M&A Advisory for Privately Held Businesses

We represent owners through the sale process from preparation to close. That begins with an honest assessment of readiness and an indicative value range, and continues through positioning, buyer outreach, negotiation support, and diligence coordination.

The objective is a well-prepared company presented to a qualified audience, with the owner informed at every decision point.

We develop a targeted list of potential buyers rather than broadcasting a business to the market. Depending on the company, that may include strategic acquirers, private equity groups and their portfolio companies, search funds, family offices, and qualified individual buyers.

Outreach is confidential and staged, with identifying information released only under a signed non-disclosure agreement.

We prepare the materials a serious buyer expects: a blind profile for initial contact, a confidential information memorandum, and supporting financial summaries that present the business accurately and clearly.

Marketing materials are built from verified information. Overstating a company's position tends to surface later in diligence, and it damages credibility when it does.

Before a company goes to market, we work through the items that commonly cause friction later: financial statement quality, adjustment documentation, contracts and leases, employment and licensing matters, and the organization of a data room.

Where a business is not ready, we say so, and we work with our exit planning team to close the gap before launching a process.

Interest is not the same as capability. We screen prospective buyers for financial capacity, financing approach, relevant experience, and seriousness before granting access to sensitive information.

Qualification protects confidentiality and keeps the owner's time focused on parties who can realistically complete a transaction.

A letter of intent sets the framework for everything that follows. We help owners evaluate offers on the full set of terms — structure, consideration mix, escrow, earnout provisions, working capital treatment, transition expectations, and exclusivity — not on headline price alone.

We provide advisory support in negotiation. Legal terms are reviewed by your attorney and tax matters by your CPA; we coordinate closely with both.

Diligence is where prepared transactions distinguish themselves. We manage the request list, coordinate responses across the owner, accountants, and counsel, maintain the data room, and keep the process moving on a defined schedule.

Our role is to keep the owner running the business while the process is handled.

Through signing and close we coordinate with attorneys, accountants, lenders, and the buyer's team on definitive documents, closing conditions, funds flow, and working capital settlement, then help plan the communication and transition for employees and customers.

For business owners and investors pursuing growth through acquisition, we support the buy-side process: defining acquisition criteria, identifying and approaching targets, evaluating financial information, coordinating diligence, and structuring an offer.

We also work with buyers on integration planning and the financial reporting capability needed to absorb an acquisition, drawing on our fractional CFO and CPA advisory teams.