Texas Association of Business Brokers

What Texas Association of Business Brokers does

The Texas Association of Business Brokers (TABB), incorporated as TABB, Inc. and operating as a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association, was founded in 1979 in Houston, Texas and is headquartered at 909 Lake Carolyn Parkway, Suite 320, Irving, TX 75039. It is the oldest business broker trade association in the United States. TABB serves a two-sided membership composed of (i) business brokers who represent buyers and sellers in private business transactions and (ii) affiliate professionals — bankers, accountants, attorneys, financial planners, exit planners, tax professionals, and insurance specialists — who provide services to the brokerage community. Members are organized into five chapters across Texas: Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio.

TABB's product portfolio centers on professional certification, education, and standardization. The flagship is the Board Certified Broker (BCB) program — established in 1985 as the first formal business broker designation in the U.S. — now operated in parallel with the International Business Brokers Association's (IBBA) Certified Business Intermediary (CBI) credential under a 1988 educational partnership. The association also distributes over 10 standardized legal forms (including Listing and Services Agreements, NDAs, and Letters of Intent), runs periodic educational courses on valuation and M&A, hosts monthly chapter meetings and an annual state conference (scheduled for 2026 at Lakeway Resort & Spa, September 17-19), and maintains a searchable online membership directory via the MemberLeap platform. There is no disclosed proprietary technology product, API, or AI capability; the operational stack is membership-management software plus content and events.

The revenue model is a mix of recurring subscription and event-sponsorship streams. Broker membership dues are $525/year (first broker at a company, including IBBA membership) and $375/year (additional brokers at the same company), with affiliate membership at $250/year (IBBA membership extra), each subject to a one-time $100 administrative fee. BCB candidacy carries a $50 annual fee plus course and exam fees through IBBA. Conference and event revenue is pay-as-you-go: member tickets range $375-$575, non-member tickets $450-$650, pre-conference courses $150-$299, and exhibitor/sponsorship packages range $750 (Hole Sponsor) up to $7,500 (Gold Sponsor). The association is volunteer-governed by an annually elected nine-member Board of Directors and operates with 1-10 staff; financial results are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Texas Association of Business Brokers

Legal name

TABB, Inc.

Website

https://tabb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Texas Association of Business Brokers (TABB) is the oldest U.S. business broker trade association, serving brokers and affiliate professionals across five Texas chapters with the BCB certification, standardized legal forms, educational courses, and an annual conference.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Trade Association Services

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Business Sale / Business Brokerage Referrals (FSAEAMAG), B2B Channel Partners & Referral Agencies (Cross-Industry Referral) (FSAEAMAN)

Keywords

• Business broker association
• Trade association membership
• Professional certification programs
• Business brokerage education
• Mergers and acquisitions training

Headquarters

HQ city

Irving

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Business Broker Membership Dues: Annual membership dues for business brokers: $525 per year for the first broker from a company (company level), $375 per year for additional brokers (associate level), plus a one-time $100 administrative fee. Includes IBBA membership.
2. Affiliate Membership Dues: Annual dues for affiliate members providing products/services to business brokers: $250 per year plus $100 administrative fee. Does not include IBBA membership (additional $175).
3. BCB Certification Fees: BCB certification candidacy requires a $50 annual fee. Additional fees apply for IBBA courses and CBI exam applications.
4. Conference and Event Tickets: Annual convention tickets priced at $375-$575 for members and $450-$650 for non-members depending on registration period. Pre-conference course fees: $150-$175 for TABB courses, $199-$299 for IBGA courses.
5. Conference Sponsorship and Exhibitor Fees: Corporate sponsorship tiers range from $750 (Hole Sponsor) to $7,500 (Gold Sponsor) for the annual conference. Exhibitor booths available for $1,000. Specialty sponsorships (Band, Photo Booth, Casino Table) at $1,000-$2,000. Golf sponsorship at $3,500 for Title Golf Sponsor.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Texas Association of Business Brokers (TABB) is a non-profit trade association that provides professional membership services, the Board Certified Broker (BCB) certification program, standardized legal forms, educational courses on business valuation and M&A, and an annual conference for business brokers and affiliated professionals in Texas. Founded in 1979, TABB is the oldest business broker trade association in the United States, operating chapters in Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio.

Product overview

The Texas Association of Business Brokers (TABB) operates as a trade association offering a portfolio of professional services to the business brokerage industry. The core offerings include the Board Certified Broker (BCB) certification program developed in partnership with IBBA, standardized legal forms for business transactions (over 10 forms including listing agreements and NDAs), educational courses on business valuation and M&A, and an annual convention. The association also provides a membership directory, chapter-based networking events, and the OIH-TABB Partners program connecting members with service providers. TABB is governed as a volunteer association and does not offer a technology product with API, integrations, or AI capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Board Certified Broker (BCB) Program Professional certification program for business brokers that awards the BCB designation to members who complete required coursework, pass examinations, and meet continuing education standards. Developed in conjunction with the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA), with parallel recognition to IBBA's Certified Business Intermediary (CBI) designation.
• Standardized Legal Forms Over 10 standardized legal forms developed for Texas business brokers including Business Listing and Services Agreement, Buyer's Confidentiality and Warranty Agreement, NDA, and Letter of Intent. Forms are available to members in the 'Members Only' section of the website.
• Educational Courses

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• International Business Brokers Association (IBBA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1988TABB offered its educational program to IBBA in 1988. Both organizations now have parallel educational programs - TABB's BCB certification and IBBA's CBI designation. Most courses are recognized for credit towards both designations. TABB members achieving BCB certification who are also IBBA members automatically receive the CBI designation.
• OIH-TABB PartnersminorOthersOIH (Operations Intelligence Hub) partnership directory listing 16 member businesses including Lion Business Advisors, Melting Point Systems LLC, Macon Valley Professional Services, The Tylas Group, Gateway Business Sales, JuleHouse Partners Inc, The SBA King, Sunbelt Business Brokers, Transworld Business Advisors, Certified Business Brokers, TruView Business Advisors, and others.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Florida Business Brokers Association: Florida's state business broker trade association, comparable to TABB in offering member education, certification, and events for SMB M&A intermediaries. Geographic peer used to benchmark state-level association engagement and dues structures.
• Midwest Business Brokers Association: Multi-state regional trade association for business brokers in the U.S. Midwest. Analogous to TABB as a state/regional association providing education, networking, and standard forms for SMB brokerage intermediaries.
• California Association of Business Brokers: A long-standing state-level business broker trade association modeled similarly to TABB — providing certification, standard forms, and chapter-based member services. Direct analog operating in California rather than Texas, useful as a peer for state-association scale and program design.

Emerging players

• Transworld Business Advisors: Top-ranked business brokerage franchise serving the SMB M&A market nationwide, with a strong Texas presence. Several of its advisors and franchisees appear as TABB OIH Partners, making it a community overlap peer rather than a strict competitor.
• Sunbelt Business Brokers (network): Large business brokerage network operating across multiple U.S. regions including Texas. Listed among TABB OIH Partners; comparable in that many of its affiliates are TABB members and participate in TABB's certification and forms programs.

Direct peers

• International Business Brokers Association (IBBA): National trade association for business brokers and M&A intermediaries. TABB's closest strategic partner since 1988, running parallel educational programs that award dual BCB/CBI designations and overlapping substantially in mission, audience, and certification curriculum.

Broad incumbents

• M&A Source: Industry association serving lower-middle-market M&A advisors and intermediaries across the U.S. Comparable in that it provides certification, education, and a code of ethics for the same business-brokerage persona, but it operates nationally and overlaps with TABB and IBBA rather than competing one-for-one in Texas.
• Association of Merger & Acquisition Advisors (AM&AA): Professional association for M&A advisors, intermediaries, and deal professionals with a CMEA designation. Comparable in providing credentials and education to the same intermediary persona that TABB serves, but with a broader mid-market M&A focus rather than SMB-only.
• American Business Brokers Association: National association offering business broker education, certification, and networking. Comparable to TABB in mission (advancing the business brokerage profession) and product set (membership, courses, designation), though it competes at a national rather than state level.

Others

• MemberLeap: Association management software (AMS) vendor whose platform TABB uses for membership, directory, events, and renewals. Not a competitive peer but an enabling infrastructure provider whose roadmap constrains TABB's ability to differentiate digitally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HoustonTABB
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/texas-association-of-business-brokers-tabb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

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 Texas Association of Business Brokers