Working with experienced M&A business brokers simplifies the selling process. Instead of handling unfamiliar territory alone, you gain a strategic partner who knows how to position your company for premium offers.
Our M&A advisory approach follows the same rigorous methodology used by investment banks in large transactions. We apply these capabilities to lower middle-market deals, ensuring business owners receive the same level of protection and expertise.
Confidential Marketing That Protects Your Business
Confidentiality is the top concern for most business owners considering a sale. News of a potential transaction can unsettle employees, alert competitors, and cause customer concerns. Our M&A business advisors build protection into every step of the process to ensure your business identity remains secure until you’re ready to inform others.
We create a confidential information memorandum that highlights your company’s strengths without revealing its identity. Only buyers who sign NDAs and demonstrate financial qualifications receive detailed information. Your employees, customers, and competitors remain unaware until you choose to inform them.
Our proprietary networks and vetted acquisition platforms connect you with strategic acquirers, private equity groups, and other serious, qualified prospects, filtering out time-wasters.
Expert Business Valuation That Sets the Right Price
Pricing your business correctly is essential to a quick and profitable sale. Price is too high, and qualified buyers won’t bite. Price too low, and you leave money on the table.
Our M&A business advisors in Wisconsin provide complimentary valuations that determine defensible market pricing. Our methodology combines cash flow analysis, Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) multiple benchmarking, and comparable transaction data to assess where your company stands relative to recent deals in your industry.
This data-driven assessment often reveals overlooked value drivers, such as growth trajectory, customer relationships, proprietary processes, and asset quality, all of which impact what buyers are willing to pay. Understanding these factors before going to market allows you to address gaps and emphasize your company’s strengths.
Strategic Deal Structuring That Optimizes Your Outcome
The structure of your transaction significantly impacts your net proceeds, tax burden, and ongoing obligations. As your business advisor for M&A, we evaluate the best options to align with your priorities:
- Asset sales vs. stock sales: Different tax implications and liability transfers.
- Seller financing arrangements: Bridge valuation gaps while generating interest income.
- Earnout provisions: Tie a portion of the purchase price to post-closing performance.
- Consulting agreements: Provide transition income and ensure knowledge transfer.
- Non-compete terms: Balance buyer protection with your future flexibility.
Creative structuring often unlocks opportunities that simple cash transactions can’t. We negotiate terms that optimize tax efficiency, risk allocation, and transition timelines, aligned with your goals.
Due Diligence Preparation That Maintains Momentum
Buyers conduct thorough due diligence before committing capital. Organized sellers move through this phase more efficiently and maintain buyer confidence. Disorganized records can raise red flags and delay the process.
Our M&A advisory service helps you prepare for due diligence well before the buyer’s requests arrive. We assist you in assembling critical documentation, including:
- Three to five years of financial statements and tax returns
- Customer concentration analysis and contract summaries
- Employee agreements and benefit overviews
- Asset inventories and equipment condition reports
- Supplier relationships and lease term documentation
M&A business brokers at Lake Country Advisors coordinate the flow of information between all parties. We ensure prompt responses to buyer questions, identify potential issues early, and resolve them efficiently. This proactive support keeps the transaction on track, moving smoothly toward closing.
