“What is my business worth?”
The client is asking a market question, not only an accounting question. Clarify whether they need planning scenarios, a formal valuation, or transaction advice.
FOR CPAs AND ACCOUNTANTS
Exit Planning Resources for CPAs Serving Business Owners
Your client’s books may be accurate and still fail to answer the questions a buyer will ask. This resource separates accounting and tax work from buyer-lens readiness—then shows where the two must connect.
WHEN TO RAISE THE SUBJECT
Five client signals that exit readiness belongs on the agenda
Personal expenses and add-backs are growing
A buyer will test whether adjustments are documented, recurring, and truly discretionary. Build support before diligence.
Revenue is concentrated
Accurate revenue can still be fragile revenue. Customer, channel, and contract evidence affects buyer confidence.
The owner is still the operating system
Owner dependence often appears in payroll, margin, and staffing data before the client recognizes it as transaction risk.
A buyer or broker has called
Before sharing detailed numbers, help the client understand confidentiality, normalization support, and who should manage the process.
THE CPA’S LANE
What the buyer will expect the financial record to support
- A clear bridge from tax returns to internal statements and current trailing results
- Revenue and gross-margin trends that reconcile to source records
- Documented owner compensation, related-party items, and proposed add-backs
- Working-capital patterns, debt, leases, and contingent obligations
- Consistency between the seller’s story and the financial evidence
AICPA members engaged to estimate a business’s value may be subject to VS Section 100. Exit Desk does not perform that formal valuation engagement. Its scenarios are indicative and buyer-lens oriented.
WHERE EXIT DESK FITS
A pre-market companion—not a replacement for the CPA
Exit Desk adds
- Likely buyer types and how each may read the company
- Indicative valuation scenarios with explicit assumptions
- Buyer pressure points beyond the financial statements
- A prioritized readiness plan for the owner
Exit Desk does not replace
- Accounting, tax compliance, or tax advice
- A certified appraisal or standards-governed valuation
- Quality-of-earnings or audit procedures
- Brokerage, legal counsel, or personal financial planning
PARTNER WITH CLEAR BOUNDARIES
Give the client a buyer-side question set while you remain the trusted financial adviser.
Buyer-Lens Audit™ pricing is $199 under $1M revenue and $499 at $1M+. Exit Desk partners receive $100 per converted client, with no minimums or exclusivity. Referral compensation should be disclosed and handled under your firm’s policies and applicable professional rules.