You Need the Dream Team to Sell Your Business
When it comes to selling a business, no one should go it alone. You need a Dream Team.
Depending on the size and complexity of your business, your team may be big or small—but it needs to be strategic. If you’re the seller, that means surrounding yourself with professionals who understand transactions, taxes, legal structures, and what the sale will actually mean for you and any equity partners. If you’re the buyer, you want strong due diligence, a transactional attorney who fits the size and scope of your deal, and a team that knows how to spot red flags. Either way, the right people with the right expertise can make or break the outcome.
Let’s start with your M&A advisor—your lens to the market. This is the person who understands valuation, knows how to position your business, and markets it confidentially and intelligently. They’re the one who connects the dots between buyers, whether that’s a strategic competitor, a private equity firm, or a roll-up looking for the perfect add-on. And they’re the one managing the entire process—working with your lawyers, your CPA, the buyer’s team—to negotiate terms, manage diligence, and get the deal closed.
Next comes your attorney. Not just any attorney—a transactional one. There’s a big difference. You want someone who does deals like yours all the time, not a generalist. A good transactional attorney will structure the agreement properly, navigate regulatory compliance, and know how to mitigate risks before they become problems. They’ll save you time and money on both sides of the deal, and they’ll keep the paperwork from dragging the process down.
The same goes for your CPA. Just like not all lawyers are dealmakers, not all accountants are transaction-savvy. I’ve seen deals fall apart because the CPA wasn’t equipped to handle due diligence. You need someone who can not only prepare clean financials but also speaks the language of buyers, lenders, and M&A advisors. The right CPA can spot issues early, find solutions, and make sure your numbers tell the right story. Most importantly, they can help structure things in a tax-efficient way that doesn’t surprise you at closing.
I also like to bring in a strong wealth manager and tax advisor at the very beginning. Long before we list the business, I want my clients to know what they’ll walk away with after taxes, debt payoff, and closing costs. Post-sale planning is just as important as the sale itself. And with the right planning, we can optimize how those proceeds are structured and invested to protect your future.
Now, let’s talk about preparation—because that’s where most sellers fall short. If you want top value, you can’t just decide to sell and hope for the best. You need to prepare your financials, clean up anything messy, and make sure the business is presented in a way that’s attractive to a buyer. Especially if your EBITDA is under $2 million or you're a sole owner, it’s essential to show the full earning potential of the business in a way that resonates with a future operator. Every buyer is going to dig deep during due diligence—so get ahead of that curve. Resolve outstanding debts, tighten up your books, and understand the risks a buyer will see.
To truly position your business for sale, you need to think like a buyer. Understand their motivations, their concerns, and the risks they’re trying to manage. Then take a hard look at your business and deal with the issues that might raise questions or reduce value. This is where your M&A advisor becomes even more important. We do this every day. We know what matters, what doesn’t, and how to present your business in a way that makes buyers feel confident and excited—not hesitant.
Bottom line: you need a Dream Team. Maybe your starting point is your CPA, or your wealth manager, or maybe it’s me—your M&A advisor. However you begin, surround yourself with experts who know how to guide you through this process. Because when you get the right team in place, everything else becomes easier. You avoid costly mistakes, gain insight you didn’t know you needed, and most importantly—you get results.
Schedule a consultation and let’s talk about your business.