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For Founders Considering a Transaction

Sell-side M&A advisory, without the institutional opacity.

Most founders only run one transaction in their lifetime. We have run hundreds. Our free Opinion of Value shows you what your business is worth to today’s middle-market buyers — in 30 minutes, with no obligation.

✓ Confidential ✓ No obligation ✓ 30-minute consultation
Indicative Valuation Range
Prepared confidentially · 2026
Sample
Sector
[Your sector]
TTM EBITDA
$3.2M
Indicative Enterprise Value
$22M — $32M
7–10x EBITDA based on sector comps
✓EBITDA multiple analysis grounded in recent comparables
✓Walk-away math after advisory fees, deal costs, and taxes
✓Buyer demand assessment by acquirer type (strategic / PE / FO)
✓Recommended path — go to market, prepare, or hold
Company Sellers · M&A Advisory
25+ yearsadvising founders
Hundredsof completed engagements
$5M–$50M+enterprise value range
Nationwidebuyer coverage
Seniorbanker leads every engagement
Success-feestructure
25+ yearsadvising founders
Hundredsof completed engagements
$5M–$50M+enterprise value range
Nationwidebuyer coverage
Seniorbanker leads every engagement
Success-feestructure
How We Engage

Three engagement models. One commitment: candor, throughout.

Wherever you are — exploring a future transaction, preparing your business for one, or ready to run a process now — we will tell you what the right next step is, even if it is not signing with us today.

Senior advisor in client meeting
Sell-Side Mandate

Full-Service M&A Advisory

End-to-end sell-side representation. CIM and teaser drafting. Confidential outreach to strategic acquirers, PE platforms, and family offices. Management presentations. Competitive bid management. LOI, APA, diligence, and close. Senior-banker led from kickoff to wire transfer.

  • ✓Confidential, managed competitive process
  • ✓CIM, data room, management presentations
  • ✓LOI, APA, diligence & close management
  • ✓Onboarding fee plus success fee at close — most of our pay arrives when yours does
Typical engagement: 6–12 months
Learn more →
Founder reviewing M&A readiness materials
Pre-Process

M&A Readiness Toolkit

For founders 1–3 years out from a transaction. The pre-process playbook we use internally — addback identification frameworks, owner-dependency reduction roadmap, sector multiple benchmarks, diligence checklist — so you arrive at a process with the cleanest possible story.

  • ✓Quality-of-earnings frameworks
  • ✓Sector multiple benchmarks
  • ✓Pre-process diligence checklist
  • ✓Fixed fee, paid upfront
On your timeline
Learn more →
Engagement Archetypes

What an engagement looks like, by transaction size.

Illustrative profiles based on common middle-market patterns — not specific closed deals. Specific clients, financials, and locations remain confidential.

Lower Middle
$5M–$15M EV
$1M–$3M EBITDA

Founder-led sub-scale platform

Stable revenue base, customer concentration risk to manage, modest team. Goes to a PE add-on, family office, or strategic consolidator. Process tends to focus on 30–50 targeted buyers; SBA or seller-financed where appropriate.

6–9 months
5x–7x EBITDA typical
Core Middle
$15M–$40M EV
$3M–$7M EBITDA

Established platform business

Professional management bench, diversified customer base, recurring revenue elements. Strong fit for PE platforms and strategic acquirers. Competitive process with 50–100 targeted buyers; multiple IOIs typical.

8–12 months
7x–10x EBITDA typical
Upper Middle
$40M+ EV
$7M+ EBITDA

Mature, scaled enterprise

Material market share, institutional financials, professional management. Auctioned to large-cap strategics and upper-middle PE. Highly structured process with formal management presentations and multi-round bidding.

9–14 months
8x–12x+ EBITDA typical
Common Questions

What founders ask us first.

The same handful of questions come up in nearly every initial conversation. Here are honest answers — the kind we would want if we were on your side of the desk.

What does it cost to engage you?
Full-service sell-side advisory is a success-fee structure — nothing payable until the transaction closes. The fee tiers by transaction size; smaller engagements pay higher percentages, upper-middle deals pay less. We disclose the exact fee schedule at engagement letter signing — before anything is committed. The M&A Readiness Toolkit is a fixed fee, paid upfront.
What kind of EBITDA multiple should I expect?
The honest answer is: it depends on your sector, growth profile, customer concentration, recurring revenue mix, and how clean your financials are. Typical middle-market ranges run 5x–7x for lower middle, 7x–10x for core middle, and 8x–12x+ for upper middle. Your Opinion of Value will give you the actual range buyers are paying for businesses in your sector right now.
Will my employees, customers, or competitors find out?
Not unless you tell them. We market confidentially — no public listing, no broadcast email blasts. Prospective buyers sign NDAs before they see your company name in the CIM. Most founders involve a small inner circle at the diligence stage, typically only after a qualified LOI is signed. Information control is one of the workstreams we manage actively throughout the process.
How long does a process actually take?
Six to twelve months for most middle-market sell-side processes, longer if there is meaningful pre-process preparation work or if the buyer financing is complex. Phase 1 (discovery + Opinion of Value) is 1–2 weeks. Phase 2 (preparation, CIM, QofE) is 4–8 weeks. Phase 3 (process, bids, LOI) is 3–6 months. Phase 4 (diligence, close) is 2–4 months on the back end.
How is the Opinion of Value different from a formal valuation report?
A formal valuation is a defensible document prepared for tax, legal, or partnership-buyout purposes — and it has a fee. The Opinion of Value is a real-world estimate of what your business will sell for, based on recent comparable transactions in your sector and current acquirer demand. It is what the market will pay, not what an appraiser concludes the business is worth.
What if my industry has limited buyers?
Almost every middle-market business has a buyer — though the universe looks different by sector. Niche industries trade to strategic acquirers, PE platforms specialized in the vertical, and family offices with sector mandates. We have a 25-year network across most major sectors and know which acquirer types are active right now. The Opinion of Value will tell you what kind of buyer demand exists for businesses like yours.
Sectors We Cover

Sector-informed M&A across the middle market.

A sample of the verticals we have advised on. Sector-specific buyer relationships, comparable transactions, and valuation patterns inform every engagement.

Industrials
Healthcare
Technology, Media & Telecom
Consumer
Business Services
Distribution & Logistics
Construction & Real Estate
Energy & Infrastructure
Insights

Field notes from the middle market.

View all insights →
Begin Here

Find out what your business is actually worth.

A confidential, complimentary Opinion of Value prepared by a senior advisor. 30 minutes. No obligation. You leave with a real indicative range whether you decide to engage us or not.