesn't.

40 businesses sold  ·  independent  ·  solo

The curriculum

Inside the Business Broker Playbook

47 lessons, three parts, one complete path, from curiosity to closing a deal.

Part 1  ·  Before You Start

Understand the profession and decide if it's for you.

Module 1 · The Business Brokerage Landscape
The industry, your local market, your entry options, and an overview of all the process steps in a deal.

Module 2 · Is This For You?
What a broker actually does, the money reality, the independence factor, and an honest self-assessment.

Module 3 · Setting Up Your Practice
Your legal foundation, getting paid, bookkeeping, working with a CPA, insurance, contracts, fees, tools, and your professional presence.

Part 2  ·  Be the Expert

Master the craft: buyers, sellers, valuation, and ethics.

Module 4 · Understanding Sellers
Who sellers are, seller psychology, qualifying a seller, and managing the relationship.

Module 5 · Understanding Buyers
Who buyers are, buyer psychology, qualifying a buyer, and managing the relationship.

Module 6 · Valuation Fundamentals
Value and comps, valuation basics, value drivers, and how to present a valuation.

Module 7 · Confidentiality, Ethics & Legal Basics
Confidentiality, ethics and representation, and protecting yourself legally.

Part 3  ·  Get to Work

Run a real deal, start to finish.

Module 8 · Finding Sellers
Where to find sellers, the first approach, staying top of mind, signing the client, and managing the active engagement.

Module 9 · Marketing the Business
Preparing to market, creating the materials, and getting the business in front of buyers.

Module 10 · From Offer to Closing
The pipeline, orchestrating the parties, deal terms and structure, the letter of intent, due diligence and financing, final agreements, and closing day.

The capstone

The Business Broker Playbook starts and ends with you. The final capstone is a self-assessment to see how far you've come, and make an honest, informed decision about your path forward.

Learn – Use – Join

Choose what fits

We support you in many ways. Choose what fits your needs and come back when you're ready for more.

The Business Broker Playbook *

$399

learn the trade

The complete video course. From opening your practice to closing a deal. Start here to understand the profession and master the skills.

1-month access
* Start here! Subsequently you can join the Business Broker Roundtable

Get the Playbook

The Business Broker Toolkit

$499

equip yourself

Over 50 templates, checklists, valuation models, reference guides and samples that support your professional practice. Editable files. Download and keep forever.

1-month access


Get the Toolkit

The Business Broker Roundtable

$175*/mo

together is better

Your live community with weekly Roundtables. Includes the Toolkit, continued access to the Playbook, and a Partner Network

* 6-month minimum commitment
or $1,750 for a full year 
Only available after completed Playbook

Invitation only

Not sure yet?

On the fence? Let's talk.

If you're not sure whether this is what you need, book a free consultation.No pressure, no pitch. Just an honest conversation to help you decide.

Book a free consultation

In their words

Testimonials

The Business Broker Playbook is an exceptionally practical and honest program. It explains what the profession really demands, then reinforces the lessons through realistic exercises, financial analysis, role-play conversations, and deal scenarios. Students finish with far more than an overview. They gain a clear understanding of the work and a solid foundation for getting started.

ChatGPT

After reviewing all Sierra Bay Academy content

This is the most honest guide to business brokerage I've come across. It refuses to sell a dream and instead tells the truth about the money, the long waits, and the deals that fall apart. It teaches judgment over scripts, and puts the human side of every deal at the center. The real-world stories make the lessons impossible to forget, and the whole thing simply rings true.

Claude

After reviewing all Sierra Bay Academy content

This is a passion project built from my real-life experience as a Business Broker. The videos are unscripted and intentionally straightforward, with the focus on sharing what I know clearly and honestly. The Toolkit and exercises turn those lessons into something practical, so students can apply the concepts, practice real situations, and leave with more than theory.

Regina Fisher

Founder and Producer

Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

First things first

What's your next step?

Want a quick, honest introduction to the profession first? Download the free Business Broker Career Guide for a practical look what Business brokering is really like. 

Request the Free Career Guide

From the field

Insights

Silver Tsunami

A demographic wave is coming: millions of business owners are approaching retirement, but many have no succession or exit plan. The result may be more sellers than buyers in some markets. Preparing early could make all the difference.

Read the full article →

Why Deals Fall Apart

The hardest part of selling a business is often not finding a buyer, it's getting to the closing table. Most failed deals unravel during due diligence, when assumptions are tested and weaknesses come to light. The more prepared a seller is, the fewer surprises there are.

Read the full article →

SBA 7(a) Lending Rules

Many small business acquisitions depend on SBA financing, but the rules are more nuanced than most owners realize. Understanding eligibility, equity requirements, and deal structure can help sellers avoid surprises and keep transactions moving.

Read the full article →

Business Valuations Are Not Rules of Thumb

There is no magic multiple that determines what a business is worth. Valuation is based on assumptions about future earnings, risk, growth, owner dependence, and market conditions. The same profits can justify very different values depending on the business and the buyer's perspective.

Read the full article →

Provided with support from Sierra Bay Partners.