Forte Consulting Group
Business Transition Narrative
Buyers don't just buy numbers. Write a first pass here, before you need it for a real conversation. Rough is fine.
Business
Owner
1.How did this business start?
What's the short version of how you started or acquired this business, and why?
2.What does the business actually do, in plain language?
If you had 30 seconds to explain what the business does to someone outside your industry, what would you say?
3.What makes this business different?
Why do customers choose you over the alternative? Reputation, location, relationships, specialization, price, something else?
4.Who are your customers?
Describe your customer base in general terms: who they are, how long they tend to stay, how you reach new ones.
5.How does a typical year unfold?
Slow months, busy months, when cash is tight, when it's flush. How do you keep cash, staffing, and equipment lined up with the workload?
6.What does the team look like without you?
Who actually keeps the business running day to day? What would change if you stepped back for a month?
7.Where's the opportunity for a new owner?
What haven't you gotten to yet that someone with more time, capital, or a different skill set could take further?
8.Anything in the numbers worth explaining up front?
A slow year, a one-time expense, or a change in how you ran things is better explained here than left for someone to guess.
9.Why are you selling, really?
Buyers ask this early. A clear, honest answer builds more trust than a vague one.
Forte Consulting Group · forteconsultinggroup.com/apply