Earnouts appear in 25-40% of lower middle market deals. Learn how they work, when they make sense, the risks sellers face, and how to structure an earnout that actually pays out.
Confidentiality breaches kill deals and destabilize businesses. Learn how to protect information during a business sale using NDAs, blind teasers, employee communication timing, and secure data room protocols.
The Letter of Intent is the most pivotal document in a business sale. Learn what LOI terms are negotiable, which provisions should be binding, how to handle working capital adjustments, and the red flags that signal trouble.
Tax planning can save or cost you 20-40% of your sale proceeds. Learn asset vs. stock sale structures, capital gains strategies, entity type implications, installment sales, QSBS exclusions, and Tennessee’s no-income-tax advantage.
Selling a business typically costs 3-10% of transaction value in advisory fees. Here’s what M&A advisors charge, what you get for it, and how to evaluate whether the investment pays for itself.
Business brokers and M&A advisors serve fundamentally different roles. If your company generates $3M+ in revenue, choosing the wrong one can cost you millions. Here’s how to know which you need.
Due diligence is where deals get repriced or killed. Here’s exactly what buyers request — organized by financial, legal, operational, insurance, and banking categories — so you can prepare before the clock starts.
When a business sale involves owned real estate, the transaction becomes significantly more complex — and the real estate component can represent 20-50% of total deal value. Here’s how to structure it for maximum proceeds.
Fractional executives bring C-suite expertise at a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire. Here’s when you need one, what it costs, how to structure the engagement, and why it matters for growth and exit readiness.
Your banking relationships tell buyers and investors more about your business than you think. Here’s how strategic banking — from working capital to treasury management — affects growth, valuation, and exit readiness for lower middle market companies.