The Owner’s Guide to a Clean Exit

Most of what your business will sell for is decided before a buyer ever sees it — and nearly everything that happens after the letter of intent is signed exists to test what you claimed before it. This guide covers the whole journey: how buyers actually price a business, the 18-to-24-month readiness sequence, the sale process from teaser to closing wire, and the deal terms where owners win or lose the most money. None of it requires a transaction to be underway. All of it is easier — and worth more — when you start early.

Inside the guide

• How buyers actually price a business — and the add-back schedule that governs it
• The 18–24 month readiness sequence, quarter by quarter
• The sale process end to end: teaser, CIM, LOI, and the leverage cliff
• The terms that move money: structure, the working capital peg, earnouts, escrows
• A complete readiness checklist and a working glossary of deal terms