Exit-Ready · For owner-operators selling their business

Don't leave multiples
on the table.

Buyers discount the same four operational gaps in nearly every owner-operated business. I deliver the fixed-scope projects that close those gaps before you list, so the premium goes to you.

1–3x EBITDA buyers discount
$3M–$9M swing on a $3M-EBITDA business
12–24 mo typical prep runway
Book a 20-min scoping call See the project menu

Every project is fixed scope and fixed price, delivered in weeks without a retainer or success fee.

What Buyers See

Every buyer runs the same playbook.

PE firms and strategic acquirers don't negotiate against your numbers; they negotiate against your risks. They find the same four operational gaps in nearly every owner-operated business, quote them as discounts at the table, then fix those exact gaps in the first 90 days after close. The value uplift their pitch deck brags about is the value you left on the table.

Key-person dependency

Critical knowledge lives in your head. Customer relationships are yours personally. Buyers see a business that can't run without you.

Typical discount: 0.5x to 1.5x EBITDA

Limited visibility

No real dashboards, inconsistent reporting, financials that need explaining. Buyers can't underwrite what they can't see.

Typical discount: 0.25x to 0.5x EBITDA

Legacy or duct-taped systems

Outdated ERP, disconnected tools, manual workarounds. Buyers see integration cost and operational risk before they see your margin.

Typical discount: 0.25x to 0.75x EBITDA

Undocumented operations

No SOPs, tribal knowledge, processes that "just work." Buyers see transition risk and hidden fragility.

Typical discount: 0.5x to 1x EBITDA
Combined, these gaps cost sellers 1 to 3x EBITDA at close. On a $3M EBITDA business, that's a $3M to $9M swing in the sale price. Closing even one of them before you list pays for the project several times over.

Free DIY tool

Want to size your own gap first?

The Business Growth Wizard is a free, open-source scorecard built around the same buyer-discount framework above. Estimates your business valuation, scores your operational maturity across eight value drivers, and surfaces the gaps that move multiples most. No signup, no email gate.

Try the Wizard →

Why Now

Buyers fix this stuff on day one. Why not get the credit yourself?

Every acquirer runs the same playbook in the first 90 days after close: dashboards, documented SOPs, modernized tools, transition coverage. They quote those gaps as discounts during negotiation, then capture the value themselves after the deal. The only question is who gets paid for the fixes.

What buyers do after they buy
What I deliver before you sell
Operations
Key-person dependency
Hire operators to replace the owner
Owner Dependency Map + transition playbook
Reporting and visibility
Install dashboards and modern reporting
Operations Dashboard Build
Tribal knowledge
Standardize and document every process
Cortex SOP Deployment
Manual workflows
Automate the obvious bottlenecks
Quick Win Automation Sprint
Sale Mechanics
Brand and digital presence
Refresh the public face under new ownership
Brand & Digital Refresh
Diligence materials
Build the data room after LOI
Diligence-Ready Data Room

How It Works

Pick a project. Get it done in weeks.

Each project is fixed scope and fixed price, with no multi-year runway and no success-fee carve-out. Run one or sequence several over the months before you list.

01

Scoping call

A 20-minute call where you (or your broker) walk me through the business and the timeline. I tell you which projects would move the needle most, in priority order, at no charge.

20 minutes, free
02

Fixed-price proposal

A one-page proposal with the project scope, deliverable, timeline, and price. You sign it or pass, with no pitch decks or slow follow-ups either way.

Sent within 48 hours of the call
03

Deliver and hand off

The work ships in the timeline named on the proposal. You walk away with a concrete asset (a dashboard, an SOP system, a data room, a refreshed brand) that's yours to keep. I'm out, your broker takes it from there.

2 to 8 weeks per project, typically

The Project Menu

Six projects. Fixed scope. Fixed price.

Each project below targets one of the buyer-discount gaps above. Pick the ones that match your situation, or book a scoping call and I'll tell you which matter most for your business.

Closes: Undocumented operations + Key-person dependency Highest leverage

Cortex SOP Deployment

Tribal knowledge becomes queryable, transferable, and survives the sale.

$5,000 4 weeks
  • Cortex OI deployed in your environment (your data never leaves)
  • Guided interviews to capture 50+ procedures from you and your team
  • Knowledge graph buyers can review during diligence
  • Queryable SOP system that survives the transition to the next owner
  • One-time deployment, no subscription required
Closes: Limited visibility

Operations Dashboard Build

Numbers buyers can underwrite without you having to explain spreadsheets.

$5,000–$8,000 3 weeks
  • Real-time KPI dashboard pulling from your existing data sources
  • Accounting, CRM, ops tools connected through standardized reporting
  • Clear visibility on revenue, margin, pipeline, and key operational metrics
  • Diligence-ready presentation that doesn't depend on the owner's narration
Closes: Key-person dependency

Owner Dependency Map

A written audit of every place the business depends on you, plus the playbook to cover it.

$2,000–$4,000 2 weeks
  • Written audit of customer relationships, supplier deals, decisions, and knowledge concentrated with you
  • Transition playbook showing a buyer (and your future replacement) how to cover each one
  • Risk-ranked so you know what to fix first
  • Lowest-ticket entry point, sets up the bigger projects cleanly
Closes: Legacy systems + manual workarounds

Quick Win Automation Sprint

One manual process buyers would wince at, automated end-to-end.

$5,000 2 weeks
  • One process burning 5+ hours per week
  • End-to-end automation built and deployed
  • Working system in production, not a recommendation
  • Removes the most obvious operational tell in diligence
Closes: Deal friction

Diligence-Ready Data Room

Organized and indexed before LOI, not after.

$3,000–$6,000 2 weeks
  • Organized, indexed data room with all the standard diligence sections
  • Documents, dashboards, and supporting materials a buyer's team will ask for
  • Built in close coordination with your broker or M&A advisor
  • Brokers can hand this directly to qualified buyers
Closes: First impressions and broker-marketability

Brand & Digital Refresh

What a serious buyer (and your broker) sees first.

$1,000–$3,000 1–2 weeks
  • Website refresh on a modern, conversion-aware architecture
  • Updated brand presentation, photography, and public-facing materials
  • Optimized for AI search and traditional SEO out of the box
  • The cheapest project on the menu and often the first thing a buyer looks at

Projects range from $1,000 to $8,000, with no retainer or success fee. Bundle as needed.

Not sure which projects fit your situation? Book a 20-minute scoping call and I'll tell you straight.

Book the scoping call

Why Me

Most prep advisors hand you a PDF. I hand you working systems.

Exit-prep is typically run by consultants who write recommendations and bill hourly while someone else (or no one) implements. I work the other way around. The deliverable on every project here is something you can hand to a buyer or use the day after I'm gone.

Software is the unfair advantage

Most operational fixes buyers care about (documentation, dashboards, system modernization) are bottlenecked by software, not strategy, and that's the bottleneck I remove.

  • Full-stack engineer who ships production systems
  • Custom internal tools, automation, AI integrations
  • What used to take consultants two years, I ship in months

Real deliverables, no consultant theater

Each project on the menu has a named asset you walk away with, without the 200-page slide decks or 8-week discovery sweeps along the way. If I can't deliver it in weeks, it's not on the menu.

  • Fixed scope, fixed price, fixed timeline
  • Working systems, not recommendations
  • Your team keeps everything

Cortex OI does the heavy lifting

My operations-intelligence platform is purpose-built for capturing and operationalizing the tribal knowledge that costs sellers the most at close. It's the single biggest reason I can run the SOP work in weeks instead of months.

  • Self-hosted in your environment, data never leaves
  • Knowledge graph buyers can review during diligence
  • See how Cortex works

Is This Right For You?

I'm selective about who I work with.

I'd rather tell you up front if we're not a fit than waste your time. The scoping call is free either way, and if I don't see a path to real value, I'll say so.

Great fit if

  • $1M to $10M EBITDA manufacturing, distribution, trades, or owner-operated services business
  • Planning an exit in the next 12 to 24 months (or your broker has flagged the listing as not-yet-ready)
  • You want concrete deliverables you own, not advisory hours
  • Open to honest feedback about what a buyer will discount you for
  • Comfortable paying for fixed-scope project work out of operating budget

Not the right fit if

  • A deal is already in late-stage negotiation
  • You want help negotiating, not preparing
  • Primarily venture-backed software or pure professional services (different playbook)

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you take a success fee?

No. Every project is fixed scope and fixed price, billed independently of whether or when your business sells. If you want a success-fee partner who'll co-own your outcome, that's a different model and I'm not the right person.

How early should I start?

The sweet spot is 12 to 24 months before you plan to list. Earlier is better for the bigger projects (Cortex SOP Deployment, Operations Dashboard) because they compound. Even 3 to 6 months out, there's still real value to be captured on the smaller projects.

Are you a broker or an M&A advisor?

No. I don't list businesses, I don't negotiate deals, and I don't take a cut of your sale price. I deliver the operational projects that make your business present better when your broker takes it to market.

Will you work directly with my broker or M&A advisor?

Yes, and I prefer it that way. The Diligence-Ready Data Room project in particular is built in close coordination with whoever's running your transaction.

What happens after delivery? Do you stick around?

No retainer required. Each project is delivered, documented, and handed off. If you want me back for a follow-up project, the door is open. If not, your team owns everything.

Are you only for industrial businesses?

The buyer-discount framing is sharpest for manufacturing, distribution, trades, and owner-operated services. The projects work for most owner-operated businesses in that EBITDA range. Book the scoping call and we'll see if your situation fits.

Can I bundle multiple projects?

Yes. Most sellers run 2 to 3 projects in sequence over the months before listing. The scoping call covers which order makes sense for your timeline and budget.