Business Broker

Business Broker in Pacific Palisades, CA

Martin Navarro is a Pacific Palisades business broker who helps local owners understand what their business is worth and what their options are, and helps Palisades residents who own companies across Los Angeles plan a confidential exit. Every engagement is handled personally, with no upfront fees.

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California DRE #02372118 CABB · IBBA · M&A Source Deals Up to $50M No Upfront Fees

Serving Pacific Palisades

Selling or Buying a Business in Pacific Palisades

Pacific Palisades is an affluent coastal neighborhood of the City of Los Angeles. Its village business district along Sunset Boulevard, Swarthmore Avenue, and Antioch Street was home to restaurants, cafes, boutiques, salons, fitness studios, and professional offices serving a close-knit community. The January 2025 Palisades Fire destroyed much of the community and many of its businesses, and owners are working through very different paths: rebuilding, reopening nearby, or deciding it is time to sell.

The Palisades is also home to a large number of business owners whose companies operate elsewhere, in entertainment, real estate, finance, healthcare, and consumer brands. Whether you owned a village business or run a company across the city, Martin can give you a confidential view of value and your options, to review with your insurance, tax, and legal advisors. There is no cost and no pressure.

As your Pacific Palisades 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.

Every Type of Business

Pacific Palisades Businesses Martin Sells

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

Restaurants and Cafes

Village restaurants and cafes, including owners deciding whether to reopen, relocate, or sell.

Boutique Retail

Apparel, gift, and specialty retail that served the Palisades community.

Fitness and Wellness

Boutique fitness, yoga, pilates, and wellness studios with membership bases.

Professional Practices

Real estate, financial, legal, and medical practices serving Westside clients.

Owner-Held Operating Companies

Entertainment, consumer brand, and services companies owned by Palisades residents.

Contractors and Rebuild Services

Construction, design, and home service businesses with demand from rebuilding.

What Your Pacific Palisades 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.

For businesses affected by the fire, value is built from earnings before the disruption, what can realistically continue, customer relationships, equipment, and the status of the lease or location. Insurance and business interruption proceeds are handled separately. For companies owned by Palisades residents, the usual drivers apply: recurring revenue, a management team, and clean financials. Martin works from your actual records and coordinates with your advisors.

Want a quick estimate first? Use the free business valuation tool, then read how to sell a business and the documents you need to sell a business.

Licenses and Permits When You Sell in Pacific Palisades

Pacific Palisades is part of the City of Los Angeles and is in the California Coastal Zone, so a sale follows city, county, and state steps. Handling these steps early keeps the deal on schedule.

City of Los Angeles business tax registration. Because this area is inside the City of Los Angeles, the buyer registers for a new Business Tax Registration Certificate with the Office of Finance.
Los Angeles County health permit. Food, beauty, and wellness businesses need their Los Angeles County Department of Public Health permit reissued to the new owner, usually after an inspection.
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.
Rebuilding and coastal permits. Rebuilding and changes of use run through City of Los Angeles building and planning, and some properties also need coastal development review. A buyer needs a clear picture of permit status.
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 Palisades fitness studio that lost its location kept a loyal membership base by moving classes to a temporary space. Documenting membership retention and a new lease option allowed the owner to sell the business confidentially to a buyer planning to expand it. This example is anonymized and illustrative.

Working With Martin Navarro

Martin Navarro is a Pacific Palisades 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

Pacific Palisades Business Broker, Common Questions

How much is my Pacific Palisades business worth?

Most small businesses sell for about 2x to 3.5x Seller's Discretionary Earnings in normal conditions, and larger companies on a multiple of EBITDA.

For businesses affected by the fire, the valuation also accounts for recovery status, customer retention, and the lease or location. Martin gives you a confidential range at no cost.

What does a Pacific Palisades business broker charge?

There are no upfront fees to work with Martin Navarro.

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

How long does it take to sell a business in Pacific Palisades?

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 Pacific Palisades 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 Pacific Palisades?

Because the Palisades is in the City of Los Angeles, the buyer registers for a new Business Tax Registration Certificate, plus a reissued county health permit for food businesses and transfer of any ABC license.

Rebuilding and coastal permits may also apply. Martin coordinates each step with your escrow and attorney.

Do you sell all types of businesses in Pacific Palisades?

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 Pacific Palisades do you cover?

Martin serves Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Santa Monica, Malibu, and Topanga.

He also covers Los Angeles, Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange County, and throughout Southern California.

Want to know your options?

Get a confidential, no obligation consultation. Martin will tell you what your business is worth and what a sale could look like. The first conversation is always free.

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