Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers about how we work, what we do and don't do, and what you can expect.
Are you a business broker?
No. We are an independent buyer-side acquisition consulting practice. Unless separately licensed and expressly engaged, we are not a business broker, securities broker, investment bank, CPA firm, law firm, licensed appraiser, insurance broker, loan broker, environmental consultant, engineer, or fiduciary. We are not compensated based on whether your transaction closes, and our work does not depend on a deal happening.
What size deals and buyers do you work with?
Our focus is acquisitions up to roughly $20 million in revenue, primarily in construction, specialty trade, manufacturing, and service-oriented businesses. Many of our clients are buying into these industries for the first time, often coming from a different professional background entirely. That's exactly who this practice is built for.
Do you guarantee you'll find every problem with a business?
No. Our service is not represented as exhaustive, and we do not promise to identify every issue. Our purpose is to provide structured guidance on common and material acquisition pitfalls, elevate important questions, and help you determine when specialized legal, tax, accounting, insurance, licensing, environmental, or engineering review is required. Absence of evidence is not evidence that a risk doesn't exist. Where information is missing, we say so.
What happens to confidential information I share with you?
We treat client, seller, employee, customer, vendor, and transaction information as confidential unless it's public, disclosure is authorized, or legally required. We request only the information reasonably necessary for the engagement, limit access to authorized systems, and follow the data handling and retention terms in your engagement agreement. Please do not submit Social Security numbers, account credentials, or protected health information through our website's contact form. We'll direct you to a secure method once engaged.
Does filling out the contact form or having an initial call create an advisory relationship?
No. Website use, downloads, calculators, forms, or preliminary conversations do not create an advisory relationship. Substantive work begins only after a written engagement agreement is executed, except for clearly limited preliminary discussions.
How long does an engagement take?
It depends on the stage and scope. An initial screening review is typically fast: the point is to help you decide quickly whether deeper diligence is warranted. A full due diligence engagement takes longer and depends on how quickly documentation is made available and how complex the target business is. We'll give you a realistic estimate during your Initial Fit Consultation.
Is this worth paying for if I might not even end up buying the business?
It's a fair question, especially early, before you know if a deal will happen. That's exactly why our fees are scoped by stage: an initial screening costs far less than full diligence, so you're not committing significant money before you know whether the target warrants it. Relative to the cost of a bad acquisition, or of discovering a six-figure issue after closing, a modest consulting fee spent early, while you still have leverage to act on what's found, is a small, controllable expense.
What if you don't think additional work is worth the cost?
We'll tell you. We don't recommend work just because it can be billed. If, at any stage, we believe further analysis won't meaningfully change your decision, we'll say so, before you spend more money with us, not after. We're obsessed with providing real value, and that includes telling you when we can't add more of it.
Will I still need a CPA, attorney, or other professionals?
In most cases, yes. We identify matters that require legal, tax, accounting, insurance, licensing, environmental, engineering, or valuation expertise, and we explain why the referral matters and what question to ask. We are not a substitute for those professionals, and we do not provide definitive legal, tax, or regulatory conclusions ourselves.
Why don't more consulting firms offer independent, buy-side-only services?
Mostly economics. The larger paydays in this industry come from brokering deals, work with outsized fees relative to the risk and effort involved, which leaves little incentive for advisors to instead take on buy-side-only work: less money, more hours, and more exposure, in exchange for representing only the buyer. We do it anyway, because we've personally experienced, and watched other buyers experience, the pitfalls of relying solely on a seller-aligned broker for independent guidance. Plenty of brokers do good, honest work; their incentives are just structurally different from yours, and the good ones may not be listing the business you're trying to buy.
How do you handle professional liability and insurance for this kind of work?
Errors & omissions coverage for independent acquisition advisory work is expensive, and for many firms, the size of a typical small-business transaction doesn't justify the premium relative to the fee, which is part of why so few firms offer this service. We manage it through the depth of our process and clearly defined engagement scope, and our experience and engagement volume help us secure more favorable coverage terms than a firm without that track record typically could.
What if you discover a problem after you've already shared your findings?
If we discover a material error, omission, or change in facts after we've shared our findings, we notify you promptly, provide a corrected and clearly dated explanation of what changed and why, and preserve the original findings as a distinct record. We do not silently revise or quietly replace a prior conclusion.
Is AI used in your analysis?
AI tools may assist with research organization, drafting, calculations subject to validation, and quality checks. AI-assisted analysis is a drafting and research aid. It is not a substitute for professional judgment. No AI-drafted analysis, risk finding, or recommendation is delivered to a client until a qualified human advisor at the firm has personally reviewed and approved it.
Should I just use ChatGPT or another AI tool to review this myself?
A general-purpose AI chatbot can help you organize questions or summarize a document you feed it, but it hasn't seen your seller's actual books, licenses, contracts, or lease, and it can't independently verify a number, request a missing document, or know what a specific industry's red flags look like unless you already know to ask. It's a useful supplement to your own judgment, not a substitute for a structured, document-by-document review from someone who has actually operated a business like the one you're buying.
What if I decide not to proceed with the acquisition?
That can be a successful outcome. Our mission is to help you make an informed decision, not to help a transaction close. If the evidence points to Renegotiate, Pause Pending Additional Information, or Do Not Proceed, we'll tell you, even if that's not what you were hoping to hear. Any fees tied to work not yet performed at that stage are voided; the specific terms are outlined in your engagement agreement.