The Best Businesses for Sale Aren’t Listed Anywhere
If you’re only searching for businesses on BizBuySell, BusinessBroker.net, and other public marketplaces, you’re competing with thousands of other buyers for the same deals. The prices are bid up, the sellers have leverage, and the truly exceptional opportunities? They never make it to those sites in the first place.
Off-market acquisitions — deals sourced through direct outreach, relationships, and creative networking — represent some of the best opportunities in business buying. These are businesses where the owner hasn’t formally listed, the competition is minimal, and the buyer who builds the relationship first gets the deal.
At GoSBA Loans, we’ve helped finance hundreds of acquisitions, and a significant portion of the best deals we’ve seen — funded as part of our $320M+ in 2025 — came through off-market channels. Here’s how you can find them too.
Why Off-Market Deals Are Often Better
There are several structural reasons why off-market deals tend to offer better value:
- Less competition: When a business is listed publicly, dozens or hundreds of buyers see it. Off-market, you might be the only buyer at the table.
- More motivated sellers: An owner who responds to your direct outreach may have been thinking about selling but hasn’t taken action. They’re often more flexible on terms.
- Better pricing: Without the competitive bidding that comes with public listings, off-market deals are frequently priced more reasonably.
- Relationship-driven negotiations: When you’ve built a direct relationship with the seller, negotiations tend to be more collaborative than adversarial.
- No broker fees inflating the price: Some off-market deals don’t involve a broker, which can mean a lower total transaction cost.
- Businesses that aren’t “packaged” for sale: Listed businesses often have their financials dressed up to look their best. Off-market businesses present as they are — warts and all — which can actually be an advantage for a savvy buyer.
Strategy 1: Direct Outreach to Business Owners
The most proactive way to find off-market deals is to go directly to business owners. This takes effort, but the reward is access to deals nobody else is seeing.
Direct Mail Campaigns
Physical letters still work — maybe better than ever, because so few people do it. Here’s how to approach it:
- Identify your target: Choose a specific industry, geography, and business size range
- Build your list: Use databases like Dun & Bradstreet, Reference USA (available free at many libraries), or state business registries
- Write a compelling letter: Be professional, specific, and genuine. Mention why you’re interested in their industry and what you bring to the table
- Include your credentials: If you have industry experience, financing pre-qualification, or a track record, mention it
- Follow up: One letter is rarely enough. Plan a 3-touch campaign over 2-3 months
- Expect a 1-3% response rate: That means for every 100 letters, you might get 1-3 conversations. Send enough to build a pipeline.
Cold Calling
Calling business owners directly is uncomfortable for most people, which is exactly why it works — very few buyers do it.
- Have a script, but sound natural: “Hi, I’m [name], and I’m looking to acquire a [industry] business in [area]. I’m not a broker or salesperson — I’m a buyer with financing in place. If you’ve ever considered selling, I’d love to have a conversation.”
- Call at the right time: Avoid Monday mornings and Friday afternoons. Mid-week, mid-morning tends to work best.
- Be respectful of their time: If they say no, thank them and move on. But ask: “Do you know anyone in the industry who might be considering selling?”
- Track everything: Log every call, every response, every follow-up needed
Email Outreach
Less personal than letters or calls, but more scalable:
- Use a professional email address (not gmail)
- Keep it short — 3-4 sentences maximum for the first touch
- Personalize each email (mention their specific business)
- Follow up 2-3 times at weekly intervals
Strategy 2: Working with Business Brokers for Pocket Listings
Business brokers are the gatekeepers to a huge number of deals, and not all of them make it to public listings. “Pocket listings” are deals that brokers know about but haven’t formally marketed yet — or deals where the seller wants to keep the sale confidential.
How to Access Pocket Listings
- Build relationships with 5-10 brokers in your target market and industry. Meet them in person if possible.
- Be a credible buyer: Brokers prioritize buyers who can actually close. Having SBA pre-qualification from a firm like GoSBA makes you stand out immediately.
- Communicate your criteria clearly: Give brokers a specific, written summary of what you’re looking for. Make it easy for them to match you with opportunities.
- Stay in regular contact: Touch base monthly, even if they don’t have anything. When a pocket listing surfaces, you want to be top of mind.
- Be responsive: When a broker sends you a deal, respond within 24 hours. Slow buyers get dropped from the list.
Why Brokers Share Pocket Listings
Brokers make money when deals close. If they have a qualified, pre-approved buyer who responds quickly, they’re incentivized to bring you deals before they hit the market. Your job is to be that buyer.
Strategy 3: Industry Associations and Trade Shows
Every industry has associations, conferences, and trade shows. These are goldmines for off-market deal sourcing.
- Join the association: Become a member of the relevant industry trade group. Attend meetings, volunteer for committees, get known.
- Attend trade shows: Walk the floor. Talk to exhibitors. Many business owners attend these events, and some are quietly thinking about their exit.
- Network at industry dinners and events: The bar at the conference hotel is where half the deals happen. Show up. Be present.
- Subscribe to industry publications: Watch for businesses being covered in trade magazines. If an owner is nearing retirement age or the business is facing succession challenges, it might be an acquisition target.
Strategy 4: Professional Referral Networks
Some of the best off-market deal flow comes from professionals who serve business owners:
- CPAs and accountants: They know which clients are thinking about selling, retiring, or dealing with health issues that might force a sale
- Business attorneys: They handle succession planning and often know about businesses that will be coming to market
- Financial advisors: They help business owners plan for retirement, and selling the business is often part of that plan
- Insurance agents: They have deep relationships with business owners and hear about life changes that trigger sales
- Commercial real estate agents: If a business owner is letting their lease expire or selling their property, a business sale may be coming
Build relationships with these professionals. Let them know you’re a serious, funded buyer. Offer a referral fee where legally appropriate. When one of their clients is ready to sell, you want your phone to ring.
Strategy 5: Online Communities and Digital Networking
The digital world offers its own off-market channels:
- LinkedIn: Connect with business owners in your target industry. Engage with their content. Build a relationship before making any acquisition conversation.
- Industry-specific forums and Facebook groups: Many industries have active online communities where owners discuss challenges, retirement, and exits.
- SearchFunder and acquisition entrepreneur communities: These platforms connect buyers and sometimes surface off-market opportunities.
- Local business groups: Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, BNI — anywhere business owners gather.
Strategy 6: Build a Reputation as a Buyer
The most powerful off-market strategy isn’t a technique — it’s a reputation. When people in your target industry know you’re a serious, funded buyer who treats sellers fairly, deals come to you.
- Be visible: Attend events, join groups, write about your acquisition journey
- Be credible: Have your financing lined up and be ready to move quickly
- Be professional: Respond promptly, follow through on commitments, treat every interaction with respect
- Be patient: Building a reputation takes time. The deals start flowing after 6-12 months of consistent effort.
GoSBA Finances Off-Market Deals the Same as Listed Ones
One concern buyers have about off-market acquisitions is whether they’ll be harder to finance. The answer is simple: no.
GoSBA finances off-market deals using the same SBA loan programs as any other acquisition. What matters to lenders is:
- The business financials: Revenue, cash flow, and profitability
- The buyer’s qualifications: Experience, creditworthiness, and equity injection
- The deal structure: Purchase price, terms, and seller involvement in transition
Whether you found the business on BizBuySell or through a cold call to the owner, the SBA underwriting process is identical. And with GoSBA’s 50+ lender network, we’ll match your off-market deal with the right lender regardless of industry, geography, or deal size.
What GoSBA Brings to Off-Market Deals
- Pre-qualification letters: When you approach an owner directly, having proof of financing makes you credible. GoSBA provides pre-qualification so sellers take you seriously.
- Free business plan and projections: Off-market deals often require more buyer preparation since there’s no broker packaging the deal. GoSBA prepares your business plan and financial projections — a $2,500-$5,000 value — at no cost to you.
- Deal structuring expertise: Without a broker involved, you may need more guidance on structuring the purchase agreement, seller notes, and transition terms. Our team has seen hundreds of deal structures and can advise on what works.
- 100% free service: GoSBA is compensated by the lending institution, not by you. Our expertise costs you nothing.
Your Off-Market Acquisition Action Plan
- Get pre-qualified with GoSBA — Before you make a single call or send a single letter, know your buying power
- Define your target — Industry, geography, size, and owner profile
- Launch 2-3 sourcing strategies simultaneously — Direct mail + broker relationships + industry networking
- Build your pipeline — Track every conversation, every lead, every follow-up
- Move fast when opportunity strikes — Off-market sellers are often testing the waters. A slow buyer loses the deal.
- Let GoSBA handle the financing — Focus your energy on finding and evaluating deals. We’ll handle matching you with the right lender and preparing your loan package.
Start Finding Off-Market Deals Today
The best business acquisitions aren’t found — they’re created through relationships, effort, and preparation. While other buyers fight over the same public listings, you can be building direct relationships with business owners who are ready to sell to the right buyer.
GoSBA is here to make sure financing is never the bottleneck. With our 50+ lender network, free business plan preparation, and $320M+ in funded deals, we’ll ensure that when you find the right off-market opportunity, you can close it.
Our service is 100% free to you — always.
👉 Contact GoSBA today to get pre-qualified and start sourcing off-market deals with confidence.
