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PHASE 43–12 MO

Consulting

Consulting is the execution phase of Exit Engine's five-phase pathway. We close the value gaps that drag your multiple — financial cleanup, customer concentration, ops, tax structure, diligence prep — before any buyer ever sees the data room.

What it is

Ship the gaps. Tune the engine.

Consulting is where most of the value is created. The Value Acceleration Map is the plan; Consulting is the work. We bring specialists in across financial, ops, tax, legal, and team disciplines and run a coordinated program against your milestone plan until your business is genuinely diligence-ready.

Workstream depth

FINANCIAL

Reporting cleanup

Accrual conversion, normalized EBITDA, KPI dashboards, monthly close discipline.

OPERATIONS

Process documentation

SOPs for top processes, role definitions, vendor contracts, system-of-record cleanup.

CUSTOMER

Concentration de-risk

Diversification programs, contract length extensions, recurring revenue conversion.

TAX

Structure optimization

Entity structure, QSBS positioning, working-capital planning, state-residency review.

LEGAL

Reps & warranties prep

Contract refresh, IP assignments, employment agreements, indemnity exposure review.

TEAM

Owner-dependence reduction

#2 in seat, documented authority, key-employee retention, transition planning.

Cadence

WEEKLY
Standup with the workstream owners.
30 minutes. Status, blockers, decisions. Dashboard updated.
MONTHLY
Owner review.
Multiple-impact tracking, plan adjustments, advisor coordination.
QUARTERLY
Readiness re-test.
Refreshed Scorecard scoring against benchmarks. Go-to-market gate decision.
When consulting ends

Consulting ends when readiness scores cross our go-to-market threshold and the gaps that would generate diligence retrades are closed. Not before. We don't push to market on a calendar — we push when the engine is tuned.

FAQ

Questions owners ask about Consulting.

What is Exit Engine Consulting?

Consulting is the execution phase of Exit Engine's five-phase pathway. Specialists across financial, operations, tax, legal, and team disciplines run a coordinated program against your Value Acceleration Map until the business is genuinely diligence-ready.

How long does Consulting last?

Three to twelve months, depending on the size and number of gaps in the Value Acceleration Map.

What do I need before starting?

An approved Value Acceleration Map. Consulting executes that plan; it does not start from a blank page.

What is the working cadence?

A weekly 30-minute standup with the workstream owners, a monthly owner review of multiple-impact tracking and plan adjustments, and a quarterly readiness re-test against benchmarks that doubles as the go-to-market gate decision.

When does Consulting end?

When readiness scores cross the go-to-market threshold and the gaps that would generate diligence retrades are closed. Not before, and not on a calendar.

Do I have to go to market when Consulting ends?

No. Some owners keep operating a business that is now more valuable and less dependent on them. Going to market is your decision at the gate, not a condition of the engagement.

What kind of work is typically involved?

Accrual conversion and normalized EBITDA, SOPs and role definitions, customer-concentration diversification, entity structure and QSBS positioning, contract and IP refresh, reps-and-warranties exposure review, and key-employee retention and transition planning.

Will you work with my existing CPA and attorney?

Yes. Exit Engine coordinates with the advisors already in the room and does not re-perform tax, legal, or investment work they have produced.