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 evaluating your growth — they’re comparing your margins, cash flow, and efficiency against your peers.…

When most founders think about getting acquired, they focus on top-line growth, brand value, or customer acquisition. But sophisticated buyers care just as much — sometimes more — about what’s underneath that growth. Your balance sheet is where buyers go to find truth. It reveals your financial maturity, your risk…

When it comes time to sell your company, buyers don’t just care about what you’ve done — they care about what’s next. They’re asking: “Can this company perform in the future the way it says it can?” And the only way to answer that question credibly is with a well-built…

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, delays, or deal-killers in the eyes of a buyer. At Legacy Advisors, we help founders…

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 — your budget needs to tell a different story. An exit-ready budget doesn’t just keep…

You’ve probably heard this line before: “It’s not what you sell your company for — it’s what you keep.” And it’s absolutely true. At Legacy Advisors, we’ve helped dozens of founders navigate exit planning, and one of the most overlooked — but incredibly impactful — aspects of a successful deal…

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 accounting. If you’re not prepared, this is where seemingly small accounting issues can knock millions…

One of the biggest mistakes founders make when thinking about selling their company is assuming exit timing is purely emotional or market-driven. “We’ve grown a lot, I think we’re ready.”“The market is hot, maybe now’s the time.”“I’m getting tired, maybe I should sell.” Emotion plays a role — but smart…

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 Earnings (QoE). QoE has become a standard component of professional diligence. And while most founders…

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. As I’ve shared repeatedly with founders at Legacy Advisors — and on multiple episodes of…