{"id":11906,"date":"2026-01-23T14:09:02","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T14:09:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/?p=11906"},"modified":"2026-01-23T14:09:44","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T14:09:44","slug":"how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\/","title":{"rendered":"How Business Owners Should Handle &#038; Screen Unsolicited Offers to Buy Their Business"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>A Practical, Experience-Based Guide to Protecting Value and Avoiding Costly Mistakes<\/h2>\n<p>You\u2019re not actively selling your business\u2014yet suddenly your phone rings.<br \/>\nYour inbox fills up. A letter arrives saying someone wants to buy your company. You start to think is it a golden opportunity? A waste of time? Or something worse, an information grab that could quietly hurt your business?<\/p>\n<p>Unsolicited offers to buy businesses are more common than ever. Some are legitimate. Most are not. And <strong>how you handle the first interaction often determines whether value is protected or lost before a deal ever forms.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This guide breaks down <em>why unsolicited offers are increasing, how to identify who\u2019s really behind them, the biggest mistakes owners make, and a step-by-step framework for handling them professionally. Even if you\u2019re not \u201cfor sale.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Why Unsolicited Offers Are Increasing<\/h2>\n<p>Over the last several years, inbound buyer interest has surged across Main Street and the lower middle market. The drivers are structural not temporary.<\/p>\n<h3>Key Forces Fueling Outreach<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Private equity dry powder<\/strong> chasing deployable deals. Capital is available at an all-time high and needs to be invested.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Search funds and ETA buyers<\/strong> actively sourcing off-market opportunities.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Aggregators and roll-ups<\/strong> targeting fragmented industries to scale and add to platform companies.<\/li>\n<li><strong>AI-driven scraping and mass outreach<\/strong> automating cold emails and letters. Marketing has never been easier for some groups.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Aging owner demographics<\/strong>, especially in trades, healthcare, and services. The ever-present silver tsunami has been talked about for decades. That attention has been amplified in recent years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The important reframe for business owners is this:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Interest does not equal value.<\/strong> An email is not an offer. Curiosity buyers are not capital buyers.<\/p>\n<p>Most inbound inquiries are expressions of curiosity, not commitment.<\/p>\n<h2>Types of Unsolicited Buyers: Know Who You\u2019re Dealing With<\/h2>\n<p>Not all unsolicited buyers are created equal. Identifying who is contacting you matters more than what they say. It will also guide you on what questions to ask and items to be aware of.<\/p>\n<h3>1. Strategic Buyers<\/h3>\n<p>These include competitors, suppliers, or customers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pros:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Often serious<\/li>\n<li>Potential synergies<\/li>\n<li>Can justify higher valuations<\/li>\n<li>Understand your industry<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Risks:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Extremely information-hungry<\/li>\n<li>High confidentiality risk if discussions go sideways<\/li>\n<li>Could be fishing for competitive advantages or proprietary information<\/li>\n<li>Scouting for new markets, employees and skilled labor to lure away<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Strategic buyers must be handled with discipline or they\u2019ll extract insight without paying for it.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Financial Buyers<\/h3>\n<p>Private equity firms, family offices, and funded search groups.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Characteristics:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Vague early conversation but, more sophisticated than the average outreach.<\/li>\n<li>More focused on structure than headline price. They have their target metrics for EBITDA, industry and deal killers. You\u2019ll know pretty quick.<\/li>\n<li>Most have committed capital (watch out for 1-man operations posing as equity groups with uncommitted funds)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>3. Individual \/ ETA Buyers<\/h3>\n<p>First-time buyers looking for an owner-operated acquisition.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Traits:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Heavy on questions<\/li>\n<li>Light on capital<\/li>\n<li>Typically SBA-dependent<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Cons:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Often overly aggressive and optimistic<\/li>\n<li>Have never done a deal, can get in over their heads fast<\/li>\n<li>Know enough from having a white-collar background to be savvy but don\u2019t understand lower middle market and main street businesses at their core.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These buyers can close but only with proper screening and lender alignment. Often, they don\u2019t have these two factors in step before reaching out.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Tire-Kickers &amp; Data Miners<\/h3>\n<p>Consultants, brokers fishing for listings, or \u201cinvestors\u201d without buying capacity.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Red flags:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Disappear after financials<\/li>\n<li>Avoid discussing capital<\/li>\n<li>Request detailed data immediately<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Their real goal is information not acquisition. If the first question for information in I need taxes, P&amp;L\u2019s and financial statements for the last 3 years and you\u2019ve barely spoke or met in person, watch out. They\u2019re \u201ccash flow chasing\u201d and don\u2019t do deals.<\/p>\n<h2>The Biggest Mistakes Business Owners Make<\/h2>\n<h3>Mistake #1: Giving Information Too Early<\/h3>\n<p>Sharing revenue, EBITDA, customer lists, or operational details before:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>An NDA is signed<\/li>\n<li>Buyer capability is verified<\/li>\n<li>Any proprietary information or strategies<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Casual phone calls feel harmless but they erode leverage and increase competitive risk. Do not share without proper documentation. Our experts have NDA\u2019s in place to protect you. If you need help, speak to a professional at Sunbelt.<\/p>\n<h3>Mistake #2: Treating It Like a Compliment Instead of a Process<\/h3>\n<p>Many owners react emotionally:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSomeone wants my business!\u201d \u201cI was hoping this day would come\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That excitement often replaces discipline. Deals don\u2019t die from lack of interest\u2014they die from lack of structure. Don\u2019t let emotion blind your judgement. That\u2019s where a good broker tampers expectations and guides the process from the beginning to end correctly.<\/p>\n<h3>Mistake #3: Letting the Buyer Control the Timeline<\/h3>\n<p>Endless calls.<br \/>\nNo defined next steps.<br \/>\nNo proof of seriousness.<\/p>\n<p>Before long, the owner becomes the buyer\u2019s free consultant. It\u2019s true. If the buyer is driving the car and never done it before or is a veteran buyer, don\u2019t let them drive you around aimlessly.<\/p>\n<h3>Mistake #4: Taking Any Offer at Face Value<\/h3>\n<p>Please, never take a verbal offer for what it is. Even written offers often contain:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Ambiguous language, doesn\u2019t guide the transaction<\/li>\n<li>Financing contingencies that don\u2019t meet reasonable timelines or clear execution standards<\/li>\n<li>Future repricing mechanisms<\/li>\n<li>Deal structure calculations you need to fully understand.<\/li>\n<li>For smaller deals, bad language or inappropriate language can kill funding before the deal even gets started. If the buyer is using SBA, you need a broker who understands how those deals need to be crafted.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Never assume the first number presented equals real value or that it will survive diligence. Savy buyers will build layers to their offers\/LOI\u2019s to allow for unnecessary renegotiation. Be prepared. Get expert advice before this stage if you haven\u2019t already.<\/p>\n<h3>Mistake #5: Confusing Price with Net Proceeds<\/h3>\n<p>Headline price ignores:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Seller notes<\/li>\n<li>Earn-outs<\/li>\n<li>Rollovers<\/li>\n<li>Taxes<\/li>\n<li>Post-close obligations<\/li>\n<li>Deal Structure \u2013 Stock vs Asset Sale<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Structure\u2014not price\u2014determines what you actually walk away with. The price on the page is not the price you finish with in the disbursement statement at close. This is crucial to know before committing.<\/p>\n<h2>Step-by-Step: How Owners Should Handle an Unsolicited Offer<\/h2>\n<h3>Step 1: Pause\u2014Don\u2019t React<\/h3>\n<p>No urgency.<br \/>\nNo disclosure.<br \/>\nThank them and slow the conversation.<\/p>\n<p>Speed benefits buyers, not sellers. Don\u2019t let you deal die but not responding timely. Do, however, act emotionally and too quick.<\/p>\n<h3>Step 2: Ask High-Level Qualifying Questions<\/h3>\n<p>Before any thing is shared:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What type of buyer are you?<\/li>\n<li>Have you acquired businesses before?<\/li>\n<li>How are acquisitions typically financed?<\/li>\n<li>Where is the capital coming from\u2014and is it committed?<\/li>\n<li>What size businesses are you targeting?<\/li>\n<li>Why are you qualified to own this business?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Real buyers answer clearly. Pretenders deflect and disappear.<\/p>\n<h3>Step 3: NDA First\u2014Always<\/h3>\n<p>Before sharing:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Financials<\/li>\n<li>Customer information<\/li>\n<li>Employee details<\/li>\n<li>Really anything to be fair.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Use a <strong>seller-friendly NDA<\/strong>, not theirs. Be sure it\u2019s enforceable and has recourse.<\/p>\n<h3>Step 4: Force Structure Early<\/h3>\n<p>Clarify:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cash vs financing<\/li>\n<li>Seller involvement post-close<\/li>\n<li>Expected timelines<\/li>\n<li>Decision-maker authority<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Ambiguity kills leverage. Make sure the buyer knows this is not a place or deal to waste your time. Ensure this buyer has the time and ability to get a deal done. A lone searcher with a fulltime job has less available time vs a private equity group or funded searcher.<\/p>\n<h2>How to Screen Buyers Without Killing Interest<\/h2>\n<p>Professional buyers respect professional process.<\/p>\n<h3>Screening Checklist<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Capital source identified<\/li>\n<li>Decision authority confirmed<\/li>\n<li>Deal size aligned<\/li>\n<li>Real timeline established<\/li>\n<li>Advisors involved<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Red Flags to Watch For<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;We\u2019ll figure financing out later\u201d \u2013 Get it in writing asap.<\/li>\n<li>Refusal to sign an NDA or provided financial capacity to preform<\/li>\n<li>Wanting to speak to the employees or customers early on<\/li>\n<li>Avoiding valuation discussions<\/li>\n<li>Excessive early data requests<\/li>\n<li>No prior closing history \u2013 doesn\u2019t mean they can\u2019t or won\u2019t get a deal done. But it\u2019s ever easy your first time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Walking away early is often the best deal you\u2019ll ever make. Don\u2019t waste months and even possibly a year waiting around and being dragged through the mud for a deal that will never happen.<\/p>\n<h2>Should You Bring in a Broker Even If You Didn\u2019t List?<\/h2>\n<p>Yes-often.<\/p>\n<h3>When a Broker Adds Immediate Value<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Screening buyer seriousness<\/li>\n<li>Controlling information flow<\/li>\n<li>Running a quiet market test<\/li>\n<li>Creating competitive tension<\/li>\n<li>Translating headline price into real value<\/li>\n<li>Proper deal structure<\/li>\n<li>Additional team contacts: Lawyers, CPA\u2019s, etc with business transaction experience<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Key insight:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>The buyer found you but that doesn\u2019t mean they deserve exclusivity. Be weary of clauses that tie you up with unclear timelines and inability to go to market later on if needed.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Unsolicited interest can be leveraged, not surrendered.<\/p>\n<h2>What Unsolicited Offers Can Actually Be Good For<\/h2>\n<p>Handled correctly, inbound interest can:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Validate market demand<\/li>\n<li>Benchmark valuation (within reason)<\/li>\n<li>Reveal exit readiness gaps<\/li>\n<li>Identify likely acquirers<\/li>\n<li>Strengthen future sale positioning<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You don\u2019t need to sell today to benefit from acting like a seller. Often it makes you look at your own processes and spot flaws. This gives you time to structure, correct and prepare to maximize your exit.<\/p>\n<h3>Final Takeaways<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Every unsolicited buyer is unproven<\/li>\n<li>Information is leverage<\/li>\n<li>Process protects value<\/li>\n<li>Get the dang NDA signed!!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Handled correctly, unsolicited offers can become opportunity. Handled casually, they become risk.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0If you\u2019re selling, buying, or advising in this space \u2014 now is the time to get serious.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Steps To Sold Podcast Episode 37: Unsolicited Offers\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xvfZkZBd2yY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>In this episode, we go deeper on:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Actionable tips,<\/li>\n<li>Real-world stories<\/li>\n<li>A deeper breakdown of the topics covered above<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Follow the Steps to Sold Podcast on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/showcase\/steps-to-sold-podcast\/?viewAsMember=true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">LinkedIn<\/a> , listen the Steps to Sold Podcast on <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/episode\/2Im0x04R9YUorcpUGSAVXJ?si=TJEtOCmARA20_dZk0dgVzw&amp;nd=1&amp;dlsi=adde926cf1e24798\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Spotify<\/a>. Connect with Brandon Bourgeois on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/brandon-bourgeois-5360aa54\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">LinkedIn<\/a> and Chris Sater on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/chris-sater-622932125\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">LinkedIn<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Practical, Experience-Based Guide to Protecting Value and Avoiding Costly Mistakes You\u2019re not actively selling your business\u2014yet suddenly your phone rings. Your inbox fills up. A letter arrives saying someone wants to buy your company. You start to think is it a golden opportunity? A waste of time? Or something worse, an information grab that [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4188,"featured_media":11911,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11906","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-buying-a-business"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How Business Owners Should Handle &amp; Screen Unsolicited Offers to Buy Their Business | Sunbelt Business Brokers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Unsolicited offers can be both a golden opportunity and a costly risk. Learn how to protect your business&#039;s value with a practical, experience-based guide to handling inbound buyer interest. Identify real buyers, avoid common mistakes, and implement a structured process to safeguard your business.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Business Owners Should Handle &amp; Screen Unsolicited Offers to Buy Their Business | Sunbelt Business Brokers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Unsolicited offers can be both a golden opportunity and a costly risk. Learn how to protect your business&#039;s value with a practical, experience-based guide to handling inbound buyer interest. Identify real buyers, avoid common mistakes, and implement a structured process to safeguard your business.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sunbelt of Baton Rouge\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-23T14:09:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-23T14:09:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/how-business-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers-featured-image.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"536\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Brandon Bourgeois\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Unsolicited offers can be both a golden opportunity and a costly risk. Learn how to protect your business&#039;s value with a practical, experience-based guide to handling inbound buyer interest. Identify real buyers, avoid common mistakes, and implement a structured process to safeguard your business.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Brandon Bourgeois\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\\\/baton-rouge-la\\\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\\\/baton-rouge-la\\\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Brandon Bourgeois\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\\\/baton-rouge-la\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/64b71acde32aee5dce674f4baf2b1fcc\"},\"headline\":\"How Business Owners Should Handle &#038; Screen Unsolicited Offers to Buy Their Business\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-23T14:09:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-23T14:09:44+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\\\/baton-rouge-la\\\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1614,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\\\/baton-rouge-la\\\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\\\/baton-rouge-la\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/15\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/how-business-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers-featured-image.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Buying A Business\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\\\/baton-rouge-la\\\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\\\/baton-rouge-la\\\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\\\/baton-rouge-la\\\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\\\/\",\"name\":\"How Business Owners Should Handle & Screen Unsolicited Offers to Buy Their Business | Sunbelt Business Brokers\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\\\/baton-rouge-la\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\\\/baton-rouge-la\\\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\\\/baton-rouge-la\\\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\\\/baton-rouge-la\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/15\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/how-business-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers-featured-image.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-23T14:09:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-23T14:09:44+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\\\/baton-rouge-la\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/64b71acde32aee5dce674f4baf2b1fcc\"},\"description\":\"Unsolicited offers can be both a golden opportunity and a costly risk. Learn how to protect your business's value with a practical, experience-based guide to handling inbound buyer interest. Identify real buyers, avoid common mistakes, and implement a structured process to safeguard your business.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\\\/baton-rouge-la\\\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\\\/baton-rouge-la\\\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\\\/baton-rouge-la\\\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\\\/baton-rouge-la\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/15\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/how-business-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers-featured-image.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\\\/baton-rouge-la\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/15\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/how-business-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers-featured-image.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":536,\"caption\":\"group of team members having business meeting\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\\\/baton-rouge-la\\\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\\\/baton-rouge-la\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How Business Owners Should Handle &#038; Screen Unsolicited Offers to Buy Their Business\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\\\/baton-rouge-la\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\\\/baton-rouge-la\\\/\",\"name\":\"Sunbelt of Baton Rouge\",\"description\":\"We Sell More Businesses than Anyone in the World.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\\\/baton-rouge-la\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\\\/baton-rouge-la\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/64b71acde32aee5dce674f4baf2b1fcc\",\"name\":\"Brandon Bourgeois\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/aab2e07314073900f365f1311abe5f9454238868acf5689803eb21eb281dadfd?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/aab2e07314073900f365f1311abe5f9454238868acf5689803eb21eb281dadfd?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/aab2e07314073900f365f1311abe5f9454238868acf5689803eb21eb281dadfd?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Brandon Bourgeois\"},\"description\":\"Brandon A. Bourgeois is the Senior Vice President of the Baton Rouge, Louisiana office. He has been born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and is a graduate of Louisiana State University with a Bachelors of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. Brandon has grown up around the business working for his father Bob Bourgeois the owner. During that time he worked mostly several administrative jobs while he was attending LSU. Brandon came on board as a broker in May of 2012 and is now the licensed Louisiana real estate broker for the company and it\u2019s agents in Louisiana, Florida and Mississippi. Brandon is energetic and enjoys helping bring buyers and sellers of businesses together and helping clients invest in a good business or new franchise that fit the client\u2019s personality and desires. If you are looking to buy a good business for sale or of the mindset it is time to sell my business, let Brandon put his talent to work for you.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/brandon-bourgeois-5360aa54\\\/\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How Business Owners Should Handle & Screen Unsolicited Offers to Buy Their Business | Sunbelt Business Brokers","description":"Unsolicited offers can be both a golden opportunity and a costly risk. Learn how to protect your business's value with a practical, experience-based guide to handling inbound buyer interest. Identify real buyers, avoid common mistakes, and implement a structured process to safeguard your business.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How Business Owners Should Handle & Screen Unsolicited Offers to Buy Their Business | Sunbelt Business Brokers","og_description":"Unsolicited offers can be both a golden opportunity and a costly risk. Learn how to protect your business's value with a practical, experience-based guide to handling inbound buyer interest. Identify real buyers, avoid common mistakes, and implement a structured process to safeguard your business.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\/","og_site_name":"Sunbelt of Baton Rouge","article_published_time":"2026-01-23T14:09:02+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-01-23T14:09:44+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":536,"url":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/how-business-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers-featured-image.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Brandon Bourgeois","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_description":"Unsolicited offers can be both a golden opportunity and a costly risk. Learn how to protect your business's value with a practical, experience-based guide to handling inbound buyer interest. Identify real buyers, avoid common mistakes, and implement a structured process to safeguard your business.","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Brandon Bourgeois","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\/"},"author":{"name":"Brandon Bourgeois","@id":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/#\/schema\/person\/64b71acde32aee5dce674f4baf2b1fcc"},"headline":"How Business Owners Should Handle &#038; Screen Unsolicited Offers to Buy Their Business","datePublished":"2026-01-23T14:09:02+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-23T14:09:44+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\/"},"wordCount":1614,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/how-business-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers-featured-image.jpg","articleSection":["Buying A Business"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\/","url":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\/","name":"How Business Owners Should Handle & Screen Unsolicited Offers to Buy Their Business | Sunbelt Business Brokers","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/how-business-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers-featured-image.jpg","datePublished":"2026-01-23T14:09:02+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-23T14:09:44+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/#\/schema\/person\/64b71acde32aee5dce674f4baf2b1fcc"},"description":"Unsolicited offers can be both a golden opportunity and a costly risk. Learn how to protect your business's value with a practical, experience-based guide to handling inbound buyer interest. Identify real buyers, avoid common mistakes, and implement a structured process to safeguard your business.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/how-business-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers-featured-image.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/how-business-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers-featured-image.jpg","width":1024,"height":536,"caption":"group of team members having business meeting"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/how-owners-should-handle-screen-unsolicited-offers\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How Business Owners Should Handle &#038; Screen Unsolicited Offers to Buy Their Business"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/","name":"Sunbelt of Baton Rouge","description":"We Sell More Businesses than Anyone in the World.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/#\/schema\/person\/64b71acde32aee5dce674f4baf2b1fcc","name":"Brandon Bourgeois","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/aab2e07314073900f365f1311abe5f9454238868acf5689803eb21eb281dadfd?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/aab2e07314073900f365f1311abe5f9454238868acf5689803eb21eb281dadfd?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/aab2e07314073900f365f1311abe5f9454238868acf5689803eb21eb281dadfd?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Brandon Bourgeois"},"description":"Brandon A. Bourgeois is the Senior Vice President of the Baton Rouge, Louisiana office. He has been born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and is a graduate of Louisiana State University with a Bachelors of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. Brandon has grown up around the business working for his father Bob Bourgeois the owner. During that time he worked mostly several administrative jobs while he was attending LSU. Brandon came on board as a broker in May of 2012 and is now the licensed Louisiana real estate broker for the company and it\u2019s agents in Louisiana, Florida and Mississippi. Brandon is energetic and enjoys helping bring buyers and sellers of businesses together and helping clients invest in a good business or new franchise that fit the client\u2019s personality and desires. If you are looking to buy a good business for sale or of the mindset it is time to sell my business, let Brandon put his talent to work for you.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/brandon-bourgeois-5360aa54\/"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11906","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4188"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11906"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11906\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11910,"href":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11906\/revisions\/11910"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11911"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11906"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11906"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sunbeltnetwork.com\/baton-rouge-la\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11906"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}