What kinds of business owners do you work with?

We focus on privately owned, lower middle-market companies that are preparing for an exit or founder transition. Typically, our clients are business owners who:

• seek to monetize their life’s work while preserving the team and culture they have built;

• want to ensure a smooth handoff to new ownership;

• need strategic guidance and transaction execution support;

• may also wish to retain partial interest, roll equity, or structure a recapitalization.

We tailor our services to businesses of varying sizes and industries, always with attention to your goals and specific circumstances.

What is the process for selling my business (or executing an exit)?

While each transaction is unique, our standard process generally follows these key phases:

a. Preparation & Planning
b. Valuation & Marketing Materials
c. Buyer Identification & Outreach
d. Negotiation & Structuring
e. Due Diligence & Closing

What determines the value of my business, and what can I do to improve it?

Value is influenced by both quantitative and qualitative factors. Key value drivers often include:

• Earnings, cash flows, and growth trends

• Business stability (customer diversity, contracts, supplier strength)

• Recurring or predictable revenue streams

• Intellectual property, proprietary assets, and competitive advantages

• Management depth and the ability to run without the owner’s direct involvement

• Market positioning, scalability, and growth potential

• Operational efficiency and margins

• Risk profile (legal, regulatory, concentration, cyclicality)

To improve value pre-sale, we frequently advise clients to:

• Clean up financials, ensure accounting discipline, and normalize adjustments

• Strengthen or document systems, processes, metrics, and dashboards

• Formalize roles, responsibilities, and management succession

• Diversify customers or reduce concentration risks

• Resolve outstanding liabilities, disputes, or contingent obligations

• Focus on growth initiatives or synergies that buyers will value

Our role is to help you identify “value gaps,” prioritize improvements, and execute a plan before going to market.

How are your fees structured?

Our fee structure is designed to align our interests with yours. Typically:

• There is a modest upfront (or retainer) fee to cover our analysis and marketing preparation.

• The majority of our compensation is a success fee (a percentage of the transaction value) paid only if and when the deal closes.

• All fees, costs, and timing of payment are disclosed transparently in our engagement agreement, so there are no surprises.

Because our fees are tied to your success, our incentives are highly aligned.

How do you maintain confidentiality during the process?

Confidentiality is fundamental in M&A, especially for privately held companies. Here’s how we protect it:

• All buyer outreach is done discreetly, often under NDA, without revealing your company identity until a later stage.

• We use “blind teasers” and anonymized descriptions in early stages, only revealing full details to serious, qualified buyers.

• We control information flow and vet potential buyers before granting deeper access.

• Internal communications plans and stakeholder management are carefully designed to limit leaks or staff-based speculation.

• We act as a buffer between you and buyers to keep you insulated from unnecessary disruption.

You maintain control over who sees what, and we safeguard the process every step of the way.