Author: Daniel Askew

AI readiness is now a valuation factor in M&A deals — as real as EBITDA quality and customer concentration. 68% of small businesses use AI regularly, PE firms spend 30-40% of investment committee time evaluating AI posture, and buyers are applying “AI readiness discounts” to businesses that show no strategy. Score your business across 6 dimensions and learn the 90-day sprint to get AI-ready.

If your business can’t run without you for 90 days, buyers will discount your valuation by 20-40%. Here’s how owner dependency destroys deal value in the lower middle market — and the playbook Nashville business owners are using to fix it before they sell.

Memphis’s FedEx-anchored logistics hub, St. Jude healthcare corridor, and food manufacturing cluster are creating premium M&A opportunities for business owners in 2026.

Thinking about selling your business in Memphis? Here’s what owners in the logistics capital of North America need to know about valuations, buyer demand, and the M&A process in 2026.

Birmingham’s $12B healthcare hub, manufacturing revival, and financial services concentration are creating premium M&A opportunities. Here’s what business owners should know.