The three-goal advisory process
Most brokers list businesses and hope buyers show up. We run a structured process that takes motivated sellers from uncertainty to a successful close in 6 to 9 months for most businesses.
Selling a business you spent decades building is not a transaction. It is one of the most important financial and personal decisions you will ever make. The three-goal advisory process gives you a clear path: know what you have, get ready for the market, then close with the right buyer. Each goal builds on the one before it. Skipping steps is how deals fall apart.
Goal 1: Valuation
Question this goal answers: "What do I actually have?"
Timeline: 1 to 2 weeks
Deliverable: Market Readiness & Value Assessment (MRVA)
Most owners value their business based on revenue, gut feel, or what they need for retirement. Buyers value businesses on something different: normalized earnings, comparable transactions, and risk. Goal 1 closes that gap.
Over 1 to 2 weeks, we work through:
Real earnings analysis. We calculate Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE) and Adjusted EBITDA, normalize for owner compensation and personal expenses, and document every legitimate add-back. Tax returns minimize income for IRS purposes. Buyers want to see what you actually earn.
Comparable transaction data. We pull 8 to 12 actual sales of similar businesses from the past 12 months. Not listed prices. What buyers actually paid. From that data, we identify your realistic multiple range.
Buyer demand assessment. Strategic acquirers, financial buyers, individual operators. Which buyer type fits your business, what they value, and what they typically pay.
Owner readiness review. Post-sale financial planning, tax considerations, timeline flexibility, and legacy priorities. The valuation matters less than what you actually net at close.
What you walk away with
A clear valuation range with the data behind it, an understanding of which buyer type fits your business, and an honest answer to whether you are ready now or need a few weeks of preparation first. The MRVA becomes the foundation for every decision that comes next.
Goal 2: Preparation
Question this goal answers: "Am I ready for the market?"
Timeline: About 30 days if financials are clean. 60 to 90 days if cleanup is needed. 6 to 12 months only when major structural issues exist.
Buyers underwrite risk. Anything they cannot quickly verify becomes a discount on their offer. Goal 2 removes those discounts by getting your business documented, clean, and packaged before it ever goes to market.
The work in this goal:
Financial cleanup. P&Ls recast for 3 years, add-backs documented with supporting evidence, monthly trial balances reconciled. Most of this work happens in 2 to 6 weeks if your books are reasonably current. Your accountant does the heavy lifting. We provide the buyer-ready format and review every deliverable.
Operations documentation. Org chart, key roles, standard operating procedures, customer concentration analysis, vendor relationships, recurring revenue identification. Buyers want to see a business that runs without you.
Confidential Information Memorandum. The CIM is the document buyers actually read. We tell the story of your business with the financials, the market position, and the growth opportunity. Strengths up front, concerns addressed honestly. Professional packaging signals a professional operation.
Deal structure planning. Cash at close, seller note, earnout, equity rollover. The right structure depends on your goals and which buyer type you target. We map the options before LOIs come in, not after.
Buyer outreach plan. Target list of strategic acquirers, financial buyers, and individual operators matched to your business. Blind teaser that reveals nothing identifying. NDA workflow that screens out the unqualified.
All of this happens quietly. No public listing. No employee chatter. No customer alarm. You stay focused on running the business.
What you walk away with
A market-ready business with clean financials, a professional CIM, a deal structure that works for you, and a vetted target buyer list. When we go live, we go live ready.
Goal 3: Exit
Question this goal answers: "How do I close with the right buyer?"
Timeline: 4 to 8 months from going to market through closing.
This is where the preparation pays off. With a clean package and a target list, we run a structured outreach process that protects confidentiality, generates real buyer interest, and ends in a closing that fits your priorities.
The work in this goal:
Confidential buyer outreach. Targeted outreach to qualified buyers, not mass listings on public sites. Every buyer signs an NDA and completes an application before receiving the CIM. We screen for financial capacity, industry experience, and culture fit with your business and your people.
Buyer-seller introductions. Once we have qualified, motivated buyers, you meet them. These are fit interviews as much as sales conversations. Their plan for your team, your culture, and your customers matters as much as the price they offer.
LOI negotiation. We push for competitive offers from multiple buyers when the market supports it. Price is one variable. Deal structure, contingencies, transition terms, and seller protections all get negotiated before you sign.
Due diligence management. Typically 60 to 90 days of verification work. We run the data room, manage information flow, and address buyer concerns proactively with documented solutions. Surprises kill deals. Preparation in Goal 2 prevents them.
Closing and transition. Final documents, funds wired, ownership transferred. A defined transition plan covers employees, customers, and operations. Most sellers stay involved 30 to 90 days post-close on terms set in advance.
What you walk away with
A closed deal at a fair price, a buyer who fits your business and your people, a transition you can be proud of, and the next chapter of your life ready to start.
Why this process works
Three things consistently separate successful exits from failed ones. Our process is built around all three.
Preparation before listing. Businesses that go to market unprepared face buyer skepticism, valuation discounts, and deal-killing surprises in due diligence. The 30 to 90 days spent in Goal 2 routinely pays for itself many times over in the final sale price.
Confidentiality throughout. Leaks cost businesses customers, employees, and value. We control who knows what, and when. Blind teasers, signed NDAs, and qualified outreach are not optional steps. They are the entire game.
The right buyer, not just the highest bidder. A buyer who pays a premium but plans to gut the company is not a good outcome. We screen for fit, then negotiate for value. Both matter.
What this process delivers
Reuse the same four stat tiles from the home page:
- 95% Employee retention 12 months after close
- 92% Customer retention through transition
- 89% Sellers report values and culture preserved
- 87% Listed deals reach successful close
Frequently asked questions
What if my business isn't ready for market when we finish Goal 1?
That is one of the most useful outcomes of the MRVA. If the assessment shows you are 6 to 12 months out from being market-ready, we will be honest about what needs work and connect you with the right specialists. CPAs and fractional CFOs for financial cleanup. Exit planning advisors for owner-dependence and value enhancement. Attorneys for legal structure issues. We stay in touch through the preparation period and pick up the brokerage role when you are ready to go to market.
Do I have to commit to listing after Goal 1?
No. The MRVA is a standalone deliverable. You can use it to make an informed decision about timing, take it to other advisors for a second opinion, or sit on it for a year while you prepare. There is no listing agreement required to complete Goal 1.
Can we skip preparation and go straight to market?
We sometimes can, when the business is already clean and the seller has urgent timing. We will be transparent about the trade-offs. Unprepared businesses typically sell for less, take longer to close, or fall out of contract in due diligence. The 4 to 6 weeks of focused preparation work usually returns multiples of itself in the final price.
How long does the whole process take?
For motivated sellers with solid businesses, 6 to 9 months from first conversation to close. About 1 to 2 weeks for Goal 1. About 30 to 90 days for Goal 2 depending on how clean your financials are. About 4 to 8 months for Goal 3 from going to market through close.
What does this cost?
Goal 1 (the MRVA) is free, with no listing agreement required. Goals 2 and 3 are covered by a success fee on the closing transaction. We will walk through the specific fee structure during your discovery call. No surprises and no upfront fees for the consultation.
Start with Goal 1:
Contact us using the link below and we'll work with you to do a free valuation. There's no contract to sign or obligation to work with us. We seek first to help business owners with the idea that when they are ready, we'll be there to guide them and to earn your trust we do a free Market Readiness & Value Assessment which takes us 1 to 2 weeks depending on how fast you can supply the Information that we need. We'll sign an NDA upfront that protects your data and once It's complete, you'll have a complete picture of what your business is worth. What buyers will pay. What, if anything, needs work before you go to market. No listing agreement required.
