MOTENZA BUSINESS ADVISOR / BUYER DECISION SUPPORT

Business Acquisition Check

Before you buy the business, examine the financial story.

An asking price and a seller's summary are only the starting point. This scoped review examines the supplied financial information, questions key earnings adjustments, and identifies the cash needs and unresolved issues that deserve attention before your next commitment.

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Buyer-focused review · Defined scope · Clear unanswered questions

A preliminary financial review—not an audit, formal valuation, full quality-of-earnings engagement, legal opinion, investment recommendation, or guarantee that a business is suitable to purchase.

Know which questions to ask before the deal moves further.

The earnings story relies on adjustments.

You want to understand what supports the seller's add-backs and which assumptions need more evidence.

The business may need more cash after closing.

Inventory, receivables, payment terms, and operating commitments can affect the amount of cash you need beyond the purchase price.

You need a focused review before a larger diligence engagement.

You want an organized first look at the financial information and a better brief for your attorney, CPA, or transaction team.

Designed for a single operating-business target with accessible financial information. Complex groups, regulated targets, contested transactions, or limited seller cooperation may require a different scope or a specialist team.

Move beyond the headline profit number.

Reported performance.

Examine the supplied revenue, expense, and earnings trends, identifying material movements and information limitations.

Earnings adjustments.

Ask whether stated owner expenses, one-off items, or other adjustments are supported and relevant to the buyer's expected operating model.

Financial consistency.

Compare supplied records and selected statement periods to flag discrepancies. Missing evidence remains an open issue—it is not treated as verified.

Cash and obligations.

Review available receivables, inventory, payables, financing obligations, and assumptions about the cash required to operate after closing.

Buyer questions.

Turn findings into a prioritized information-request list and topics for further professional diligence.

Limits and dependencies.

Distinguish a supported observation from an assumption or unanswered question. Read the findings alongside the available records and the agreed limits of the review.

A defined review before your next decision.

01 — Define the business and the review scope.

Confirm the transaction stage, available documents, your intended use of the review, and the limitations.

02 — Examine the supplied information.

Assess consistency, earnings adjustments, cash considerations, and the support available for key claims.

03 — Separate findings from open questions.

Document what the records indicate, what depends on assumptions, and what requires further evidence or specialist review.

04 — Walk through the decision materials.

Review the findings and the next questions with your team. The expanded package adds deeper coverage and scenario analysis.

SEE THE THINKING

The multiple changes when the earnings assumption changes.

Consider a hypothetical asking price of $1.30 million and seller-presented adjusted annual earnings of $320,000. Suppose $60,000 of the adjustments lacks adequate support in the information provided.

Takeaway

At the same asking price, a different earnings basis changes the ratio of asking price to adjusted annual earnings. The next step is to investigate the evidence—not to assume the business has been valued or the seller's figure has been disproved.

Illustrative example — not a client result, valuation, investment recommendation, or market multiple benchmark. The working earnings basis is an analytical assumption, not audited or verified earnings.

Illustrative example — not a client result or forecast.

SAME ASKING PRICE · DIFFERENT EARNINGS BASIS

Asking price$1.30m

Seller-adjusted annual earnings$320,000

4.1×Asking price / seller-adjusted annual earnings

Seller financial summaryProvided
Support for $60,000 adjustmentsOpen question
Transaction diligenceAdditional review needed

An analytical comparison, not a valuation or verified earnings.

View the example figures

Item	Illustrative amount
Asking price	$1,300,000
Seller-presented adjusted annual earnings	$320,000
Adjustments excluded in the review scenario pending support	-$60,000
Adjusted annual earnings in the review scenario	$260,000
Asking price / seller-adjusted annual earnings	4.1×
Asking price / scenario-adjusted annual earnings	5.0×

A clearer set of questions and decision materials.

Financial findings memo.

A scoped written review with the evidence considered, material observations, and limitations.

Earnings adjustment schedule.

A side-by-side comparison of the seller's earnings adjustments and the alternative assumptions used in the review.

Open-issues register.

Questions, missing documents, and areas where specialist diligence may be necessary.

Buyer walkthrough.

A structured discussion of the findings and the next information to request.

Seller question list.

An organized set of follow-up questions identifies explanations and supporting records to request. Your team manages seller communications and any further diligence.

Scope and evidence notes.

The findings memo explains which information was considered and where the analysis is limited. Missing records are not treated as independently verified facts.

DEFINED SCOPE. TRANSPARENT PRICING.

Choose the level of support you need.

Essential Deal Check

$2,500Project fee

Best for

Buyers seeking an initial financial screen before deciding how to proceed with diligence.

One acquisition target and one operating entity.
Review of up to 12 months of supplied financial results.
Comparison with up to three selected months of statements for up to three business financial accounts.
Review of seller-presented earnings adjustments using the evidence provided.
High-level review of available debt and working-capital information.
A findings memo, earnings adjustment schedule, and seller question list.
One 60-minute buyer walkthrough.
One consolidated written clarification round.

Selected-period comparisons are not a full reconciliation or independent verification of the business's records.

Request Essential Deal Check

Deeper decision support

Expanded Buyer Review

$5,000Project fee

Best for

Buyers with more complete records who need broader coverage and scenario-based decision materials.

Everything in Essential Deal Check, with these upgrades:

Up to 24 months of financial results plus current year-to-date information.
Statement comparison expanded to up to 12 months for up to three business financial accounts.
Review of available customer concentration and revenue/margin trends.
A scoped working-capital analysis and post-close cash-needs schedule.
Base, downside, and transition-cost scenarios using agreed assumptions.
Two sessions in total: one 60-minute findings session and one 45-minute scenario session, replacing the single walkthrough in Essential Deal Check.
One update to the findings memo based on a consolidated seller response received within 10 business days of the initial walkthrough.

Why choose this package?

The additional $2,500 provides broader historical coverage, cash-needs analysis, and a second decision session. It is designed for a buyer who needs to understand not only the reported performance, but also the assumptions that could change the economics after closing.

Neither package is a full quality-of-earnings engagement, business valuation, tax diligence, legal diligence, broker opinion, or recommendation to buy securities. Specialist work and transaction execution are separate.

Request Expanded Buyer Review

The review is generally planned for approximately 10–20 business days after the agreed records are received. The written engagement confirms the schedule and any dependence on seller responses.

Clear scope. Clear pricing. No payment at submission.

The prices shown apply to the defined package scope. We confirm business fit, data availability, deliverables, timing, and the final fee in a written engagement before work begins. You will not be charged by submitting a request. Additional entities, complex records, specialist work, or expanded scope may require a separate quote, disclosed before you decide.

Third-party fees and taxes, where applicable, are not included. No recurring subscription is created by submitting this form.

QUESTIONS, ANSWERED

Before we begin.

A financial review is one part of evaluating a business purchase. Knowing what the review can—and cannot—answer helps you use the findings with the rest of your professional team.

Give the numbers their context.

Transaction stage: Explain whether you are exploring a target or already reviewing seller information.
Available evidence: Identify the reporting periods and records the seller can make available.
Your open question: Focus on earnings adjustments, cash needs, or a financial inconsistency you want to understand.

The review supports further questions. It does not replace legal diligence, a formal valuation, or a full transaction review.

Is this the same as a full quality-of-earnings report?

No. This is a limited financial review with a defined scope. A formal quality-of-earnings or full transaction diligence engagement may require substantially broader procedures and an appropriately qualified transaction team.

Will you tell me exactly what the business is worth?

No formal valuation is included. We can show how the supplied information and alternative assumptions affect selected financial comparisons. That is not an appraisal, market valuation, or fairness opinion.

Can you guarantee that the seller's records are accurate?

No. Findings depend on the information supplied and the agreed procedures. Unsupported items and unavailable evidence are identified as limitations or open questions.

Do I need the seller's permission to provide documents?

You must have the right to share the information and comply with any confidentiality obligations. Do not send seller documents through the initial public form.

Can my attorney or CPA use the findings?

The materials can help organize the questions you discuss with your professional team, subject to the engagement's use and confidentiality terms. Those professionals remain responsible for their own advice and procedures.

Will you negotiate or close the purchase for me?

No transaction brokerage, negotiation, legal drafting, escrow, or closing service is included in these packages.

START WITH SCOPE, NOT A PAYMENT

Bring the deal into clearer focus.

Tell us where you are in the purchase process and what financial information is available. Do not include confidential seller documents in this form.

01 / Share your question02 / Confirm the right scope03 / Agree in writing

A short description is enough for the first conversation. Focus on the purchase you are considering and the financial question behind it.

What helps us review your request

The business and the stage: Share the industry, approximate asking price, and where you are in the buying process.
The question to examine: For example, seller add-backs, an unexplained earnings change, or post-close cash needs.
The records available: Describe the type and period of information available. Do not paste confidential seller records into this form.

Only share information you are authorized to provide. Document requirements, permitted use, and confidentiality terms are agreed before the review.

Your advisory request

Full name Email address Business name Use your buyer entity name, or your name if an entity has not been formed.Phone number (optional)Optional. Your phone number does not enroll you in text-message marketing.

Package preferenceWhat business purchase are you evaluating?

Please do not include passwords, account numbers, tax identification numbers, personal identification documents, or confidential seller records. Only share information you are authorized to provide.

Service: Business Acquisition Check
Package: Expanded Buyer Review
Displayed project fee: $5,000

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All advisory services

Business-purpose advisory only. Availability is subject to fit, data quality, service capacity, and a written engagement. No financing approval, cost savings, recovery, profitability improvement, acquisition outcome, or other financial result is guaranteed. Illustrative examples are not client results. Any specialist or third-party service is subject to its own scope and terms.