For business owners

Thinking about selling your business?

For most owners this will be one of the largest financial transactions of their lifetime. Yet preparation usually begins only after the decision to exit has already been made — which is precisely when the options have narrowed.

Start with a free valuation Have a confidential conversation

The best time to prepare is before you are ready to sell

Ideally the process begins three to five years before you plan to sell. That additional time creates opportunities to increase profitability, reduce risk, strengthen the business, and ultimately improve both the value and the marketability of your company.

Start with a complimentary valuation

The first question most owners have is simple: what is my business worth?

We offer owners a complimentary, confidential valuation to establish a realistic understanding of the company's current market value. But today's number is only the beginning. The more useful half of the conversation is identifying the factors currently driving — or limiting — that value, and what can be done about them before you enter the market.

Small changes today, significant impact at closing

Buyers don't simply purchase revenue. They evaluate profitability, risk, growth potential, management depth, customer concentration, recurring revenue, systems, employees, capital requirements, and how dependent the company is on its current owner.

Preparing several years in advance gives you time to address that. Depending on the business:

Increasing revenue and improving margins
Identifying unnecessary or excessive expenses
Reducing customer or vendor concentration
Developing a stronger management team
Reducing dependence on the owner
Establishing documented processes and procedures
Improving financial reporting and recordkeeping
Building recurring or predictable revenue
Addressing equipment, facility or capital expenditure needs
Strengthening employee retention
Developing additional avenues for growth

We don't pretend to be the expert in every one of these areas. When specialised help is needed, we connect you with experienced professionals and industry resources who can assist.

The distinction that matters

Don't just build a more profitable business. Build a more valuable one.

Profitability is extremely important, but it isn't the only factor determining what a buyer will pay. Two businesses generating the same earnings can receive dramatically different valuations — because buyers also consider risk and transferability.

A business that operates effectively without constant involvement from its owner, has strong employees and systems, produces reliable financial information, and offers identifiable growth opportunities may be significantly more attractive than a business producing similar earnings but carrying greater risk.

Our goal is to help you look at your company through the eyes of a future buyer.

Can a buyer actually finance it?

A company can be profitable and successful and still be unnecessarily difficult to acquire. Years before a sale we can identify issues that would create obstacles during financing, due diligence or the transaction itself.

Who could buy your company?

Individual buyers · strategic buyers · existing business owners · search funds · family offices · private equity groups.

More qualified buyers creates greater competition for a desirable business — and that leads to stronger terms and a better outcome for the seller.

Three questions

Your exit strategy should begin years before your exit

You spent years — possibly decades — building your company. Give yourself the time to prepare for how you'll eventually leave it. Even if selling is several years away, a confidential conversation today answers three important questions.

What is my business worth today?

A realistic, current market range — not a rule of thumb.

What could it be worth in 3–5 years?

A different question, and usually a much larger number.

What should I do between now and then?

The one that pays for itself many times over.

Frequently asked

Questions sellers ask

What does a business valuation cost?

Nothing. The initial valuation and the consultation that goes with it are complimentary and confidential. It is how nearly every seller relationship here begins.

How long before a sale should I start preparing?

Ideally three to five years. That is enough time to improve profitability, reduce risk, build a management layer and clean up reporting — the changes that actually move the number a buyer will pay.

My business is small. Is it still worth talking?

Yes. The focus is companies worth roughly $2M to $50M, but a valuation is available to any owner looking for sound advice. If the right help sits elsewhere in the professional network, we will point you to it.

Will anyone find out my business is for sale?

Not from us. Listings are published as blind profiles with no company name or address, and buyer identity is qualified before an NDA is countersigned and details are released.

Go deeper

Reading for owners

Valuation

You don't need to be ready to sell to talk with an M&A advisor.

In fact, we'd prefer that you aren't. If you're considering a sale sometime in the next three to five years, start with a confidential conversation and a complimentary valuation.

Get my free valuation Ask a question first