The price stated in a letter of intent is not guaranteed. Once due diligence begins, unresolved legal and operational risks can reduce the purchase price, create holdbacks, delay closing, or end the deal.

M&A attorneys Gwen Griggs and Whitney Harper explain how sellers can prepare for legal due diligence before going to market. They discuss the risks buyers examine, including entity records, contracts, intellectual property, workforce classification, insurance, ERISA matters, and successor liability. They also explain how an organized data room and an early risk review can protect value, reduce deal fatigue, and make the transaction easier to negotiate.

View the complete show notes for this episode.

Want To Learn More?

The Deal ADVantage ADVOS Legal Gwen Griggs on LinkedIn Whitney Harper on LinkedIn

Additional Resources

Selling your business? Schedule a free consultation today. Sign up for an Assessment and Valuation of Your Business. Courses: The Art & Science of Selling a Business Download The Art of The Exit: The Complete Guide to Selling Your Business Download Acquired: The Art of Selling a Business With $10 Million to $100 Million in Revenue

If you have any topic or guest suggestions, please email them to [email protected].

This episode provides general information only and does not constitute legal, tax, accounting, or other professional advice. The guests' views are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Morgan & Westfield.

It is easy to hire the firm that quotes the highest number, and that one decision can cost you the sale. This episode covers the M&A advisor red flags that are easiest to miss: fees tied to nothing, a valuation built to win your signature, and a buyer list that does not exist. You will learn where business brokers, M&A advisors, and investment banks each actually operate, how to check a number before you sign a one-year exclusive, and what preparation to do yourself first.

View the complete show notes for this episode.

Want To Learn More?

Business Broker and M&A Advisor Fees: A Comprehensive Guide Can a Business Broker's Success Rate be Accurately Measured? How to Navigate M&A Advisor Fees: Insights from an Investment Banking Expert Build the Right Deal Team to Avoid M&A Mistakes

Additional Resources

Selling your business? Schedule a free consultation today. Sign up for an Assessment and Valuation of Your Business. Courses: The Art & Science of Selling a Business Download The Art of The Exit: The Complete Guide to Selling Your Business Download Acquired: The Art of Selling a Business With $10 Million to $100 Million in Revenue

If you have any topic or guest suggestions, please email them to [email protected].

In this episode, Heather Endresen, founder of Viso Business Capital, joins Jacob Orosz to break down what it takes to secure the best possible SBA financing when acquiring a business. You'll learn how to evaluate lenders, avoid common pitfalls in the SBA loan process, and structure a deal that keeps execution risk low and your odds of closing high.

View the complete show notes for this episode.

Want To Learn More?

• SBA Financing When Buying or Selling a Business
• Small Business Acquisition Financing
• M&A Seller Financing: A Complete Guide

Additional Resources

• Selling your business? Schedule a free consultation today.
• Sign up for an Assessment and Valuation of Your Business.
• Courses: The Art & Science of Selling a Business
• Download The Art of The Exit: The Complete Guide to Selling Your Business
• Download Acquired: The Art of Selling a Business With $10 Million to $100 Million in Revenue

If you have any topic or guest suggestions, please email them to [email protected].

In this episode, you'll learn the difference between selling your business to a holding company versus an operating company. You will discover how your choice of buyer impacts your role after the sale, your team's future, and your second payout. Understanding these buyer styles will help you avoid lowball purchase offers and boost the value of your future sales and bonus payouts.

View the complete show notes for this episode.

Want To Learn More?

• Selling to a PE Firm as Part of a Roll-up
• Earnouts When Selling or Buying a Business | Complete Guide
• M&A Guide | The 4 Types of Buyers of Businesses

Additional Resources

• Selling your business? Schedule a free consultation today.
• Sign up for an Assessment and Valuation of Your Business.
• Courses: The Art & Science of Selling a Business
• Download The Art of The Exit: The Complete Guide to Selling Your Business
• Download Acquired: The Art of Selling a Business With $10 Million to $100 Million in Revenue

If you have any topic or guest suggestions, please email them to [email protected].

Learn how outside growth funding can help you expand your operations rapidly and achieve the highest possible price when you sell your company. This episode breaks down practical strategies for using growth capital to scale without giving up total control or straining your cash flow with heavy debt payments. You'll discover how to prepare your financials for strategic investors and avoid misallocating funds before an exit.

View the complete show notes for this episode.

Want To Learn More?

• Accelerate Your Company's Growth
• Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE) | Definition & Examples
• EBITDA | Definition, Formula & Example – A Complete Guide
• M&A Guide | The 4 Types of Buyers of Businesses

Additional Resources

• Selling your business? Schedule a free consultation today.
• Sign up for an Assessment and Valuation of Your Business.
• Courses: The Art & Science of Selling a Business
• Download The Art of The Exit: The Complete Guide to Selling Your Business
• Download Acquired: The Art of Selling a Business With $10 Million to $100 Million in Revenue

If you have any topic or guest suggestions, please email them to [email protected].

If you have any topic or guest suggestions for M&A Talk, please email them to [email protected].

How can you get on the path to entrepreneurship by acquiring an established business rather than building a start-up? Harvard Business School professors Royce Yudkoff and Rick Ruback share their insights into the nuances of search fund investing, including the challenges of finding high-quality, enduringly profitable businesses. They focus on the appeal of the lower-middle market, the advantages of finding a founder nearing retirement, and the appeal of the search fund approach toward entrepreneurship.

View the complete show notes for this episode.

Additional Resources:

• Selling your business? Schedule a free consultation today.
• Download The Art of The Exit: The Complete Guide to Selling Your Business
• Download Acquired: The Art of Selling a Business With $10 Million to $100 Million in Revenue

Managing expectations and understanding what potential buyers look for is critical to selling a business successfully. Jason Hullender offers tips on how to get the sale of your business across the fifty-yard line and into the end zone. He discusses the top areas where buyers and sellers have unrealistic expectations, the importance of a company's valuation, understanding EBITDA, how customer concentration and competitive advantages fit into the mix, and why you should be prepared for the due diligence process.

Learn More:

• Quality of Earnings in M&A – The Ultimate Guide
• Business Valuation Guide: Do I need a Valuation?
• M&A Due Diligence | Checklist & Overview
• How Long Does it Take to Sell a Business?

Additional Resources:

• Selling your business? Schedule a free consultation today.
• Sign up for an Assessment and Valuation of Your Business.
• Courses: The Art & Science of Selling a Business
• Download The Art of The Exit: The Complete Guide to Selling Your Business
• Download Acquired: The Art of Selling a Business With $10 Million to $100 Million in Revenue

If you have any topic or guest suggestions, please email them to [email protected].

Industry roll-ups: What are they? How do they work? What's in it for the business owner? Brandon Blewett, Head of M&A at Pave America, discusses what you can expect when selling your business to a PE firm as part of a roll-up.

View the complete show notes for this episode.

Want To Learn More?

• Why Do Companies Acquire Other Businesses?
• Earnouts When Selling or Buying a Business | Complete Guide
• Net Working Capital (NWC) for M&A – A Complete Guide

Additional Resources:

• Selling your business? Schedule a free consultation today.

• Download The Art of The Exit: The Complete Guide to Selling Your Business

• Download Acquired: The Art of Selling a Business With $10 Million to $100 Million in Revenue

If you have any topic or guest suggestions, please email them to [email protected].

When you sell your business, co-owner friction can destroy your hard-earned equity. This episode breaks down how internal disagreements affect your exit and why transparent communication with buyers preserves your leverage. You will discover how to resolve deep-seated stalemates through professional mediation, restructure uneven family roles, and implement robust buy-sell agreements.

View the complete show notes for this episode.

Want To Learn More?

• Navigating Partnership Disputes: Lessons from a Valuation Expert
• How to Sell Your Family Business
• Why Do Some Businesses Not Sell?

Additional Resources

• Selling your business? Schedule a free consultation today.
• Sign up for an Assessment and Valuation of Your Business.
• Courses: The Art & Science of Selling a Business
• Download The Art of The Exit: The Complete Guide to Selling Your Business
• Download Acquired: The Art of Selling a Business With $10 Million to $100 Million in Revenue

If you have any topic or guest suggestions, please email them to [email protected].

In this episode, we discuss how financial due diligence is different from your regular compliance bookkeeping and how to clean up your books to secure the highest possible purchase price. You'll discover how simple accounting mistakes can destroy trust with buyers, lead to sudden price reductions, and even kill a deal.

View the complete show notes for this episode.

Want To Learn More?

• The Role of Accountants When Selling Your Business
• M&A Due Diligence Preparation
• Quality of Earnings in M&A – The Ultimate Guide

Additional Resources

• Selling your business? Schedule a free consultation today.
• Sign up for an Assessment and Valuation of Your Business.
• Courses: The Art & Science of Selling a Business
• Download The Art of The Exit: The Complete Guide to Selling Your Business
• Download Acquired: The Art of Selling a Business With $10 Million to $100 Million in Revenue

If you have any topic or guest suggestions, please email them to [email protected].