Sean Murphy, MBA

📊 Q2 2025 Market Pulse: Small Business Sales The latest data is in. Here’s what buyers and sellers need to know about small business deal activity right now 🧵 (Source: @BizBuySell)

@jack One of my businesses has been using Square for 2-3 years now. We have had issues processing interac refunds for 6+ months now. Over that time, my team has spent 40+ hours trying to resolve the issue with your support team, to no avail. No solutions have been offered. Anytime the issue is escalated, we are told a ticket is created in the system and we will receive a response within 24-48 hours - we never hear back. We are ready to leave the platform at this point, if a solution cannot be found. We can't run a retail business without being able to process Interac refunds. How do we speak to someone who can actually help us?

@Square One of my businesses has been using Square for 2-3 years now. We have had issues processing interac refunds for 6+ months now. Over that time, my team has spent 40+ hours trying to resolve the issue with your support team, to no avail. No solutions have been offered. Anytime the issue is escalated, we are told a ticket is created in the system and we will receive a response within 24-48 hours - we never hear back. We are ready to leave the platform at this point, if a solution cannot be found. We can't run a retail business without being able to process Interac refunds.

“Working on a deal” sounds exciting until you have to explain what a working capital adjustment is. For the fifth time.

The real MVP of any deal? The receptionist who scans and emails 5 years of bank and credit card statements, invoices, tax returns, and whatever else that PE buyer requests. Special mention to the analyst who has to enter all that data into excel.

M&A advisory is 50% financial analysis, 50% therapy.

Beginner Blueprint: What is a Letter of Intent? murphyadvisory.ca/murphys-mu…

Reading an LOI right now. You can learn a lot about a buyer (or their lawyer) from their offer. A couple of red flags in this one... I'm guessing the buyer didn't write it.

Nothing tests your faith like waiting for wire transfers to hit on closing day.

No one warns you that “due diligence” is really just a scavenger hunt for documents the seller swears they’ve “definitely sent already.” I need an analyst...

Me: “This deal is basically done.” Also me, 92 days later: “So we’re back to the LOI stage…”

Seller: “I’ve decided not to sell.” Me, after 4 months of work: “Cool cool cool cool cool.”

LOIs are like dating. Everyone’s optimistic, charming, and full of potential… until the second date (aka due diligence).

@lawyer4SMBs Just watched your interview with Business Broker HQ. Really enjoyed the conversation!

I don’t drink during deals. I wait until they’re closed. Or dead. So… pretty much always drinking.

Serious Question: How do your posts on LinkedIn compare to what you share on X? I've ignored my LinkedIn account for too long. Thinking I need to get on that...

You've probably heard this before, but revenue is vanity, profit is sanity. Seen a couple of businesses lately that drove growth like crazy, but haven't figured out how to turn that into cash flow...