Building Your Deal Team

The single biggest predictor of a smooth close is the quality of the deal team assembled before you go to market. Owners who try to run a sale with only their accountant and a generalist attorney almost always leave money — or certainty of close — on the table.

Your core team should include four roles: an M&A advisor or broker who runs process and controls information; a transaction attorney who has actually papered SMB deals (not just commercial litigation); a CPA familiar with quality-of-earnings work; and a wealth planner who models post-tax proceeds before you sign an LOI.

Hire the team before the buyer shows up, not after. Reactive teams negotiate from behind. Proactive teams shape the data room, the working capital peg, the rep & warranty package, and the indemnity caps before any term sheet is exchanged.

Verta coordinates the team end-to-end so you stay focused on running the business through close — which is what protects valuation more than any negotiation tactic.