Selling a business is not a quick decision. It is a strategic process that rewards owners who prepare early, understand what buyers evaluate, and build their company into a transferable, low-risk, and scalable investment. Many owners only think about the sale when they are already tired, ready to retire, or facing pressure. By then, value is usually left on the table.

Today’s topic we want to touch on is what the pool of potential buyers of your business, when we boil it down, are looking for. Now, if you’ve thought about selling your business–or are even just wanting to keep your options open, we want to help business owners, such as yourselves, reverse-engineer what private equity (PE) firms are evaluating so you can begin preparing now—before you may be even ready to sell. The goal is to position yourselves as a premium, investable company, not just a profitable one.