Practical guidance for business owners navigating ownership transition, succession, and equity compensation.
A reference for the financial ratios buyers, lenders, and acquirers use to evaluate a closely held business, with benchmarks and what each number signals.
May 19, 2026 · 8 min read
How owners of closely held businesses should think about gross profit, net income, and operating margin, and what each number signals to a buyer.
May 19, 2026 · 7 min read
How LLC members should think about buy-sell agreement structure, valuation, funding, and the gap between an operating agreement and a buy-sell provision.
May 19, 2026 · 7 min read
How partners should think about buy-sell agreement structure, triggering events, valuation, and the funding gap that breaks most agreements.
May 19, 2026 · 7 min read
A buy-sell agreement protects your ownership, your partners, and your business when life changes. Here's how they work, what they cover, and the mistakes that make them worthless.
March 26, 2026 · 7 min read
Performance equity compensation defined in plain English. What it is, how it differs from bonuses, the main instruments, and why closely held businesses use it.
March 23, 2026 · 7 min read
A management team that wants to buy the company isn't enough. Lenders need to see cash flow, track record, deal structure, and skin in the game before they'll finance a management buyout.
March 19, 2026 · 7 min read
Key employees don't leave just for money. Learn how phantom stock, SARs, and performance equity can retain your best people without diluting ownership.
March 16, 2026 · 7 min read
Business valuation in a management buyout isn't the same as valuation in a third-party sale. Here's what owners get wrong and how to use valuation as a planning tool, not a weapon.
March 9, 2026 · 7 min read
