The owners who achieve the highest multiples are not the ones who listed urgently — they are the ones who spent 12–36 months before going to market making the business look the way buyers want it to look. Exit planning is acquisition consulting in reverse.
The runway you have before your target exit date shapes everything — the strategy, the price, and what we focus on first.
6–12 Months
UrgentHealth, partnership changes, or burnout are driving the timeline. Less preparation time means accepting a lower multiple or a longer buyer search. We can still execute a clean sale — but realistic price expectations and a buyer-ready data room from day one are essential.
1–3 Years
OptimalThe sweet spot. Enough runway to fix the value gaps, document the systems, and hire into the management layer before going to market. Buyers pay a premium for businesses that do not depend on the owner — this window lets you build that.
3–5 Years
StrategicLong-horizon planning lets you make structural decisions — customer diversification, new recurring revenue streams, even small add-on acquisitions — that compound into a materially higher exit valuation. We help you build toward the multiple, not just wait for it.
Before any serious buyer review, your business should clear these six items. Each one that is missing costs you either price, time, or both. We work through this checklist with every seller client as the foundation of the engagement.
Clean financials — 3 years of recast P&Ls
Buyers and lenders want to see true owner earnings, not tax-minimised statements. Recast financials remove one-time expenses and add back legitimate owner benefits.
Management layer not owner-dependent
If the business stops when you leave, buyers discount heavily or walk. An operations manager, a team lead, or a documented handoff process changes the risk profile entirely.
Documented SOPs and operating procedures
Written processes signal to a buyer that the business is a system — not a set of informal owner habits. They also reduce due diligence friction.
Customer concentration below 20%
A single customer representing more than 20% of revenue is a red flag in almost every industry. Diversify before going to market.
No pending litigation or unresolved disputes
Undisclosed legal exposure kills deals in due diligence. Surface and resolve these before engaging buyers.
Lease and key contracts are assignable
A non-assignable lease on a restaurant or retail location can collapse a deal at the 11th hour. Confirm assignability with your landlord before listing.
$7,500 non-refundable engagement fee activates the mandate. The success fee is Reverse Lehman — tiered to reward larger transactions: 10% on first $1M, 8% on $1M–$2M, 6% on $2M–$3M, 4% above $3M. Minimum $25,000 success fee.
10%
First $1M
8%
$1M – $2M
6%
$2M – $3M
4%
Above $3M
Seller Resources
Industry Sell Pages
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