The decision to sell is rarely made overnight, and the best results almost never come from rushing to market. The owners who achieve the strongest outcomes treat the year before a process as preparation time — sharpening the business, the story, and their own readiness.
Months 12–9: Get the house in order
Start with financial clarity. Clean books, consistent reporting, and a credible recast of earnings form the foundation buyers will underwrite. This is also the time to address any obvious risks — a single dominant customer, a key-person dependency, or deferred investments that a buyer would flag.
Months 9–4: Build the story and the team
- Document the growth thesis — where the next chapter of value comes from.
- Strengthen the management team so the business runs beyond the owner.
- Assemble your advisory team: investment banker, M&A attorney, and tax advisor.
Months 4–0: Go to market with discipline
With preparation done, a well-run, competitive process does the heavy lifting on price and terms. The work you did in the prior months is what gives buyers confidence — and gives you leverage.
You only sell your business once. The preparation you do beforehand is the highest-return work you’ll ever do on it.
Objective Investment Banking Group