How Transaction-Ready Accounting Increases Your Business Value
In this episode Jacob Oros of Morgan & Westfield talks with Roscoe Graves of Palaxis about the critical difference between everyday compliance accounting and the transaction‑ready financials needed for M&A due diligence. They explain how tax‑focused bookkeeping often overlooks monthly detail and narrative that buyers—especially private equity firms—scrutinize, and why having advisors experienced in deal‑specific accounting is essential. The conversation also highlights how the intent behind financial reporting shapes the quality of earnings, and reveals that a large share of small‑business books are subpar for sale, especially under $5 million in revenue.
Streamline Your Sale to Stop Your Deal From Collapsing
In this episode Jacob Oros hosts M&A attorney Alfonso Villaboa to discuss the role of the "quarterback" in low‑mid‑market M&A deals. They explain how coordinating advisors, managing personalities, and translating cross‑border legal and financial nuances—like working‑capital adjustments and immigration form...
Maximizing Your Business Valuation with a Sell Side QofE
In this episode Jacob Oros talks with M&A earnings expert Bill Wersama about sell‑side Quality of Earnings (QoE) analyses and why they’re crucial for business owners preparing to sell. Bill explains that a sell‑side QoE is a targeted, transaction‑focused review...
Why Moving Faster Can Save Your Business Sale
In this episode of M&A Talk, host Jacob Oros interviews Mark Adams, founder of Acquisitions For You, about his "money loves speed" approach to selling businesses. Adams explains how compressing the typical 7‑year private‑equity hold into 6‑18 months can keep...
Finding a Buyer Who Values Your Legacy
In this episode Jacob Oros interviews Ibrahim Abdel Rahim of Moonbase Capital about the world of search funds, focusing on how searchers—often duos of MBA‑educated operators—identify and acquire lower‑middle‑market businesses with 1‑5 million € EBITDA. Ibrahim explains Moonbase’s investment model, typically funding...
What Private Equity Buyers Really Want in a Business
In this episode Jacob Oros interviews Eric Wicklant, partner at Spaceside Equity, about the firm’s private‑equity strategy for middle‑market manufacturing businesses. Spaceside targets companies with $50‑500 million in revenue, focusing on misaligned ownership structures where they can apply a 27‑tool value‑creation...
Why Buyers Are Searching for Your Professional Service Business
In this episode Jacob Oros interviews Eric Brenner, a seasoned financial advisor who has completed 11‑12 acquisitions of wealth management, tax, and accounting firms. Brenner explains how the market has shifted from a handful of buyers to intense competition, driven...
Getting to a $10M Valuation
To walk away with $10 million after a sale, founders must target a pre‑tax valuation of roughly $15 million to cover capital gains, state taxes and transaction fees. The podcast episode outlines how companies can break through the revenue ceiling by decentralizing...
Build a Business That Sells Without You
In this episode of M&A Talk, host Jacob Oros interviews serial entrepreneur Travis Jameson, who has founded and exited a dozen businesses across tech, e‑commerce, SaaS, and health products. Jameson shares his core lesson for building a sellable company: make...
Avoid the Trap of Golden Handcuffs After You Sell
In this episode, Jacob Oros interviews serial entrepreneur James Gardner about his experience selling a manufacturing business and staying on as part of the acquiring company—a situation he describes as "golden handcuffs." Gardner shares how the post‑sale transition felt restrictive,...
M&A Earnouts for VC-Backed Companies
In this 30‑minute episode, the hosts break down how earnouts can bridge the valuation gap for VC‑backed companies during M&A transactions, emphasizing the need for solid legal structures rather than verbal promises. They walk listeners through the key clauses that...