Doreen Morgan

Doreen Morgan

Doreen Morgan is the owner and managing broker of Sunbelt Business Brokers – Atlanta, where she has spent two decades guiding Main Street and lower-middle-market business owners through successful sales valued from $750K to $75 M. A proven dealmaker, Doreen has personally closed 300-plus transactions since 2005 across B2B services, heavy construction, healthcare, franchising, manufacturing, specialty distribution, and technology. Before acquiring Sunbelt Atlanta in 2015, she sharpened her M&A expertise at an international investment bank and on the corporate sell-side for a global QSR franchise group.

Recent posts by Doreen Morgan

6 min read

Market Comparables Guide: Pricing Your Business Accurately (2025)

By Doreen Morgan on Sep 18, 2025 2:59:33 PM

When you're ready to sell your business, the most critical decision you face is setting the initial price. As a sophisticated business owner in the Consideration stage, you know an emotional estimate won't work. An overpriced business sits on the market, gathering dust, while an underpriced one leaves money on the table.

The Market Approach, specifically using market comparables (comps), offers a data-driven path to determine your company's market value based on similar transactions in your sector. This method is essential for establishing fair market value and preparing for tough negotiations. Our 2025 update focuses on the advanced data sourcing and normalization techniques necessary to derive a highly accurate valuation multiple from today’s fragmented and fast-moving private markets.

5 min read

How to Lead a Successful Post-Merger Integration: Key Steps & Tips

By Doreen Morgan on Sep 17, 2025 2:55:09 PM

For new business owners and acquirers, the post-acquisition phase is where your investment either delivers value or collapses under confusion, cultural clashes, and operational missteps. According to Harvard Business Review, up to 90% of M&A deals underperform due to ineffective integration processes.

If you're stepping into leadership, you need a clear post-merger integration (PMI) plan that aligns people, systems, and processes fast. This guide delivers a practical framework for buyers at the decision stage to use from Day 1 through the first 100 days, built to protect the deal thesis and accelerate value creation.

20 min read

Sell Your Business Fast: Strategies to Get It Done Quickly

By Doreen Morgan on Sep 9, 2025 7:15:00 AM

Selling a business is one of the biggest decisions you’ll ever make as an entrepreneur. The good news? With the right strategy, tools, and mindset, it’s possible to complete a sale in as little as six months—without sacrificing value or making avoidable mistakes.

Topics: Selling a Business Quickly
18 min read

Selling an Insurance Agency: What Every Owner Should Know

By Doreen Morgan on Sep 9, 2025 6:30:00 AM

Are you thinking it’s time to sell your insurance agency, or simply curious about how to value an insurance entity before making any major moves? This in-depth guide covers everything from the initial evaluation process to identifying your potential buyers. Whether you’re an agency owner or just exploring your options, we’ll walk you through how to determine the value of your agency so you can make the best possible decision. Don’t just sell—learn how to maximize the value of your insurance agency. By the end, you’ll know exactly how to position your business in a way that attracts the right buyer at the most favorable sale price.

Topics: Insurance Agency for Sale
10 min read

How to Sell Your Roofing Business in 2025: Tips to Maximize Value

By Doreen Morgan on Sep 8, 2025 7:15:00 AM

How to Sell a Roofing Company: An Updated Guide for 2025

Selling a roofing company can be a complex process, but it can also be highly rewarding if done correctly. Whether you're considering retirement, transitioning to a new industry, or simply ready to capitalize on your years of effort, understanding how to sell a roofing company is essential. Roofing businesses make up a significant part of the broader construction industry, which in the U.S. is valued at over $1.7 trillion annually. The U.S. roofing market alone is projected to grow from $24.8 billion in 2025 to over $33 billion by 2030, reflecting strong, sustained demand.

6 min read

How to Manage Multiple Buyer Offers When Selling a Business

By Doreen Morgan on Jul 28, 2025 3:48:18 PM

Receiving multiple offers from buyers often signals strong demand. It can put sellers in a favorable position, but it also introduces complexity. Every potential buyer comes with different priorities, timelines, financing terms, and expectations. What may begin as encouraging momentum can quickly shift into confusion if the process isn’t managed carefully.

As multiple offers come in, buyers may request unique conditions, push for contingencies, or challenge your level of commitment. Without a structured approach, sellers risk losing control of the process, delaying the timeline, or weakening their negotiating power. Market interest continues to grow, with small business acquisitions increasing 10% year-over-year in Q1 2024, according to the BizBuySell Insight Report.

In this guide, you'll learn how to handle multiple offers with discipline and structure. From evaluating hard and soft terms to maintaining control over negotiations, the goal is to help you make informed choices, so your final deal aligns with both the value of your business and your future plans.

TL;DR:

Sellers receiving multiple buyer offers must stay structured to avoid missteps. This guide explains how to handle multiple offers with clarity, assess each buyer's intent, and manage the sale process confidently from start to close. You'll also learn how a business broker can help you manage competing buyers without losing momentum or focus.

16 min read

Legal Agreements in a Business Sale: What Every Entrepreneur Must Know Before Signing

By Doreen Morgan on Jul 28, 2025 12:48:33 PM

A handshake doesn’t seal a business sale—contracts do. And if those contracts are vague or incomplete, the deal you thought was secure can quickly unravel. Yet, 70% of business sales fall apart during due diligence, often due to legal oversights, financial discrepancies, or disputes over contract terms. Whether you’re selling or buying a business, a well-structured legal agreement can mean the difference between a smooth transition and costly disputes.

5 min read

Private Equity vs. Traditional Lenders: Which M&A Financing Option Fits Your Deal?

By Doreen Morgan on Jul 18, 2025 3:57:23 PM

The structure of an M&A deal often hinges on how it's financed, and in 2025, that choice matters more than ever. In the first half of the year, a PwC Pulse Survey showed that global M&A volumes dropped by 9% compared to the same period in 2024, while deal values increased by 15%, signaling a market shift toward higher-value, strategically financed transactions. Your financing choice shapes the deal structure, influences post-close control, impacts how fast the acquired business can scale, and determines long-term outcomes for both buyer and investors.

With multiple capital sources available, it's essential to understand how private equity, traditional bank loans, and private credit each operate, along with their implications for control, cost, and flexibility. This guide breaks down the key differences, benefits, and tradeoffs to help you fund your next acquisition with strategic clarity.

TL;DR:

Your financing structure drives deal outcomes. This guide breaks down private equity, bank loans, and private credit to help you finance your next M&A with confidence. Learn how each option impacts control, cost, and post-close growth, so you can make the smartest capital decision for your deal.