Diligence (due diligence)

Where it shows up in the book

• IntroductionWhere Your Company FitsDoes this book apply to a business like mine?
• Chapter 1The Hidden Reality of Selling a BusinessIsn’t selling my business like selling anything else?
• Chapter 2How Buyers Really ThinkWhat is the buyer across the table really thinking?
• Chapter 4Why Timing Matters More Than You ThinkShould I wait one more year to sell?
• Chapter 5The Sell-Side Quality of EarningsWhy would I pay to audit my own numbers?
• Chapter 6Cleaning Up the Financials and Normalizing EBITDAMy books are fine. Why isn’t that enough?
• Chapter 7Reducing Risk Before Going to MarketWhat will a buyer use to chip at my price?
• Chapter 8Building a Management Team Buyers TrustCan my business run without me?
• Chapter 9Pre-Sale Tax and Estate PlanningHow much of the sale do I actually keep?
• Chapter 10Building the Right Advisory TeamWho do I need on my side, and how do I choose them?
• Chapter 11What an Investment Banker Actually DoesDo I need a banker, and what do they actually do?
• Chapter 13Crafting the NarrativeHow do I tell the story of my business to buyers?
• Chapter 14Running a Competitive M&A ProcessHow does the sale process actually work?
• Chapter 17Indications of Interest (IOIs)What do the first offers really tell me?
• Chapter 19Final Bids and Letters of Intent (LOIs)What am I really signing when I sign the LOI?
• Chapter 20ExclusivityWhy is the period right after signing so dangerous?
• Chapter 21Confirmatory DiligenceWhat happens when the buyer looks under every rock?
• Chapter 22Negotiating the Definitive AgreementsWhat am I actually agreeing to in the final contracts?

Look it up in a sentence, then read the chapter

Nothing in the book needs a dictionary of jargon to follow, but when a piece of deal language shows up, this is where it is defined. The chapters hold the reasoning.