WHAT WE DO
Three stages, matched to where the business is.
We engage with founders at any stage. Most begin with the free diagnostic and the Exit Readiness Assessment.
ENGAGEMENT MODEL
Three Stages. One role: your advocate.
Magis Advisory works with founders and owners across the full arc of exit preparation — from the early structuring work that improves the outcome to the active support that carries through close and beyond.
STAGE 01: THE NATURAL STARTING POINT FOR FOUNDERS ONE TO THREE YEARS FROM A POTENTIAL SALE
Exit Readiness
Project-based
1 to 3 years before a sale
The Exit Readiness Assessment: the business as a buyer will see it, before advisors are engaged and before a process begins. We identify the gaps that suppress valuation, the risks that will surface in diligence, and the preparation with the highest leverage for the situation.
SCOPE
Market position & differentiation
Financial profile and EBITDA normalization
Revenue quality and customer concentration
Operational and diligence risk
Owner readiness and post-close clarity
Prioritized preparation roadmap
WHEN
1 to 3 years pre-transaction
FEE STRUCTURE
Fixed-fee project
ROLE
Assessment & roadmap
Shifts to retainer when preparation work begins.
STAGE 02: FOR FOUNDERS WHO HAVE DECIDED TO SEEK A BUYER OR INVESTOR AND NEED TO PREPARE
Transaction Readiness
Monthly retainer
6 to 12 months before going to market
You get an executed roadmap. We work on the financial profile, the equity story, diligence documentation preparation, and the positioning that produce a better outcome once a process begins.
SCOPE
Financial profile & presentation
Process design & buyer universe preparation
Positioning & buyer narrative
Operational documentation & risk remediation
Deal team selection & process preparation
Ongoing decision support
WHEN
6 to 12 months pre-transaction
FEE STRUCTURE
Monthly retainer
ROLE
Active preparation & advisory
Continues as the process launches.
STAGE 03: FOR FOUNDERS DETERMINED TO SELL WHO WANT INDEPENDENT, FOUNDER-SIDE COUNSEL
Deal Support
Monthly retainer
Active process through close and the transition after
Founder-side advisory during a live transaction. We interpret and translate what buyers and their advisors are doing, protect the founder's position at each decision point, and stay through the close and after. Our client is the founder, not the deal itself.
SCOPE
IOI, LOI, and purchase agreement interpretation
Diligence preparation and process management
Deal structure and proceeds implications
Earnout and rollover equity evaluation
Decision support at inflection points
Post-close transition and integration
WHEN
Active process through close
FEE STRUCTURE
Monthly retainer, no transaction fee
ROLE
Active advisory
“30 to 40 percent of lower middle market deals are re-traded. The typical cut is 5 to 12 percent of price.”
TAKE THE FREE DIAGNOSTIC
Think your business is ready?
Take the free diagnostic and see how a buyer would score your business.