What is EBITDA, and why does it matter when selling a business? If you don't understand EBITDA and quality of earnings, you don't understand what your business is actually worth.

In this episode of MATCHplay, Thad Miller sits down with Matt Howard, Director at Blue & Co. LLC, to break down the language every business owner hears during a sale but few actually understand. Matt specializes in business valuation, transaction advisory, and quality of earnings, working on hundreds of deals across dental, veterinary, and small business markets each year. He lives inside the numbers that determine what a business is really worth and what actually holds up when buyers take a closer look. This conversation cuts through the noise and explains, in plain English, the terms that can make or break a deal. If you're planning to sell your business, thinking about valuation, or just want to understand how deals actually work, this episode is for you.

What You'll Learn:

• What EBITDA really means (and why it's often misunderstood)
• How "add-backs" work and where owners get it wrong
• What a Quality of Earnings (QoE) report is and why buyers require it
• The difference between headline valuation and real deal value
• What terms like JV and HoldCo actually mean in a transaction
• How deal structure impacts what you walk away with

About the Guest:

Matt Howard is a CPA, Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV), and Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA). As a Director in the Transaction Advisory Services Group at Blue & Co., he provides valuation, due diligence, and consulting services for businesses across the United States.

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