Many owners of lower middle market businesses have spent years and even entire careers successfully building their companies prior to thinking about selling their life’s work. Having minimal exposure to the M&A process within the lower middle market can place business owners in a challenging situation- having to quickly navigate the myriad sell-side M&A solutions offered by investment bankers and business brokers. While these intermediaries serve a valuable function by sourcing buyers and positioning a company for sale, they are motivated by success fees and their expertise, buy-side contacts, and capabilities vary widely.

Too often, business owners enter sell-side M&A engagements with a sub-optimal fit. Worse, owners do not always have an independent source of advice throughout the M&A process to ensure the most important financial transaction of their lives is executed effectively.

Owners commonly rely on their existing tax accountants and attorneys for M&A advice, and while experts in their own domains, these local professionals may not have significant deal experience within private M&A markets.

VVAM is uniquely positioned to walk with clients through the M&A process as an unbiased source of strategic advice and current private market information such as trends related to valuations and deal structures. Bringing the experience and perspective from the founder’s involvement as a buyer within the lower middle market offers VVAM clients access to sophisticated advice as part of VVAM’s transparent AUM Fee.