Investment Banker vs Business Broker: When to Hire Which (Deal Size Decision Tree)
Investment banker vs business broker: the deal-size decision tree. Cost, process, and outcomes at each tier from $500K Main Street to $50M+ IB-grade. The category most owners get wrong.
What Professional Exit Planning Actually Costs: A Fee Breakdown by Advisor Type
Real-dollar advisor fees for selling a business. M&A advisor, transaction CPA, M&A attorney, wealth manager, tax attorney. Typical $3M to $15M deal advisor stack: $80K to $250K. When to DIY which roles.
Recasting Financial Statements for a Business Sale: The Buyer-Ready Cleanup
How sellers recast GAAP financials into buyer-ready Adjusted EBITDA before LOI. The 7 standard categories, QoE alignment, documentation packet, and a worked HVAC example moving $400K reported EBITDA to $720K defensible.
How to Write a Letter to a Prospective Buyer of Your Business: The Outreach Template
How to write a cold or warm outreach letter that gets serious strategic and PE buyers to respond. Letter structure, buyer archetypes, NDA timing, sample templates, and the introductory call agenda.
Business Valuation Before a Partnership Buyout (2026): How to Set the Number
How to value a business before a partnership buyout: buy-sell agreement methods, standards of value, minority and marketability discounts, tax treatment, and the deferred compensation structures that get deals closed.
How to Sell a Business ‘By Owner’: The Complete FSBO M&A Playbook
FSBO business sale playbook for owners selling without a broker. When it works, when it doesn’t, the 6 documents you need, where to find buyers, and the realistic cost comparison.
What to Do With Business Sale Proceeds: The Post-Exit Capital Allocation Playbook
Post-exit capital allocation playbook for founders with 8-9 figure liquidity events. Pre-close tax setup, the 3-bucket strategy, family office decisions, and the 12-month pause rule.
Are Business Valuation Expenses in Divorce Tax Deductible? The 2026 Rules
Are divorce-related business valuation fees tax deductible in 2026? The post-TCJA framework, the trade-or-business exception, the basis-capitalization rule, IRC Section 212, and the documentation owners need to defend a deduction.
How to Sell Your Business to Your Spouse: The Related-Party Sale Playbook
Selling your business to your spouse: IRC Section 1041 spousal transfer rules, valuation requirements for related-party sales, installment notes, gift tax considerations, and the divorce-litigation traps to avoid.