You hear the questions before we do.

Most business owners don’t start with an exit plan. They start with questions.

What is my business actually worth? Who could take it over? What would I walk away with? Am I ready?

They rarely bring those questions to an M&A advisor first.

They bring them to you — the accountant at year-end, the lawyer reviewing a lease, the banker renewing a facility, the wealth advisor asking about retirement.

You can tell when a client is starting to think about what’s next, but isn’t ready for a sale process.

Too often, the only next step seems to be a leap from “I’m thinking about it” to “Let’s sell.”

There’s a missing step in between.

A place to understand the options, assess the business, identify what’s missing and make an informed decision — before anything is put on the market.

That’s why we built Valuation & Market Analysis.

It’s a planning exercise, not a transaction.

No buyers are contacted. Nothing is listed. There’s no obligation to sell.

In three weeks, the owner receives a business-specific analysis built around their numbers, market position and goals, followed by a working session to walk through the findings.

They leave with clarity on:

• What the business could be worth in today’s market, and how that changes by buyer type and succession path
• Who the potential buyers are and how different buyers evaluate a business
• What drives value and the practical steps that could improve it
• How tax, wealth and legal planning fit together — and what’s still missing
• What a successful sale actually requires, including the realities of due diligence
• How ready they are — and whether the right answer is to go now, optimize first, or wait

This isn’t a formal valuation opinion or a valuation for tax, estate or litigation purposes.

And it doesn’t replace your role.

It works alongside it.

So when a client says:

“I’ve had someone ask if I’d sell.”

“My kids might take it over.”

“I have no idea what it’s worth.”

…it may be time to connect.

Sometimes the right answer is to sell.

Sometimes it’s to prepare.

And sometimes it’s to wait.

The important thing is knowing which one.

Jim Friesen, MBA, CPA, CM&AA
Founder