sherpa
A business owner reviewing organized financial records

For business owners

You've built an amazing business. Now let it build your future. 

Preparing to sell your business can be an intimidating and emotionally intense experience. After all your hard work and long hours, let us help you optimize your business to sell. 

Explore preparation services

Make the work visible

Years of hard work shouldn’t just disappear.

Too often business owners doubt that their business is really worth selling and so they simply close the doors and send customers to a competitor. 

Your business with its customers and established practices is a great investment to the growing group of acquisition-oriented entrepreneurs.  

A bakery owner reviewing the day’s orders while her team prepares fresh dough

The value is in the way the work gets done.

From customer relationships to the routines and people that keep your business moving, that's a goldmine of knowledge. Using our proprietary PRIME business optimization approach, we help business owners optimize their business for buyers to merit the highest sell price.

Practical advisory

Preparation that gets into the details.

Financial cleanup & normalization

Make your financial story clear and supported by records.

  • Separate personal and business expenses
  • Clean up profit-and-loss reporting
  • Build accurate historical financials

Operational documentation

Keep hard-earned knowledge with your team, not just you.

  • Document processes and SOPs
  • Clarify roles and handoffs
  • Reduce dependence on the owner

Fractional leadership & strategy

Get focused leadership where the business needs it.

  • COO support for execution and operations
  • CFO support for financial visibility
  • Strategic advising to address bottlenecks

Value enhancement

Build a healthier business. No valuation or sale guarantees.

  • Build more recurring revenue
  • Improve customer retention
  • Understand and strengthen margins

Common questions

FAQ's

Can I prepare before I’m ready to sell?

Yes. Preparation makes your business easier to understand and operate, even if a sale is years away.

How long does it take to prepare my business to sell?

Our focus is to walk you through what needs to be done to achieve the highest sell price possible and then tailor that to your timeline.

How much can I get for my business?

Like selling a home, the more attractive and 'move-in ready' it is, the more interested buyers will be which will increase your selling price. With our PRIME program, your business becomes more appealing.

My business has a lot of competitors so it's not valuable

A lack of competition is not the only attractive feature of a busines. Good operations, people, and marketing can provide the new owner a springboard to future growth in spite of competition.

Scope matters

Legal & regulatory boundaries

Sherpa’s scope is preparation and consulting. It does not include marketing listings, soliciting buyers, negotiating transaction price, or arranging securities transfers. Those activities may require business-broker licensing, M&A intermediary registration, or broker-dealer registration depending on jurisdiction and circumstances. Consult applicable state and local law and qualified legal counsel.