Many founders make one or all of these 3 understandable and potentially disastrous mistakes when selling; 1) use advisors without M&A experience, 2) get distracted by the M&A process and let business results suffer, 3) let their employees know they're selling too soon. All well-intentioned, stem from loyalty, familiarity, instinct, or transparency, and each one may lead to disaster.

If you're a #founder and moving toward a sale, or even responding to an unsolicited offer, it makes sense to get your financials in order by using an advisor with significant experience in M&A. Missing this simple step is often VERY COSTLY!

If you're a founder selling your business, and your buyer is a financial sponsor, it's important to know the difference between a traditional private equity firm and an independent or "fundless" sponsor...it matters.

What does it mean for Founders to “take chips off the table”? Many small business owners paused sale or transition plans due to the pandemic, but data from M&A sources continue to point to this being a unique moment with plentiful inexpensive capital for buyers, making it a seller’s market for high quality companies. Just might be time to find out what those M&A types mean when they talk about “taking chips off the table” …