CIM (Confidential Information Memorandum)
The marketing document that sells your business to qualified buyers — your story, your numbers, your case for the price you want.
A Confidential Information Memorandum, usually called the "CIM" or "the book," is the document a seller (or their advisor) puts in front of qualified buyers after they've signed an NDA. It's part marketing pitch, part financial summary, part risk disclosure. A typical CIM runs 30–60 pages and covers the business overview, the market opportunity, financial performance, customer base, organizational structure, growth opportunities, and the reason for sale. For deals above roughly $1M in earnings, the CIM is standard. For smaller deals, it's often replaced by a tighter document called a "teaser" or a one-page summary that buyers see before signing the NDA.
The CIM is your one shot to control the narrative before buyers start poking holes — and the document buyers use to decide whether your business is worth a closer look.
Buyers can tell within ten pages whether the CIM is honest.
Find out what a buyer would see in your business — before you talk to one.
The Exit Desk free assessment takes 2 minutes. If you'd rather see what a full report looks like first, read a sample.
