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Exit Planning & Sale Preparation

Selling Your Business

Don't Leave Money on the Table When You Sell

Selling your business is likely the biggest financial decision you'll ever make. With private equity experience and multiple successful exits, we know exactly what buyers look for—and what unprepared sellers leave behind.

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Every dollar of profit improvement multiplies at exit. Let's capture that value before you go to market.

The Math That Changes Everything

Your business sells for a multiple of earnings. At a 5x multiple, every $100K in profit improvement adds $500K to your sale price. That's not optimization—that's transformation.

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Most owners discover deal-killing issues during due diligence—when it's too late. The buyer reduces their offer or walks. On a $10M transaction, poor preparation typically costs $2-3M.

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We fix the issues before buyers ever see them.

What We Deliver:
Sale-Ready, Maximum Value

Comprehensive Exit Planning (12-24 months before sale)​

  • Value Gap Analysis – Identify what buyers will discount, fix it now

  • EBITDA Optimization – Improve profits that multiply at sale

  • Financial Clean-Up – Recast statements, normalize earnings & clean books

  • Risk Elimination – Remove red flags before they can jeopardize your deal

  • Business Documentation – Contracts, processes, systems buyers expect​

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Due Diligence Support (During sale process)

  • Data Room Preparation – Everything organized before buyers ask

  • Financial Defense – Support your broker through buyer questions

  • Issue Resolution – Fast responses that maintain deal momentum

  • Recast Justification – Defend your adjusted EBITDA

The Preparation Advantage

Unprepared Sellers: Scramble during due diligence. Buyers find problems. Price gets cut. Deals fall apart. Seller's remorse.

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Prepared Sellers: Clean books. Clear story. No surprises. Multiple bidders. Premium valuations. Smooth close.

 

What Preparation Delivers:

  • Higher valuations through EBITDA improvement

  • Deals that actually close (50% of unprepared deals fail)

  • Leverage in negotiations—buyers compete for clean businesses

  • Shorter due diligence (3 months vs 6+)

The Exit Preparation Timeline

18-24 Months Out: Assessment
Value gap analysis, identify quick wins, strategic planning

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12-18 Months Out: Optimization
Improve operations, maximize EBITDA, reduce owner dependence

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6-12 Months Out: Documentation
Clean financials, systematize operations, building the sale story

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0-6 Months Out: Market Ready
Final polish, data room ready, positioned for premium multiple

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Every month of preparation can add hundreds of thousands to your exit value

Who is This For?

Perfect For Business Owners Who

  • Plan to sell in the next 1-3 years

  • Want maximum value, not market average

  • Understand preparation drives price

  • Own businesses with $2-50M or more in revenue

  • Can invest time now for premium returns later

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Not for: Distressed sales, businesses under $1M revenue, or owners wanting someone to run the sale process

How We Work Together

Exit Planning Engagement - Start 12-24 months before intended sale

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Phase 1: Assessment & Strategy (Month 1-2)​

  • Value gap identification

  • Customized value enhancement roadmap

  • Quick-win opportunities​

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Phase 2: Value Building (Months 3-18)

  • Monthly EBITDA optimization

  • Operational improvements

  • Financial clean-up

  • Risk mitigation

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Phase 3: Sale Readiness (Final 6 months)

  • Data room preparation

  • Recast financial packaging

  • Management team preparation

  • Due diligence prep

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Due Diligence - Support Only

  • When you're already in a sale process

  • Rapid financial documentation

  • Buyer question management

  • Issue resolution support

  • EBITDA defense 

The Value Creation Reality

The Typical Unprepared Sale: 

  • $5M revenue, $1M EBITDA

  • Issues found in diligence: -20% haircut

  • Distressed multiple: 3.5x

  • Final price: $2.8M

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Seller With Strategic Exit Planning:

  • EBITDA improved to $1.3M

  • Clean diligence, no surprises => Faster close with more certaity

  • Competitive multiple: 5x

  • Final price: $6.5M

  • Added Value: $3.7M

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End Result: Massive value creation that drawfs the advisory investment

Your Questions, Answered

  • When should I start preparing?
    18-24 months before you want to sell. The earlier, the better.

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  • I'm not sure when I'll sell. Should I wait?
    No. A sale-ready business runs better and gives you options. Build value now, choose timing later.

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  • What issues kill value?
    Customer concentration, messy books, owner dependence, weak management, no documented processes. All fixable with time.

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  • Can my CPA do this?
    CPAs do taxes and compliance. Exit planning requires operational improvement, strategic positioning, and buyer psychology. Different expertise.

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  • What if I decide not to sell?
    You'll own a more valuable, better-run business. The improvements pay for themselves even without a sale.

Ready to Maximize Your Exit Value?

Your Life's Work Deserves a Strategic Exit

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You've spent years building this business. The finish line matters as much as the journey. While you're thinking about when to start preparing:​​​

  • Fixable issues are costing you multiples every day

  • Profit improvements that could multiply at sale remain untapped

  • Your competition is getting sale-ready

  • Market conditions are changing

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Bottom Line: This is your biggest financial transaction. Prepared businesses command significantly higher multiples than unprepared ones. The difference can amount to millions.

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