Proof 1
The Books
Nothing else can be proven until the numbers can be trusted. A buyer prices only the cash flow their accountant can verify.
Read The BooksEveryone Exits Eventually
The eight proofs
A buyer pays for what you can prove, not for what you feel.
How to use this page
Each proof is one thing a buyer checks. Each one has four pieces of evidence. A proof scores only as high as its weakest piece, because that is the piece a buyer will push on. Pick the proof that worries you most and start there.
Proof 2
The Margin
Revenue is not value; margin is. If your job-level margin cannot be reproduced from your records, the buyer will re-cut it lower.
Read The MarginProof 3
The Team
A buyer is purchasing the people who do the work. A team that can show its goals and results earns a higher multiple.
Read The TeamProof 4
The Month
If the business needs you every day, the buyer is buying a job, and pays accordingly. A month away is the test.
Read The MonthProof 5
The Relationships
Referral relationships that live with one person leave with that person. A buyer pays for relationships the company holds.
Read The RelationshipsProof 6
The Paper
Licenses, the franchise agreement and the lease are what make the business legally transferable. Gaps here stop a closing.
Read The PaperProof 7
The Pipeline
A buyer is paying for next year's revenue, not last year's. They need to see where it will come from without you.
Read The PipelineProof 8
The Plan
Sellers who do not know what they need, or what they will do next, back out late or accept bad terms. Your plan protects the deal and you.
Read The Plan