Business advisory · Southeast US

Selling your business shouldn't feel like losing it.

Advisory for owners — where we still believe a handshake is worth something.

$500k+
EBITDA we serve
10+
Years operating
5
Exit paths we run
SE
Regional focus
Why owners choose us

Three things that actually change your outcome.

01

We've sat in your chair.

Most brokers and advisors have never operated a business. Between us, we've spent more than ten years founding, buying, and running them. We know the rhythm of a P&L, the weight of a payroll, and what it feels like to sign on the buyer's side of a deal. That experience changes every conversation we have with you.

Live engagement
In progress
Where you are
Prep
Value
Market
Negotiate
Close
Weeks in process14
Qualified buyers engaged9
IOIs received3
Owner satisfactionHigh
02

Bookkeeping is part of the work.

A business sells for a multiple of clean numbers. Most don't have clean numbers. So we built bookkeeping in-house — it's the foundation of every full consulting engagement we take on. The difference between organized books and disorganized ones is often the difference between a 4x and a 6x. We won't let your deal die in the data room.

Diligence readiness · Sample
Monthly close
Closed within 10 business days
✓ Clean
Balance sheet ties out
Reconciled to bank statements
✓ Clean
Revenue recognition
Consistent across 36 months
✓ Clean
Segment P&L
By location and service line
✓ Clean
4x → 6x
The multiple clean books can unlock
03

The right exit. Not the fastest one.

Most advisors get paid when a deal closes. That math creates pressure to close any deal. We work on every exit path — outside sale, family transition, internal sale, ESOP, recap — so we can match you to the one that actually fits your business and your life. Sometimes the right answer is "not yet." When it is, we'll say so.

Exit pathway analysis · Sample
External sale
Possible
Family transition
Not a fit
Internal sale to GM
Best fit
ESOP
Not a fit
Recapitalization
Possible
Hold & grow
Possible
Our recommendation: an internal sale to your GM, structured over five years.
The decision before the decision

The first choice you make is who's in your corner.

Most owners don't realize how different these options are until they've already signed with the wrong one.

 
Handshake & Co. Us
Traditional broker
Selling on your own
Who's in your corner
Operators who've been the seller and the buyer.
~ A broker. Sometimes experienced, often not.
No one. You're negotiating against your own buyer.
Bookkeeping & prep
Built in. We clean the books before we market.
Not our problem. You hire a bookkeeper. Or don't.
Whatever you have. Buyers will discount accordingly.
Exit paths considered
All five — external, family, internal, ESOP, recap.
~ Whichever closes fastest.
Whatever shows up at your door.
Incentive alignment
We'll tell you when the timing is wrong.
~ Paid on close. Pressure to close any deal.
The buyer has an advisor. You don't.
After the close
We stay on through transition.
Wire hits. We're done.
You and the new owner. Good luck.
Fee structure
Transparent, aligned with outcome.
~ 10–15% commission, often with retainer.
Hidden costs — legal, accounting, time, mistakes.
The Handshake way

Six steps, from first coffee to wire.

Most engagements run two to three years from start to close — because the work that adds value takes time, and the work that doesn't isn't worth doing.

i
Month 1
Discovery
A coffee, then a real look. No pitch, no contract.
ii
Months 1–2
Readiness
Books, contracts, concentration, key-person risk.
iii
Months 2–18
Preparation
Cleaning books, de-risking, growing the multiple.
iv
Months 18–22
Market
Confidential and targeted. The right buyers.
v
Months 22–26
Negotiate
Price is one of a dozen terms. All of them.
vi
Year after
Transition
We stay on. The year after close is harder.
What we do

Five services. One philosophy.

Owners who've been through it
"They didn't push me. They asked the questions nobody else had asked, and by the end of it I knew what to do."
— Former owner · Kentucky services business
What we believe

The owner is the client. Not the buyer. Not the lender.

"We won't always tell you what you want to hear. We'll always tell you what we'd tell our own father."
Common questions

What owners ask us in the first ten minutes.

I'm not ready to sell yet. Is it too early to talk?+
No. The best engagements we run start two to three years before close. The earlier we know your business, the more value we can build into it before it goes to market. The first coffee isn't a sales meeting — it's the start of a relationship, however long it lasts.
My business is small. Do you still work with me?+
Our sweet spot is $500k+ EBITDA. Below that, we'll be honest about whether we're the right fit and point you to good people if we're not. We'd rather you find the right home than force ours.
How are you different from a broker?+
Three real differences. We've operated businesses, not just sold them. Bookkeeping is built into the work, not punted to a third party. And we'll tell you when the right move is to wait, hold, or sell internally instead of running to the market — because we don't get paid only on close.
What does it actually cost?+
It depends on the engagement type — growth consulting, sell-side, capital raise, and brokerage all have different structures. We'll walk you through specifics on the first call and never spring a surprise number on you later. Most engagements blend a modest retainer with a success fee tied to the outcome.
How do you protect confidentiality?+
Your business name never appears in a public listing. Buyers see a blind teaser and sign a confidentiality agreement before any identifying information is shared. We coordinate with you on disclosure to employees, customers, and lenders so nothing leaks before you're ready.
Will you make me use your bookkeeping team?+
For full consulting engagements, yes — with one exception. If your existing team is genuinely capable, and we'll be honest about whether they are, we'll work with them. The standard isn't who provides the books. It's whether the books are good enough.
What happens on the first coffee?+
Thirty minutes. We ask about the business, you ask about us, and we both decide if there's a reason to keep talking. No deck, no slide reveal, no pressure to sign anything. If we can't help, we'll tell you who can.
Who picks up when I call?+
Logan or Zack. We're a small firm by design. You won't be passed to an associate. The person you meet over coffee is the person who runs your engagement.

Pour a coffee. We'll do the same.

Thirty minutes. No deck. No pitch.

Schedule a coffee → Or email Logan
Where we still believe a handshake is worth something.

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