Buyers aren't guessing about owner dependency — they have specific methods for measuring it, and they start before you know they're looking. Here's exactly how it works.... Read full article
Most sellers know they need to get ready before listing — but not what ready actually looks like. Five areas buyers examine, and the questions to ask before they do.... Read full article
Before a buyer signs an NDA, they Google you. Unresolved negative reviews and a thin profile add to their risk column — and risk lowers the multiple they're willing to pay.... Read full article
A missing or poorly written assignment clause can quietly kill a deal or hand a buyer leverage during due diligence. Here's what to check now — and why timing matters more than the clause itself.... Read full article
You need your operations documented before you go to market — but telling your team why creates anxiety and attrition. Here's how to get the same result without the risk.... Read full article
The standard advice on selling a business skips the part that actually determines your outcome. Here's what the process really looks like — and why the owners who get full price start well before they call a broker.... Read full article
A real-world look at what due diligence revealed on a $1.1M service business: key-person risk, worker misclassification, and why the adjusted earnings were negative. What every buyer and seller needs to know.... Read full article
Buyers don't pay for top-line revenue. They pay a multiple of owner profit — and that multiple varies dramatically. Here's what determines where your business lands and how to move the number before you go to market.... Read full article
Sophisticated buyers start testing owner dependency before formal due diligence begins. Here are four tactics they use early — and how to make sure your business passes before they find out it won't.... Read full article
Owner dependency is the #1 reason $1M–$5M businesses sell for less than they're worth — or don't sell at all. Here are the three types, why buyers price them heavily, and how to fix them before you go to market.... Read full article
Most sellers think due diligence is about confirming revenue. It isn't. Buyers are looking for reasons to walk away — or reprice. Here's what actually gets examined and why it kills so many deals.... Read full article
Most sellers say their business is profitable but can't prove it. The books are built to minimize taxes — not demonstrate value. Here's what clean financials actually mean and why they determine your sale price.... Read full article
