Georgia Business Associates

What Georgia Business Associates does

Georgia Business Associates, Inc. (also doing business as Georgia Business Brokers / GBB) is a privately held business brokerage and M&A advisory firm founded in 1979 and headquartered in the metro Atlanta area (Roswell, Georgia). The firm operates as a confidential intermediary serving business owners who want to sell, buyers seeking acquisitions, and companies exploring mergers or valuations, primarily in the Georgia and broader Southeast U.S. market.

The firm offers four core service lines: Business Sales Services (valuation, marketing program development, confidential business review preparation, buyer screening and pre-qualification), Acquisitions Services (confidential target searches matched to buyer criteria), Mergers Services (guidance for business combinations), and Valuations Services (pricing studies, operational reviews, industry research, and sales package preparation). Business listings range from $35,000 to $4,550,000, placing the firm in the lower mid-market and SMB segment. The underlying technology stack is described as standard brokerage operations and valuation methodologies, with no proprietary platform, AI tooling, mobile app, or API integrations disclosed.

Georgia Business Associates earns revenue on a commission basis through transaction fees paid upon successful completion of business sales, mergers, or acquisitions; no pricing is publicly disclosed. The company distributes listings across multiple online marketplaces (BizBuySell, BizMLS, BizQuest, BSBX, FirstList, MergerPlace) and participates in industry associations including the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA), Georgia Association of Business Brokers (GABB), M&A Source, and the Institute of Business Appraisers. Leadership consists of two principals: Henry L. Hicks (President, CBI, BCB, CPA, Fellow of IBBA) and Joe C. Liang (Broker, former Fortune 100 executive). The firm is independently owned with no institutional investment, no parent company, and no subsidiaries.

Name

Georgia Business Associates

Legal name

Georgia Business Associates, Inc.

Website

https://gabusinessbrokers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Georgia Business Associates is a privately held business brokerage and M&A advisory firm founded in 1979 in metro Atlanta, providing sale, acquisition, merger, and valuation intermediary services to lower mid-market and SMB business owners and buyers across Georgia and the Southeast.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Brokerage Services

NAICS

Miscellaneous Intermediation (523910)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Main Street Business Brokerage (SMB/Owner-Operated) (FSAEAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Buy-Side Search & Acquisition Advisory (FSAEAIAD), M&A Advisory (Buy-Side & Sell-Side) (BPAHAOAA), Buy-Side M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAB)

Keywords

• Business brokerage services
• Merger and acquisition advisory
• Business valuation services
• Business sales intermediation
• Acquisition search services

Headquarters

HQ city

Roswell

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Business Brokerage and M&A Services: Commission-based fees earned upon successful completion of business sales, mergers, and acquisitions. Services include business valuation, pricing studies, confidential business reviews, and promotional materials for sales packages.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Georgia Business Associates is a business brokerage and M&A advisory firm providing intermediary services for business owners who want to sell their companies and for buyers seeking acquisitions. The firm offers business sales services, acquisition target searches, merger guidance, and business valuations, primarily to small and mid-sized businesses across the Atlanta and Georgia market.

Product overview

Georgia Business Associates operates as a business brokerage and M&A advisory firm providing merger and acquisition, business broker, and valuation services primarily to Atlanta and Georgia-based businesses. The company offers four core service lines: Business Sales Services (intermediary services for sellers including valuation, marketing, and buyer pre-qualification), Acquisitions Services (target searches for buyers matching specific requirements), Mergers Services (guidance for business combinations), and Valuations Services (business evaluations and confidential reviews). The emphasis is on creating an in-depth understanding of the selling and buying process while providing confidential, fact-based decision-making data.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• M&A Source: Division of IBBA that promotes members' professional development to better serve the needs of the middle market client.

Segments2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• International Business Brokers Association (IBBA)coreOthersProfessional membership organization with over 1,600 members from 22 countries. Henry Hicks served as Chairman of the Board of Directors, Treasurer, and Director, and was awarded Fellow of IBBA recognition.
• Georgia Association of Business Brokers (GABB)coreOthersThe only professional association in Georgia dedicated to business brokerage and M&A markets. Henry Hicks is a member of the Million Dollar Club of GABB and was instrumental in establishing the GABB multiple listing service.
• M&A SourcecoreOthersDivision of IBBA that promotes professional development for middle market M&A professionals.
• Institute of Business AppraiserssupportingOthersProfessional organization supporting business valuation professionals.
• Atlanta Board of Commercial RealtorssupportingOthersProfessional commercial real estate association providing networking resources.
• FirstListsupportingOthersBusiness brokerage listing and networking resource platform.
• MergerPlacesupportingOthersM&A marketplace and networking platform connecting brokers and dealmakers.
• BizBuySellsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline business-for-sale marketplace where Georgia Business Associates lists businesses for sale.
• BizForSellsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBusiness brokerage listing platform.
• BizMLSsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMultiple listing service for business brokers.
• BizQuestsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline business-for-sale marketplace.
• BSBXsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBusiness brokerage marketplace platform.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Murphy Business Sales: Murphy Business is a national business brokerage and M&A firm focused on SMB transactions. Like Georgia Business Associates, it provides sell-side representation, business valuations, and buy-side search across regional markets with a commission-based model.
• Worldwide Business Brokers: Worldwide Business Brokers provides sell-side business brokerage and M&A services focused on small and mid-sized companies. Its target customer and service model are highly comparable to Georgia Business Associates.
• Morgan & Westfield: Morgan & Westfield is a nationwide business brokerage and M&A advisory firm focused on SMB and lower-mid-market transactions, offering sell-side representation, valuations, and exit planning—closely mirroring Georgia Business Associates' service set.
• First Choice Business Brokers: First Choice Business Brokers is a regional and national business brokerage firm providing business sales, acquisitions, and valuation services to SMBs. It offers overlapping services and competes for similar Georgia and Southeast mandates.
• Sunbelt Business Brokers: Sunbelt is one of the largest business brokerage networks in North America, serving SMB owners and buyers across regional markets with the same Main Street / lower-mid-market focus, commission-based model, and intermediary services as Georgia Business Associates.
• VR Business Brokers: VR Business Brokers is a national SMB-focused business brokerage network with regional intermediaries providing sell-side and buy-side services. Its scale, training, and MLS infrastructure directly compete for the same Georgia and Southeast mandates.
• Transworld Business Advisors: Transworld is a global business brokerage franchise offering M&A advisory, franchise sales, and business brokerage services. It targets the same Main Street and lower-mid-market clients and competes for similar mandates through a multi-office franchise structure.

Emerging players

• MidStreet: MidStreet is a tech-enabled business brokerage platform targeting Main Street and mid-market deals, blending traditional intermediaries with digital deal-sourcing tools. It competes with Georgia Business Associates for the same owner-operator clients but with a more scalable, platform-driven model.
• Axial: Axial is a digital deal-making platform connecting lower-mid-market M&A buyers, sellers, and advisors. It represents a tech-enabled, marketplace-based approach to deal sourcing that competes with traditional brokers like Georgia Business Associates for the same client segment.

Broad incumbents

• Houlihan Lokey: Houlihan Lokey is a global investment bank with a mid-market M&A advisory practice. While it operates at a much larger scale and complexity, it competes for the upper end of Georgia Business Associates' deal range and shares the same fundamental M&A advisory role.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/georgia-business-associates-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Georgia Business Associates