The CPA’s code of ethics precludes them from appraising or valuing a business unless they have substantial experience buying and selling businesses, or are certified to do so.  Our valuations are completed by NACVA certified appraisers to value a business and have real-world experience in M&A versus theoretical knowledge.

Most accountants aren’t able to normalize financials and are not familiar with the types of adjustments agreeable to buyers. Whoever normalizes your financials should have experience selling businesses and be familiar with the types of adjustments buyers find acceptable.

No. That’s like going to a surgeon and asking for a :30 operation that routinely takes 4 hours. It would be a disservice to you providing an accurate valuation without conducting a full assessment of your business.  There are no two businesses that are alike and operate identically, thus there are too many variables to consider to take a broad brush stroke with.

There are dozens of companies using free valuations as a hook to get you into their database. If that’s your style to short-cut a process to create generational wealth for you and your family, please pass us by.

Yes is the short answer. Together, we will draft a deal team with your best interests in mind. There’s a specific timing for tax, legal and wealth advisors to minimize your expenses. An M&A attorney will step in early in the process and towards the end. If you’re dealing with a corporate buyer or private equity firm, or if the buyer’s attorney prepares the letter of intent and purchase agreement, you should have an attorney on standby to review the key documents. When we draft the offer and purchase agreement and the buyer makes minimal changes, your attorney will play a role.

Many firms require a contract as they work on a commission-only basis, meaning they don’t get paid unless they sell your business. This means you’re getting part-time effort and part-time results because they can’t afford to invest the required time with you upfront if they aren’t assured of a payday. For this reason, they require a long-term, exclusive contract. Our fee structure enables us to invest time preparing your business without an extended obligation.

Our agreement is simply an outline of our responsibilities, not a long-term contract or commitment. You agree to PAYG (pay-as-you-go) and can cancel or take your business off the market at any time. Unlike other M&A firms, there are no penalties for canceling. Refunds are prorated based on the amount of work completed.

Check our fee schedule here. We charge a fee when a specific service is being provided. Experienced advisors like JSP charge fees when we invest substantial time preparing businesses like yours for sale. It’s PAYG (pay-as-you-go) and you get what you pay for.

No. You pay each advisor (Tax attorney, M&A attorney, M&A advisor, Wealth advisor, Financial accountant) and other third parties directly.

Our fees vary as each transaction and each business case is different. Fees are determined by the type and size of your business, the industry you’re in, the marketing strategy and the services you choose, including teaser profile, pre-sale financial due diligence, targeted campaigns, etc. Some of our clients prefer we take a limited role while others request we do everything from cradle-to-grave.

Simply stated, once we’ve had a conversation or two ensuring we can collaborate to achieve the best outcome for you, we assess and evaluate where your business is today, where you want it to go and where it must go to become an attractive opportunity for a buyer; next, we prepare your business for sale, market your business to the universe of buyers and then close the sale of your business.

It’s a multi-step process, and it depends on your business. After we have a clear picture of your business valuation, we prepare a CIM (Confidential Information Memorandum) and a confidential one-page profile. The one-page teaser allows us to confidentially market your business to potential buyers with enough information to generate interest an excitement without divulging your identity. The methods we use vary depending on the size of your company and quietly putting the word out directly is a great tool.

The CIM goes to potential buyers who express interest after receiving the teaser. Buyers will then sign an NDA or Confidentiality Agreement allowing us to release some information on your business and still retain much of  the confidentiality we must have at this time. Additional marketing efforts include targeted outreach, professional video, voice and/or video calls, a car wash and in-person meetings.

In-person meetings generally occur later in the transaction. If the buyer requests to see your business in person, we arrange a face-to-face visit that are more in-depth with you and members of your team you’ve included in your decision to market your business.

Hiring an intermediary is an ideal strategy to ensuring a smooth, confidential transaction. We don’t disclose your information to buyers without a signed confidentiality agreement. Even then, information about your business is shared with potential buyers in measured stages as their level of interest increases and your case evolves. Using this phased approach maintains confidentiality and ensures we negotiate with serious buyers. We have developed proven strategies to ensure your cases’ process remains confidential from beginning to end.

Great question and one of the most misleading notions that bigger is better. Same as answering rifle vs. shotgun; there’s a time and  place for both. For most business cases, we want to focus like a laser to the niche community of buyers interested in your business vs. those like yours. History suggests few buyers are generated from a list of contacts. The best method we’ve found to sell any business goes beyond any uniform list of names in a database.