Case Studies / My Story
Your story goes here�
FullPriceExit — Pre-Acquisition (Pre-Sale) Consulting
We don’t just sell billable hours. We sell results.
Every owner, every company, every deal is different — so the approach has to be tailored. What you’ll get from us is not a cookie-cutter checklist, but a plan customized to the real-world needs of your business, your numbers, your timing, and your goals.
That said, we know it helps to see the kinds of things we can take off your plate. The list below is a non-exhaustive menu of services — it explains what we do generally, how we do it, and why it matters to buyers.
Not sure if we’re the right fit? That’s exactly the point of a conversation. Call [XXX-XXX-XXXX] for a short 15-minute call — we’ll answer your questions, give you an honest read, and you can decide if a deeper meeting is worth your time.
Consulting Menu
1) Exit Readiness & Strategy
- Owner goals interview & exit constraints mapping → Align valuation, timing, tax, lifestyle. → 1-page exit brief + target ranges.
- Baseline valuation sanity check (with broker/CPA) → Set expectations and deal strategy. We benchmark likely sale price against comps and what an SBA-backed buyer can realistically finance — modeling the buyer’s post-acquisition DSCR (Debt Service Coverage Ratio) so you don’t chase fantasy numbers. → Indicative range + value drivers/risks.
- Buyer-type targeting (strategic, financial, SBA-buyer) → Match packaging to buyer. → Buyer profiles + implications for deal terms.
- Go-to-market plan & timeline (Gantt-style project plan) → Reduce surprises; keep momentum. → Timeline + responsibilities matrix.
- Readiness scorecard → One glance of gaps. → Traffic-light score across finance/legal/ops/sales.
2) Financial Cleanup & Narrative
- GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) cleanup/light conversion → Make books buyer-ready. → Adjusted TB + clean P&L/BS/CF.
- Owner add-backs & normalized EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation & Amortization) → Reveal true earnings. → Add-back schedule w/ evidence.
- Revenue quality review (recurring vs. project) → Predictability = value. → Cohort/retention charts.
- Working capital analysis & peg prep → Prevent price chips post-LOI. → WC trend, seasonality, peg memo.
- AR/AP (Accounts Receivable / Accounts Payable) aging hygiene & write-offs → Remove red flags. → Aging cleanup plan.
- Inventory rationalization & obsolescence policy → Improve gross margin credibility. → Policy + count plan.
- Sell-side Quality of Earnings (QoE) (with CPA partner) → Find issues before buyers do; higher close rates. → QoE report + management responses.
- Cash vs accrual bridge & KPI (Key Performance Indicator) pack → Eliminate confusion. → Monthly KPI dashboard & bridges.
3) Tax & Deal Structure (Advisor-led; we coordinate)
- Asset vs. stock sale implications → Avoid ugly surprises. → Pros/cons memo + advisors synced.
- Purchase price allocation planning → Optimize after-tax proceeds. → Draft PPA approach for counsel/CPA.
- Pre-sale entity/records hygiene → Reduce diligence friction. → Entity docs checklist completed.
4) Legal & Corporate Housekeeping (with counsel; we prep and chase)
- Minute book / cap table reconstruction → Clarity on who owns what. → Up-to-date cap table + consents.
- Contract audit (customer/supplier/NDAs) → Assignability & change-of-control risk. → Assignability index + consent plan.
- Lease & landlord estoppel readiness → SBA & lenders always ask. → Lease abstract + estoppel plan.
- Licenses/permits check → No lapses. → License register.
- IP audit (trademarks, copyrights, code, work-for-hire) → Protect and transfer value. → IP register + gaps list.
5) Operations, Technology & Security (CTO-led)
Ops continuity
- SOPs for core processes → Transferability premium. → 10–20 documented SOPs.
- Org chart & cross-training plan → Reduce key-person risk. → Coverage matrix.
- Vendor dependency & alternates → Continuity plan. → Critical vendor dossier.
- Insurance & compliance review → Lender/buyer comfort. → COI pack + attestations.
- IT & data hygiene → Access controls, backups, password vault. → Asset list + policy set.
Technology & security
- Digital asset inventory & access control → One source of truth (POS, CRM, payments, ads, socials, domains). → Admin list, owners, roles, least-privilege policy.
- Password manager + MFA rollout → Kill shared logins. → 1Password/Bitwarden vault, MFA on all admins, handover kit.
- Secrets & API key rotation → Lock down integrations. → Key inventory + rotation plan (Stripe/QuickBooks/marketing APIs).
- Cloud/hosting & DNS hardening → Registrar, DNS, SSL/TLS, CDN, uptime. → Registrar transfer, SSL renewal calendar, DNS records (A/CNAME/MX/TXT), SPF/DKIM/DMARC.
- Email & workspace migration → From personal Gmail to company domain. → Google Workspace/M365, address map, aliases, forwarding, calendar/drive migration.
- Analytics & ads ownership → Keep data, not just dashboards. → GA4, Tag Manager, Search Console, Bing, Google Business listing, Facebook/Google Ads — admin transfer + UTM/naming standards.
- Code & repo capture (if applicable) → Don’t lose IP in freelancers’ Git. → GitHub/GitLab org, README/build notes, dependency/license check, CI/CD notes.
- Backups & disaster recovery (RPO/RTO) → If you can’t restore, you don’t have a backup. → 3-2-1 plan, test restore, offsite schedule.
- Security baseline → Patch, protect, monitor. → Auto-updates, endpoint protection, MDM for phones, incident-response mini runbook.
- Payments flow & PCI-lite review → Reduce chargeback/compromise risk. → Stripe/Square settings, tokenization, scope minimization.
- Vendor map & contracts → No “phantom” subscriptions. → SaaS roster, billing owner change, cancellations, cost audit.
- Phones & comms → Make the number yours, not the owner’s. → RingCentral setup/porting, IVR, voicemail, recording compliance.
Deliverables: Asset register, credential vault, systems diagram, DR plan, tech runbooks, “Buyer Tech Pack” zipped in the secure diligence workspace (Google Drive/SharePoint) with signed handover.
6) Sales, Marketing & Revenue Engine
- CRM cleanup & pipeline accuracy → Defend forecast. → CRM hygiene report + pipeline QC.
- Customer concentration mitigation → Lock-in or diversify. → Plan for renewals/longer terms.
- Pricing/margin quick wins → Lift EBITDA before market. → SKU margin map + suggested changes.
- Brand/web audit (local SEO, reviews, Google Business listing) → Buyer optics matter. → Before/after fixes + review plan.
- LTV/CAC (Lifetime Value / Customer Acquisition Cost) narrative & proof → Turn marketing into valuation. → Cohort LTV/CAC slides + calc appendix.
7) Deal Packaging & Buyer Journey
- Teaser & NDA → Controlled outreach. → One-page teaser + standard NDA.
- CIM (Confidential Information Memorandum) → Your sales deck to buyers. → 15–30p CIM with data visuals.
- Lender/SBA-friendly pack → Speed lender diligence. → SBA-style financials, DSCR, add-backs, mgmt depth.
- Google Drive / SharePoint build (replaces “VDR”) → Ready on Day 1 of LOI. → Preloaded with buyer request list.
- Management presentation & site-visit choreography → Control the narrative. → Deck + agenda + Q&A log.
- Working capital peg & NWC (Net Working Capital) true-up model → Avoid last-minute chips. → Model + language for LOI/APA or PSA.
- LOI compare & negotiation prep → Choose the right offer, not just the highest. → Term-by-term scorecard.
- Transition/training plan → Makes earn-outs safer. → 30/60/90 plan + SOP handoff schedule.
8) Owner Readiness & Communications
- Decision & readiness coaching → Selling is emotional; momentum matters. → Owner prep plan.
- Internal comms plan (leadership/key staff) → Retention during sale. → Message map + timing.
- Documented sales agreement checklist → Know what counsel will need. → APA/PSA input checklist.
Suggested Packages
- Starter: “Sale-Readiness Audit” (2–3 weeks) — Scorecard, add-backs, WC trend, contract/lease/IP audit, CIM outline, Google Drive skeleton, action plan.
- Standard: “Go-to-Market Prep” (6–8 weeks) — Starter + QoE coordination, buyer pack (teaser/CIM), lender-ready pack, mgmt presentation, diligence setup.
- Full: “Sell-Side Navigator” (through closing) — Everything above + LOI compare/neg prep, working capital model, transition plan.
Call now, before you lower your price! Thousands today can net you hundreds of thousands at sale!
Next Steps
Outline of what happens when someone engages you�
About Trent
Credibility, backstory, etc�
Broker Benefits
Why brokers win when they bring you in�
Request Information
Get the Pre-Acquisition Consulting Kit. Fill this out and I�ll send it to you: