Why Owners Struggle to Step Back (Part 2/3)
In Part 1, I covered how owner dependence shows up in a business and why buyers care. Most owners understand this in theory. The harder part is taking steps to reduce it. Not because they don’t want to, but because the
A Practical Way to Reduce Owner Dependence (Part 3/3)
In Parts 1 and 2, I covered how owner dependence shows up in a business and why owners often stay so involved. This part is focused on what you can actually do about it. These are steps I use in my own advisory work because
Buy Side Financial Due Diligence: Why Buyers Should Not Skip This Step
Buy side financial due diligence is one of the most important steps in a business acquisition, yet it is often treated as optional. Many buyers assume that reviewed financial statements, tax returns, and a seller walkthrough
Why Buyers Need To Prepare Just As Much As Sellers In Today’s Market
Most of the conversation in M&A is about what sellers need to fix. Clean up the books. Improve systems. Reduce owner dependency. Build recurring revenue. Document everything. Start early. All of that is real and it moves the needle. What people rarely talk about is the buyer side.
What Buyers Mean When They Say “Quality of Earnings”
Quality of earnings is one of the most commonly used and least understood terms in M&A. Here’s what buyers mean when they say “Quality of Earnings”
What Earnings Actually Mean in a Transaction
In most business sales, the first real tension between buyers and sellers does not come from price. It appears earlier, often before anyone starts debating valuation multiples or deal structure. It surfaces quietly, usually around a question that is rarely asked out loud.
How Buyers Translate Uncertainty Into Deal Structure
In many mergers and acquisitions, owners expect uncertainty to show up as a lower offer. Sometimes it does. But more often, buyers take a quieter path. They keep the headline price intact and adjust everything around it.