The Influence of Interest Rates on M&A Strategy
If you want to understand what’s happening in M&A, follow the money. And few forces shape the cost — and availability — of money more than interest rates. Over the past two decades, I’ve watched …
Preparing to Sell Before a Recession: Risk or Opportunity?
You’ve built something real. Revenue is up, your team is humming, and your customers are locked in. But then… headlines start to shift. Inflation rises. Interest rates follow. Capital markets tighten. Whispered warnings of a …
How to Use Profitability Benchmarks to Inform M&A Timing
M&A timing isn’t about guessing.It’s about positioning. One of the most overlooked — yet powerful — ways to control that timing is by anchoring your business to industry-specific profitability benchmarks. Why? Because buyers aren’t just …
How to Strategically Reduce Business Risk Over Time
In M&A, every buyer is asking the same question: “How risky is this business after I buy it?” No matter how exciting your growth story or how strong your EBITDA, risk shows up as discounts, …
Creating a Budget With Exit Planning in Mind
When founders think about budgeting, it’s usually about next month’s payroll, next quarter’s marketing spend, or getting through year-end. But when you’re preparing to sell your business — whether that’s in 1 year or 5 …
The Role of Deferred Revenue and Accruals in Exit Strategy
In every M&A deal — especially founder-led exits — there’s always one moment where things start to feel a little… tense. The deal team starts digging into the revenue recognition, deferred revenue balances, and accrual …
Preparing for Quality of Earnings (QoE) Long Before the Deal
If you talk to founders who’ve been through M&A — or listen to almost any episode of the Legacy Advisors Podcast — one phrase comes up more and more often during diligence discussions: Quality of …
Building a Financial Story Buyers Trust in M&A
When you get deep into an M&A deal, there’s a universal truth that becomes crystal clear: Deals don’t fall apart because buyers can’t read spreadsheets. They fall apart because they don’t trust the financial story. …
Building Ecosystem Value: More Than Just Profitability
In the world of M&A, most founders obsess over EBITDA, revenue growth, and margin expansion. And they should — those financial metrics absolutely matter. But the founders who consistently command premium exit multiples — the …
Preparing for ESG Due Diligence: A Strategic Imperative
If you’re a founder thinking about your exit — especially in today’s evolving M&A market — there’s one phrase that’s showing up in diligence conversations more often than ever: ESG. For years, Environmental, Social, and …