Escrow holdbacks of 5-15% of purchase price are standard in M&A transactions. Learn how escrow accounts, indemnification caps, baskets, survival periods, and RWI insurance work — and how to negotiate terms that protect your proceeds.
Multiple offers create leverage that typically generates 15-30% higher valuations. Learn how to manage a competitive sale process, evaluate offers beyond price, handle exclusivity, and avoid the mistakes that cost sellers money.
A minority recapitalization lets you sell 20-49% of your business while keeping control. Learn how the two bites of the apple strategy works, who the buyers are, what you give up, and whether a partial sale is right for your situation.
Every buyer starts with your financials. Learn what they actually evaluate — revenue quality, margin analysis, EBITDA add-backs, balance sheet health, cash flow reconciliation — and how to prepare before going to market.
A management buyout lets your existing team purchase the business you built. Learn how MBOs work, financing structures, the pricing trade-off vs. competitive sales, common pitfalls, and how to structure a deal that works for both sides.
An ESOP lets you sell your business to employees through a tax-advantaged trust. Learn how ESOPs work, the significant tax benefits for S-corps and C-corps, setup costs, valuation requirements, and how to decide if an ESOP is right for your exit.
Only 30% of family businesses successfully transition to the next generation. Learn the three succession paths, the conversations that matter most, common structuring approaches, and the timeline required for a successful transition.
Roll-ups are the dominant PE value creation strategy in the lower middle market. Learn how they work, what makes a business an attractive platform or add-on, which industries are most active, and what sellers and buyers need to know.
Your data room is your first impression with buyers. Learn what documents to include, how to organize them, when to build it, which VDR platforms to use, and the common mistakes that slow deals and erode seller leverage.
Recurring revenue is the strongest driver of premium valuations. Learn how buyers classify revenue quality, the valuation spread between recurring and transactional revenue, key metrics buyers analyze, and how to build recurring revenue before selling.
One of the least understood variables in buying or selling a business with real estate is how the financing term on the property affects the buyer’s total debt service, and by extension, what they can afford to offer you. SBA loans used for business acquisitions without real estate are typically structured on 10-year terms. When…
Key person dependency is the most common structural risk in founder-led businesses. Learn how buyers evaluate it, the valuation impact, and a practical framework for building organizational resilience before your exit.