Sell it for what it's worth.
Most owners sell in a hurry, from a weak position, for less than the business earned them. The prepared seller sets the terms. We get you there.
The buyer has done this before. You haven't.
Your business is the biggest asset you own, and you'll sell it once. The buyer across the table buys businesses for a living. They know exactly which numbers to question and which weaknesses to price down. Walking in unprepared costs you real money — usually in the six figures.
The Diagnostic. Before you list.
The same seven-day diagnostic that finds profit leaks does something else for a seller: it shows you exactly what a buyer will find before they find it. Every weakness, every dependency, every number that won't survive scrutiny — surfaced while you still have time to fix it.
What the diagnostic reveals for a seller.
Seven days. Delivered in writing. If it doesn't earn its fee, you don't pay it.
A consultant. On your side.
Not a broker, attorney, CPA, or investment bank. I won't dress up as one. What I do is the seller's preparation a big M&A team does on nine-figure exits — valuation, clean-up, positioning, negotiation support — scaled to Main Street businesses they won't touch.
Your attorney and CPA review and finalize everything. They start from finished work instead of blank pages. That's why their bills shrink when I'm involved.
Prepared sellers set the price.
Rushed ones take it.
What to expect, diagnostic to close.
Selling well takes longer than most owners think. Here's the road, and why the early work pays for itself.
The diagnostic
7 daysValuation, weaknesses, and the fix list — what a buyer will find, before they find it.
Step 01 — $1,000Get sale-ready
3–9 monthsBooks cleaned. Founder dependency reduced. Margins clarified. Systems documented. Every repair lifts the price.
Step 02Position & package
2–4 weeksThe story a buyer believes, backed by records. The selling memorandum, the data room, the number.
Step 03Go to market
1–6 monthsThe right buyers approached the right way. Interest managed so you never look desperate.
Step 04Negotiate the terms
2–6 weeksPrice is one line. Earnouts, notes, non-competes, and transition terms carry the risk. Negotiated on your side.
Step 05Survive their diligence
30–60 daysThe buyer's team goes through everything. Prepared, you sail through. Unprepared, this is where deals die or re-price.
Step 06Close & transition
2–4 weeksThe closing file prepared. Your professionals finalize. The handoff planned so the earnout actually pays.
Step 07Most exits: 6–18 months, diagnostic to close. The businesses that sell fast and high are the ones that started early.
The price killers. Fixed before they cost you.
Open any one: what it is, what it costs you, what we do about it.
01You're the businessFounder dependency is the #1 discount.+
Every relationship, decision, and process runs through you.
What it costsBuyers pay less for a business that leaves when the owner does. It's the single biggest driver of a lowball offer.
What we doInstall the systems that let it run without you — the same work behind the diagnostic and The Build. A business that survives your exit sells for more.
02The books are a messConfusion reads as risk.+
Personal expenses mixed in, inconsistent categories, add-backs no one can verify.
What it costsEvery number a buyer can't trust, they discount. Messy books turn a clean multiple into a haggle.
What we doClean, restated financials a buyer believes on the first read. Add-backs documented, not asserted.
03One customer is half the revenueConcentration scares buyers.+
A handful of customers, or one, carry most of the sales.
What it costsBuyers see a business one phone call from a cliff. They price that risk in — steeply.
What we doSurface it early, and build the plan to diversify or the terms to protect against it. Framed, not hidden.
04You listed in a hurryDesperation is a discount.+
Health, burnout, or a life event forces a fast sale.
What it costsBuyers smell urgency and offer accordingly. Fast sales are cheap sales.
What we doStart early enough that you're never negotiating from the back foot. Time is the seller's leverage.
05You negotiated aloneThe terms carry the risk.+
You faced a professional buyer across the table with no one on your side.
What it costsThe price gets the attention; the earnout, the note, and the non-compete carry the risk. Alone, you miss it.
What we doNegotiation support on your side. Terms structured so the money actually reaches you.
A rooster in your corner.
Loud early. Protective always. Hard to push around. Every number, every buyer conversation, every term your professionals finalize — from the first diagnostic to the day the money clears. You built it. You should get paid what it's worth.
Flat fees. Start small. Scale when ready.
$1,000
Seven days. Your valuation, your weaknesses, your fix list — before a buyer ever sees them. If it doesn't earn its fee, you don't pay it.
$10,000+
Everything from diagnostic to close: sale-ready prep, positioning, buyer outreach, negotiation, and the transition. Scoped and quoted before we start. The diagnostic credits toward it.
Buying one instead?
If you're on the buying side of a deal — a company, a stake, or a partnership — the work runs in reverse. See the buyer's side →
Asked plainly. Answered the same.
Why start with the diagnostic instead of just listing?+
Because you only get one first impression with a buyer. The diagnostic shows you what they'll find before they find it — so you fix it, not discount it. It's the cheapest money you'll spend on the whole sale.
Are you a business broker?+
No. No listings, no brokerage. Flat fees, your side of the table. If you want a broker involved too, I work alongside one.
How long before I can sell?+
Most exits run 6–18 months, diagnostic to close. The businesses that sell fast and high are the ones that started preparing early. Start now, sell on your terms.
Do I still need an attorney and a CPA?+
Yes. Always. Nothing binds without them. We make their work smaller and sharper. We don't replace it.
What if I'm not sure I'm ready to sell?+
Then the diagnostic is exactly where to start. It tells you what you're worth and what stands between you and a clean exit — no commitment to sell required.
What does the full exit engagement include?+
Everything on this page: sale-ready prep, valuation, positioning, buyer outreach, negotiation support, diligence prep, and closing. Scoped to your business. The diagnostic credits toward it.