Martin Navarro is a Santa Paula business broker who helps owners across this Heritage Valley city confidentially buy and sell businesses of every type, from an agriculture or food company to a downtown retailer. Every engagement is handled personally, with no upfront fees.
Santa Paula is the heart of Ventura County's Heritage Valley, long known as the citrus capital of the world and still anchored by agriculture, packing, and food businesses. Its preserved historic downtown supports independent retail and restaurants, and the surrounding valley adds small manufacturing and service companies serving the agricultural economy along the SR 126 corridor.
As your Santa Paula business broker, Martin represents owners in the confidential sale and acquisition of companies of every type, from main street through the lower middle market up to 50 million dollars. He handles every engagement himself and serves Ventura County, Los Angeles County, and surrounding areas.
Martin is not limited to one niche. He represents owners across every sector, from main street to the lower middle market.
Growing, packing, and food businesses that define the Heritage Valley.
Small manufacturers and industrial suppliers serving the agricultural economy.
Independent retail and dining in the historic downtown.
HVAC, landscaping, and B2B service companies with recurring revenue.
Medical, dental, and professional firms serving the community.
Lodging and hospitality tied to the valley's growing visitor economy.
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.
A Santa Paula agriculture, food, or service business with clean financials, recurring customers, and an assignable lease tends to value at the higher end of its range, while an owner dependent operation will sit lower until responsibilities shift to a team. The right figure depends on your earnings, your lease, your industry, and how transferable the business is to a new owner. Two businesses with the same revenue can be worth very different amounts once those factors are weighed, which is why a real valuation beats any quick estimate. An online calculator cannot price your business. Martin gives you a realistic figure built on your actual numbers and recent comparable Santa Paula sales.
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.
A Santa Paula business sale involves city and county steps that owners often overlook until they slow down a closing. Handling them early keeps the deal on schedule.
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 Santa Paula food and packing business with about 900,000 dollars in Seller's Discretionary Earnings, established grower relationships, and a working manager attracted multiple qualified buyers once its financials were prepared and it was marketed confidentially. This example is anonymized and illustrative.
Martin Navarro is a Santa Paula 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.
Most Santa Paula businesses sell for roughly 2x to 4x Seller's Discretionary Earnings, with agriculture and food businesses often valued on assets and recurring contracts.
A professional valuation on your actual numbers and recent local comparables is the only reliable answer.
There are no upfront fees to work with Martin Navarro.
He is paid a success fee only when your business sells and the deal closes.
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.
Yes. Martin markets your business without naming it and screens every buyer under a nondisclosure agreement.
That protects your employees, customers, and suppliers from learning of the sale before it closes.
A sale usually involves a new city business license, a reissued Ventura County health permit for food businesses, and transfer of any ABC alcohol license.
Martin coordinates each step with your escrow and attorney.
Yes. Martin handles businesses of every type, from main street shops to lower middle market companies.
That includes retail, services, manufacturing, agriculture, hospitality, and franchises.
Martin serves Santa Paula and nearby Fillmore, Ventura, and Ojai, plus the wider county.
He represents both buyers and sellers across Ventura County, Los Angeles County, and surrounding areas.
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.