Numbers don’t just tell your story—they price it. We sat down with bookkeeper and accounting veteran Thrine Harpering of Cover Your Accounts to unpack what actually moves a business valuation: clean books, credible cash flow, and a due diligence package that answers buyer questions before they’re asked. We get specific about who does what—bookkeepers keep the ledgers clean and GAAP-aligned, CPAs optimize tax and can provide assurance—and why having both on your side turns messy spreadsheets into a believable, bankable narrative.

Across the conversation, we map the statements buyers trust most: income statement, balance sheet, and a cash flow statement that ties them together. We dig into how many years need to be spotless (two strong years minimum, three ideal), why margin drift matters even when revenue is flat, and how monthly reviews catch profit leaks early. Then we go beyond the P&L to the diligence checklist: AR aging, AP, debt schedules, tax returns, and the sleeper issue that kills deals—customer concentration. If any client tops 30 to 40 percent of revenue, contracts, retention plans, and thoughtful deal structures like earnouts or seller notes become essential.

We also get frank about the fastest ways sellers destroy value: mixing personal and business spend without clean categorization, stacking too many “one-time” add-backs, and relying on owner-centric operations that scare off buyers. You’ll hear practical fixes—use a separate equity line for personal items, document every adjustment, delegate client relationships, and keep payroll airtight. We clarify cash vs accrual accounting, when percentage-of-completion applies, and why matching revenue and expenses is key to a believable EBITDA. The throughline is simple: consistent, verifiable cash beats stories and supports stronger multiples.

If you’re preparing to sell or eyeing a purchase, this is your playbook for lowering risk and raising price. Subscribe, share with a founder who needs a clean-up, and leave a review to tell us the one metric you’ll tighten first.

To learn more from Thrine visit https://www.coveryouraccounts.com/.

Ready to explore your financing options? Visit horizonbrokers.com or call 703-910-7384 for personalized guidance on making your business acquisition dreams a reality.

The small business market isn’t quiet—it’s selective. We break down where real deals are getting done, why recurring revenue and sticky contracts pull top multiples, and how a subtle shift in SBA rates is reshaping buyer power and deal structures. From MSPs and janitorial services to landscaping and marketing firms, we explore the traits lenders love and buyers chase, and we contrast them with sectors fighting headwinds like restaurants, retail, and construction without maintenance contracts.

We also zoom in on the buyer landscape that’s fueling competition: corporate refugees, first-time buyers, hungry searchers with MBAs, and private equity moving downstream into the $500k to $1M cash flow range. That crowding lifts quality listings—especially when the exit process creates urgency. You’ll hear how we use a segmented, 13,000-strong buyer database to field multiple offers quickly, push highest-and-best terms, and evaluate more than price by weighing culture and leadership fit to protect teams and legacy.

If you’re a seller, you’ll get a practical roadmap to raise value before you list: clean books and documented add-backs, SOPs and cross-training to reduce owner dependency, long-term contracts to de-risk revenue, and real curb appeal that signals operational pride. We walk through valuation methods—equity, enterprise, asset, and liquidation—and show how creative structures can outperform a simple turnkey sale. We also call out modern deal killers and how to neutralize them: government disruptions in GovCon, labor shocks in construction, and tariff-driven margin pressure in manufacturing and distribution.

Whether you’re buying or preparing to sell, this conversation gives you the current playbook: what lenders need to see, how to compete as a buyer, and how to present a business that inspires confidence. If this resonates, subscribe, share it with a colleague, and leave a review—what should we dig into next?

Ready to explore your financing options? Visit horizonbrokers.com or call 703-910-7384 for personalized guidance on making your business acquisition dreams a reality.

Think your company is worth more than buyers will pay? We unpack the hard truths behind valuation, diligence, and deal risk so owners can protect price and actually close. Jeremy Wolf and Dustin Zeher walk through the exact steps they use to ground pricing in reality—industry benchmarking, NAICS alignment, live comps, and cash flow multiples that change with revenue scale. They explain why equipment and fixtures are typically included in the multiple, how buyer perception shapes value, and what to do when your “magic number” doesn’t match the market.

From there, we get surgical about financials. Clean books are the difference between a smooth SBA process and a stalled deal. You’ll hear how to make every dollar verifiable across tax returns, P&Ls, merchant statements, payroll reports, and bank statements, plus when recasting helps and when unverifiable cash forces a one-to-three-year reset. We also dig into confidentiality as a value shield—keeping employees, vendors, and clients calm until closing—and how to manage sensitive transitions with holdbacks, notes, or earnouts tied to client retention.

The diligence checklist goes beyond the basics: leases that match loan terms, vendor pricing and tariff exposure, customer contracts and backlog, workforce compliance, and licensing that may attach to individuals. We surface the biggest red flags—undocumented revenue, immigration issues, license gaps, and misrepresentations—and show sellers how to be transparent without oversharing too early. The playbook is simple but not easy: set expectations with data, run clean numbers, engage a seasoned CPA and attorney, and share the right details at the right time.

If you’re serious about selling or buying a small business, this guide will save you time, stress, and real money. Subscribe, share with an owner who needs it, and leave a review to tell us what topic you want next.

Ready to explore your financing options? Visit horizonbrokers.com or call 703-910-7384 for personalized guidance on making your business acquisition dreams a reality.