Business Broker in La Jolla, CA

Selling or Buying a Business in La Jolla

La Jolla is one of San Diego's most affluent communities and sits beside one of the country's leading life sciences clusters. UC San Diego, Scripps Research, the Salk Institute, and the Torrey Pines biotech corridor support a deep base of research services, lab suppliers, and consulting firms, along with medical practices tied to the area's hospitals. The Village along Prospect Street and Girard Avenue is known for fine dining, galleries, and boutique retail.

La Jolla is part of the City of San Diego, and many residents own companies across San Diego County. Martin works with owners in the Village and throughout the region, running a confidential process that reaches strategic, private equity, and individual buyers.

As your La Jolla business broker, Martin handles businesses of every type and works with owners selling companies up to 50 million dollars. He handles every engagement himself and serves Los Angeles, Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange County, and throughout Southern California.

La Jolla Businesses Martin Sells

Martin is not limited to one niche. He represents owners across every sector, from main street to the lower middle market.

Life Sciences Services

Contract research, lab services, and consulting firms serving the Torrey Pines biotech corridor.

Medical and Specialty Practices

Specialty medical, dental, and aesthetic practices in La Jolla and University City.

Restaurants and Fine Dining

Destination restaurants and cafes in the Village and along Prospect Street.

Boutique Retail and Galleries

Galleries, jewelry, apparel, and specialty retail in the Village.

Professional and Financial Firms

Wealth management, legal, and accounting firms serving high net worth clients.

Hospitality and Tourism

Hospitality, tour, and visitor services businesses.

What Your La Jolla Business Is Worth

Most small and mid sized businesses are valued on Seller's Discretionary Earnings, or SDE, which is your net profit with the owner's salary, benefits, and one time or personal expenses added back. A market multiple, commonly 2x to 4x SDE for main street businesses, is adjusted for your lease, assets, growth, and how dependent the business is on you. Larger companies are valued on a multiple of EBITDA.

Life sciences service firms are valued on recurring client work, the quality of their scientific staff, and how much depends on a few large biotech customers. Medical practices depend on patient volume and associate providers. Village restaurants and shops are valued heavily on the lease, since prime space is limited. Martin builds the valuation on your actual numbers and recent comparable San Diego sales.

Licenses and Permits When You Sell in La Jolla

La Jolla is part of the City of San Diego and is in the Coastal Zone, so a sale follows City of San Diego, county, and state steps. Handling these steps early keeps the deal on schedule.

City of San Diego business tax certificate. The buyer registers for a new City of San Diego business tax certificate before taking over.

San Diego County health permit. Food businesses need a new health permit from the County of San Diego Department of Environmental Health and Quality in the buyer's name.

ABC alcohol license. Restaurants, bars, and markets transfer the state Alcoholic Beverage Control license through escrow, and the application is started early because ABC review can take weeks.

Coastal and community plan rules. Changes of use or signage in the La Jolla Village area can require coastal and community plan review, so a buyer planning changes confirms them early.

Lease assignment and bulk sale escrow. The landlord's consent to assign the lease is negotiated alongside a standard California bulk sale escrow with published notice to creditors.

Martin coordinates these steps with your escrow officer, your attorney, and the relevant agencies so nothing becomes a surprise at the closing table.

Example: a La Jolla contract research services firm with multi-year biotech clients and about 1 million dollars in EBITDA was marketed confidentially to strategic acquirers. Retention agreements for its lead scientists were a key part of the deal. This example is anonymized and illustrative.

Working With Martin Navarro

Martin Navarro is a La Jolla business broker and M&A advisor who handles the confidential sale and acquisition of businesses of every type, from main street through the lower middle market. He works every engagement personally.

Credentialed and accountable. California DRE salesperson license number 02372118, and a member of the California Association of Business Brokers, the International Business Brokers Association, M&A Source, and ACG Los Angeles.

Background that fits the work. U.S. Marine Corps veteran with dual California State University, Northridge degrees in Business Management and Accounting.

Aligned with you. No upfront fees. Martin is paid only when your business sells and the deal closes.

Regional coverage. Serving Los Angeles, Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange County, and throughout Southern California.

FAQ

La Jolla Business Broker, Common Questions

How much is my La Jolla business worth?

Most La Jolla businesses sell for roughly 2x to 4x Seller's Discretionary Earnings, and larger firms on a multiple of EBITDA.

Life sciences service firms with recurring clients and Village businesses with long leases often sell at the higher end. A valuation on your actual numbers is the only reliable answer.

What does a La Jolla business broker charge?

There are no upfront fees to work with Martin Navarro.

He is paid a success fee only when your La Jolla business sells and the deal closes.

How long does it take to sell a business in La Jolla?

Most sales take 6 to 12 months from engagement to closing.

Preparation runs 1 to 3 months, confidential marketing 3 to 6 months, and due diligence plus escrow another 60 to 90 days.

Can I sell my La Jolla business confidentially?

Yes. Martin markets your business without naming it and screens every buyer under a nondisclosure agreement before sharing details.

That protects your staff, customers, and competitors from learning of the sale before it closes.

What licenses transfer when I sell a business in La Jolla?

A sale usually involves a new City of San Diego business tax certificate, a new San Diego County health permit for food businesses, and transfer of any ABC alcohol license.

Martin coordinates each step with your escrow and attorney.

Do you sell all types of businesses in La Jolla?

Yes. Martin handles businesses of every type, from main street shops to lower middle market companies.

That includes retail, services, manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality, and franchises, with deals up to 50 million dollars.

What areas around La Jolla do you cover?

Martin serves La Jolla, Del Mar, Torrey Pines, University City, and Pacific Beach.

He also covers San Diego County along with Los Angeles, Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange County.