The Owner's Manual: Why, When, and How to Sell Your Business to Private Equity

Most owners don't plan the sale of their companies. Instead, they drift into it after receiving a "we're interested" email. The Owner's Manual helps prepare founders and owners for a potential sale years before that email is received. This book explains how private equity investors evaluate and price businesses so that if and when you are ready to sell your business, you can be well-positioned to get the outcome you want. Inside, you'll learn to: Think like a buyer: prioritize predictable cash flow, decrease key man risk, build durable revenue, reduce customer concentration, and focus on the metrics that move multiples. Baseline with EVRSTM: every business (based on its industry, size, and other factors) trades in a range of multiples. Where your business is in that range depends on seven elements. You'll see where you are in that range TODAY, and then you have a choice: remodel the business before selling, or take it to market as is. But either way, you'll know where you stand. Choose the right path: platform vs. add-on, when to go to market, and how to assemble a team that can help you from the time you contemplate selling all the way through to the exit. Understand that valuation is not the only consideration in selling a business: who you partner with matters, and how the deal is structured 'Arill be a function of how anti-fragile the business is. Avoid the traps: missed numbers, "market" myths, being unprepared, and other key factors that kill deals. With clear checklists, actionable takeaways, and case studies, this is the field guide for owner-operators who want a great outcome on purpose-not by accident. Better preparation means better multiples, cleaner terms, and your best shot at a life-changing sale. View Less