M&A Resource Center
Practical guides, templates, and education built for owners, acquirers, and advisors navigating deals in the $1M–$50M range.
📘 Essential Guide
How to Sell Your Business: A Complete Owner's Playbook
From prep to close — understand how buyers value your business, how to qualify buyers, and how to protect yourself through the process.
Free38 min read·Updated May 2026
📊 Template Pack
LMM Acquisition Due Diligence Checklist
The exact DD checklist used by LMM PE firms. Covers financial, legal, operational, customer, and tech due diligence. Includes scoring rubric.
Members OnlyExcel + PDF·147 downloads
📘
EBITDA Add-Backs: What Counts and What Buyers Will Fight You On
Owner comp, rent normalization, one-time expenses — learn what legitimately boosts your value and what will erode buyer trust.
📋
Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM) Template
The exact CIM structure PE firms and investment banks use. Fully editable — just drop in your numbers and narrative.
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SBA 7(a) Financing for Business Acquisitions: A Buyer's Guide
How SBA financing works in LMM deals, what lenders look for, what gets declined, and how to structure a deal to qualify.
🎬
Deal Structure 101: Asset vs. Stock Sale (What Buyers and Sellers Each Want)
Video walkthrough of the tax implications, liability differences, and negotiation dynamics of asset vs. stock deal structures.
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Letter of Intent (LOI) Template — Buyer Version
Non-binding LOI template with negotiation commentary. Covers price, structure, exclusivity, closing conditions, and rep/warranties.
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The Earnout Trap: How to Negotiate Earnouts That Actually Pay Out
80% of earnouts never pay in full. Here's how sellers get protected, what metrics matter, and what to never agree to.
📖
M&A Glossary: 120 Terms Every Buyer, Seller, and Advisor Should Know
From add-backs to working capital peg to ratchet to rep & warranty insurance — comprehensive LMM M&A terminology guide.
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Quality of Earnings (QoE) Review Prep Checklist
Prepare your financials before buyers bring in a QoE firm. Know what they'll find before they do — and how to address it proactively.
🎬
How PE Firms Evaluate Your Business (From the Inside)
A former PE associate walks through exactly what happens when a deal lands on a firm's desk — how they build the model and decide to proceed.
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How to Choose an M&A Advisor (And Avoid Getting Burned)
What separates great advisors from time-wasters: fee structures, exclusivity traps, marketing approach, and buyer network quality.
The Irongate Brief
Weekly M&A intel for the lower middle market — deal multiples, market trends, and practical advice. No fluff.
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