Seller-side due diligence is a private review of your own company using a buyer’s checklist. The point is not to polish a fiction. The point is to find the issues while you still control the narrative, the timing, and the repair list.
Documents every business should prepare before an acquisition
Corporate records and cap table. Three to five years of financials and tax returns. Material customer and vendor contracts. Leases. Debt and guarantees. Employee and independent-contractor files. Insurance. Licenses. IP assignments. Litigation and claims. Related-party agreements. A quality-of-earnings folder if you expect a sophisticated buyer.
How to avoid delays in a business sale
Name an internal owner for the data room. Do not let every question go to the founder’s personal inbox. Answer in complete sets. If something is missing, say so and give the recovery date. Clean contracts before a merger — expired terms and unsigned amendments are among the fastest ways to stall a signing.
Business records affect valuation because they affect perceived risk. Preparing your business for sale is not a weekend project. Our Acquisition and Merger Preparation work is built for that private first review.