Garrett Costello

Introduction

I'm Garrett Costello, founder of Nexivus Business Advisors, LLC, a sell-side M&A advisory and business brokerage firm based in Houston, Texas, with active deal flow throughout the Pacific Northwest. I represent business owners — never buyers — and my job is singular: to get you the strongest possible outcome when you sell the company you've spent years building.

I specialize in home service and trades businesses generating $1M to $20M in revenue: HVAC, plumbing, electrical, paving, and related fields. These are businesses with real crews, real equipment, and real customer relationships — and they're valued very differently than a SaaS startup or a retail shop. Knowing the difference is what separates a clean, well-priced sale from a deal that stalls in diligence or leaves money on the table.

Most owners sell a business once. The buyers across the table — private equity groups, strategics, and seasoned operators — do this for a living. My role is to level that field. I manage the entire process so you can keep running your business while it's on the market: valuation and financial recasting, a professional Confidential Information Memorandum, confidential go-to-market, buyer qualification, negotiation, and coordination through due diligence and closing.

A few things I believe matter:

Confidentiality is non-negotiable. Your employees, customers, and competitors don't learn your business is for sale until a qualified buyer is under NDA and properly vetted.

Valuation has to hold up under scrutiny. I price businesses against real market multiples and SBA lending standards, not wishful thinking. A number that can't survive a buyer's quality-of-earnings review or a lender's underwriting isn't doing you any favors.

Preparation wins deals. The work done before a business hits the market — clean recasting, defensible add-backs, documented systems — is what protects value when buyers start asking hard questions.

Structure is where deals are won or lost. Headline price gets attention, but seller notes, earnouts, working capital pegs, and reps and warranties determine what you actually keep. I make sure those terms work in your favor.

If you're thinking about selling — this year or a few years out — the best time to start the conversation is before you need to. An early valuation and readiness review costs you nothing but a conversation and can add meaningful value to your eventual sale.

Let's talk about what your business is worth and what a successful exit could look like for you.