The engagement
We run the sale end to end.
From preparation through closing, one team manages valuation, buyer outreach, negotiation, and diligence — so you can keep running your business while the process runs quietly in the background.
Sell-Side Only
We represent owners, never buyers — no dual-agency conflict of interest.
Sector-Focused
We work in recurring-revenue service businesses, not everything that comes along.
Founder-Led
You work directly with the principals who run your process, not a layer of intermediaries.
Confidential by Default
Every process is run quietly, with buyers screened under NDA.
The process
What a sale actually looks like
Four stages, each with its own decisions and its own ways to lose value. Knowing what happens when is how you stay in control of your own transaction.
Stage 1: Preparation & Valuation Readiness
Before any buyer conversation, owners who achieve the best outcomes spend time getting their business in order. This stage is where most of the value is won or lost.
- Normalize financials and document adjusted EBITDA
- Review contract transferability and address gaps
- Benchmark against comparable transactions
- Identify and reduce owner-dependency risks
Most of the value difference between deals is determined before listing
Stage 2: Buyer Identification & Confidential Marketing
The buyer pool for a specialized service business is narrower than most industries. Strategic acquirers, private equity platforms, and owner-operators each require a different approach and offer different deal structures.
- Targeted outreach to pre-vetted, qualified buyers only
- Strict NDAs and staged disclosure to protect you
- Multiple offers create negotiating leverage
The right buyer type shapes everything — price, structure, and post-close obligations
Stage 3: Offer Evaluation & Deal Structuring
Headline price is only part of the story. Earnout terms, equity rollovers, and post-close employment obligations can meaningfully change what you actually take home — and how long you remain tied to the business.
- Compare cash vs. earnout vs. equity rollover structures
- Understand rep & warranty exposure before signing
- LOI terms set the floor — not just a formality
The highest headline offer is not always the best deal
Stage 4: Diligence & Closing
Deals fall apart most often during due diligence — not because the business is flawed, but because documentation is incomplete or surprises emerge. Anticipating what buyers will request dramatically reduces re-trade risk.
- Buyers will review contracts, financials, and operations
- Sector-specific diligence covers retention and contract data
- Active management of the process prevents deal fatigue
- Transition planning starts at LOI, not after close
Preparation before diligence prevents re-trades and deal collapse
Why a run process matters
In the lower middle market, a properly run sale draws competing buyers — the single biggest source of leverage on price and terms.
Source: IBBA & M&A Source, Market Pulse Survey, Q1 2026 (advisor survey; deals valued $5M–$50M). Figures describe reported transactions, not a market-wide guarantee.
Common exit challenges we solve
Recurring-revenue service businesses share a set of problems that derail sales. Each one is manageable when it is identified early rather than during diligence.
Challenge: Contract Transferability
Service agreements frequently contain change-of-control or termination-for-convenience provisions that let customers walk when the business changes hands, threatening the recurring revenue a buyer is paying for.
Our Solution
We analyze your contract base early, identify which agreements need consent, and develop a strategy for securing it — often improving terms during the transition rather than simply preserving them.
Challenge: Key Person Dependency
Many owner-operated businesses run on the owner's relationships, judgment, and technical knowledge, which creates a legitimate concern about what remains after closing.
Our Solution
We help structure transition plans that demonstrate management depth, document key relationships and processes, and design retention arrangements that give a buyer confidence in continuity.
Challenge: Valuation Complexity
Recurring-revenue service businesses have revenue mixes and operating metrics that generalist brokers often present poorly, leaving value on the table or inviting a re-trade later.
Our Solution
We analyze and present your numbers the way acquirers in your sector actually underwrite them, so the value drivers that matter are visible and defensible from the first conversation.
Where we work
Sectors we advise in
We concentrate on recurring-revenue service businesses, where we understand how acquirers underwrite contracts, retention, and labor.
Request a confidential valuation.
Take the first step toward a successful exit. We will provide a confidential business assessment and preliminary valuation at no cost.
- A confidential business valuation, at no cost
- A read on the buyer landscape for your business
- A considered view on timing and structure
Request a confidential valuation
All information is kept strictly confidential