CHICAGO, Oct. 25, 2026: For most owners, selling the business is the biggest financial moment of their life. It is decades of early mornings, payroll and hard calls, handed to a stranger. Too often, that moment runs on forwarded emails and wire instructions nobody can verify. Biz Checkout, a Chicago marketplace for buying and selling small businesses, was built so that never has to happen.

Most small business sales still run on email threads, scattered PDFs and wire instructions from people the buyer has never met. Biz Checkout puts the whole sale in one Checkout. The NDA, the offer, the documents, escrow and the closing all happen in the same place, so nothing gets lost between inboxes.

Sellers list their business free and pay no commission to Biz Checkout. Their financials stay behind an NDA, so only buyers who sign can see the numbers. Buyers browse free, and people on the platform are identity checked. Many buyers keep proof of funds on file, which helps sellers spend time on serious conversations.

The platform is built for the deals that often get overlooked: the neighborhood deli, the auto service shop, the accounting practice whose owner is ready to retire. Listings on the site today include businesses across Illinois, from Chicago to Makanda.

Biz Checkout also includes tools buyers and sellers can use before a deal starts. Free tools include an Exit Value estimate and an Exit Readiness Score for owners thinking about selling. BizFacts reports, starting at $49, let buyers check a business's registration, liens, litigation, bankruptcies, tax standing and watchlist hits. DealBrain helps buyers plan a purchase with little or $0 of their own money, with financing through capital partner Murr Capital.

Advisors, including brokers, attorneys and CPAs, can join the vendor directory so buyers and sellers who need help can find them.

"I keep thinking about the owner who gave 30 years to a shop and then has to trust a stranger's email to get paid for it. That's backwards," said Desmond Murray Jr., founder and CEO of Biz Checkout. "You earned the right to know who's on the other side of the table, to keep your numbers private until they've signed, and to close somewhere safe. Listing is free because every owner deserves a real shot at a clean exit, not just the ones who can afford a big commission."

Biz Checkout is available at bizcheckout.com and as a mobile app on the App Store and Google Play.

How it works:
Sellers create a free listing and keep financials behind an NDA.
Buyers browse free, sign the NDA and review documents in one Checkout.
Offers, escrow and closing happen in the same place.

Biz Checkout was founded in 2025 and is based in Chicago. The company has a team of six.

About Biz Checkout
Biz Checkout is a marketplace for buying and selling small businesses, operated by 12 Million Ventures Inc. and based in Chicago. Sellers list free with no commission, buyers browse free, and deals close in one place, from NDA to escrow. Buyers can run BizFacts reports starting at $49 and use DealBrain to plan a purchase with little or $0 of their own money, with financing through capital partner Murr Capital. Biz Checkout was founded in 2025 by Desmond Murray Jr. Learn more at bizcheckout.com or download the app on the App Store and Google Play.

Media contact
Press Team, Biz Checkout
[email protected]