hcwbizadvisors.com

Advisory services for business owners at every stage of exit readiness

You don’t need a 200-page textbook on M&A. You need a clear-eyed, practical partner to help you prepare.

What We Do For Sellers

We focus specifically on helping owners of service businesses get their house in order before buyers start digging in.

1.       Pre-sale readiness review
A structured review of your financials, operations, and key risks from a buyer’s perspective, so you can see what’s likely to come up in diligence before they do.

2.      Diligence and document prep
Support organizing the financial, operational, and legal information buyers will request — so you’re not scrambling for data room documents at the last minute.

3.      Valuation and deal framing support
Practical guidance on how buyers may look at your earnings, add-backs, and risk, to help you frame the story of your business more clearly.

4.      Owner role and transition planning
Identify where you’re still “in the middle of everything” and outline practical steps to make your business more transferable and less owner-dependent.

Why Readiness Matters Before You Go To Market

Most deals don’t fall apart because the business is bad. They fall apart because what buyers discover late in the process doesn’t match what they expected at the start. Solid preparation helps you protect your credibility, control the narrative, and keep momentum on your side.

  • Fewer surprises. Surface and address issues early, instead of reacting under pressure when a buyer uncovers them.
  • Clearer story. Present your numbers, operations, and growth story in a way that makes sense to serious buyers.
  • Smoother diligence. Move through diligence with organized, complete information instead of scattered files and last-minute requests.
  • More confident decisions. Understand the tradeoffs in offers, structures, and timelines so you’re not making big decisions in the dark.

Our Packages

We offer a practical, structured engagement — not a maze

Our packages are designed to keep the process straightforward so you know exactly what will happen and what you’ll walk away with at each step.

Package 1:
Starting with the Exit in Mind

For founders building a business they may sell someday

Outcome: Exit-Ready Foundations

Click Below for more detail:

Package 2:
Exit Prep

For owners planning to sell in approximately 3–5 years

Outcome: Seller Readiness Plan

Click Below for more detail:

Package 3:
Sale Ready

For owners planning to sell within  the next 6–12 months

Outcome: Sale Readiness Assessment

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Start With The Exit In Mind Package Details

At the end of this package the client walks away with:

  • a clear financial structure
  • owner-independent operating habits
  • awareness of what future buyers evaluate
  • a simple roadmap for building enterprise value


Deliverables could include:

  • Foundations checklist
  • Early-stage risk scan
  • Priority Improvement Roadmap (lite version)


Designed for early-stage business owners who want to build exit-ready habits from day one.

Rather than fixing problems later, this package helps founders structure their business in ways that create optionality, clarity, and long-term value.

Includes:

4 × 60-minute advisory sessions

Focus areas include:

  • Financial foundations
  • Operational structure
  • Customer strategy
  • Legal and structural considerations


This package draws from Phase 1 of the Due Diligence Readiness framework to establish strong business fundamentals.

Sessions may be weekly or bi-weekly depending on client preference.

Email support

  • Reminder email before each session
  • Recap email after each session
  • Midpoint check-in email between sessions (if spaced bi-weekly)

At completion the owner receives:

  • a structured data room framework
  • a buyer’s lens review of all 7 diligence pillars
  • identification of risks that could derail a sale
  • a prioritized plan to increase valuation and reduce diligence friction


Deliverables:

  • Data room template
  • Full Priority Improvement Roadmap
  • Diligence readiness checklist
  • Buyer’s Lens Review


This package is designed to help business owners optimize their business before entering the sale process.

Many deals fall apart during due diligence because preparation starts too late.
This program helps founders understand what buyers evaluate and begin aligning their business with that lens.

Includes

8 × 60-minute advisory sessions

Work includes:

  • Review of all 7 Due Diligence pillars
  • Creation of a structured data room
  • Identification of key risk areas buyers will evaluate
  • Practical improvements that increase business resilience and value


The final session is used for:

  • Recap
  • Prioritization
  • Next-step planning


Sessions may be weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly depending on client preference.

Email support

  • Reminder email before each session
  • Recap email after each session
  • Midpoint check-in email between sessions (if spaced bi-weekly or monthly)

At completion the owner receives:

  • A fully structured data room
  • A buyer’s lens diligence review
  • A valuation estimate
  • clarity on what buyers will ask during the process


Deliverables:

  • Completed data room structure
  • Priority Improvement Roadmap
  • Valuation estimate summary


This package focuses on accelerated preparation for a near-term sale.

When owners are approaching an exit timeline, buyers will expect clear documentation, organized financials, and a well-structured data room. This program prepares the business for that process.

Includes:

9 × 60-minute advisory sessions

Work includes:

  • Review of all 7 Due Diligence pillars
  • Full data room creation and organization
  • Identification of potential diligence risks
  • Preparation for conversations with buyers, brokers, and advisors


Final session includes:

  • Valuation estimate
  • Review of business positioning
  • Q&A about the sale process


Sessions may be weekly or bi-weekly depending on timeline.

Email support

  • Reminder email before each session
  • Recap email after each session
  • Midpoint check-in email between sessions (if spaced bi-weekly)
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Not ready for full advisory support? Start here:

A simple preparation roadmap designed to help you move through due diligence faster and with fewer surprises, so you protect your deal and your closing price.

The booklet gave me a helpful overview of what buyers are actually looking for and helped me level set on what my business really was and where I was at. There is so much noise out there about being "the best of X" and honestly it swept me up too — Heather's booklet brought me back to the facts of business, which I already know but needed the reminder. I appreciated that she captures the buyer's perspective without giving away trade secrets. She is clearly trying to help entrepreneurs become more attractive to buyers so they can actually have something to retire on, instead of just grinding forever without knowing how to get out. I look forward to revisiting the full booklet as my business grows.
Jen
Founder of Wave Healing