The boundaries, in plain language
What I don't do.
This list is longer than most consultants would put on a website. That's deliberate. Knowing exactly where somebody stops is how you know what they are.
No legal advice. No tax advice. No valuation of record. No listing, no buyer representation, and no commission, success fee or finder's fee. Not ever, on anything.
Some of this work needs a lawyer, a CPA, an appraiser, a lender or a financial advisor. When it does, I'll tell you. And I'll say who does it.
| I don't | Who does |
|---|---|
| Give legal advice or draft your agreements | A Texas business attorney. I'll help you know what to ask for. |
| Give tax advice or prepare returns | Your CPA. If you don't have a good one, that's usually finding number one. |
| Produce a valuation of record | A credentialed appraiser. What I give you is a read on what's holding the number down, not a number. |
| List your business or find you a buyer | A business broker or M&A firm, if and when you decide to go. I have no stake in whether you do. |
| Manage money or sell any financial product | A financial advisor. I don't take referral fees from them, so I have nothing to gain by pointing you anywhere. |
| Guarantee an outcome | Nobody honest does. What I'll show you is what moved, in numbers, every month. |
| Work with two direct competitors at once | Somebody else. One person can't build an information barrier, so I decline the second one. |
Questions about the lines
Do you sell businesses or represent buyers?
No. No brokerage, no listing, no buyer representation, no introductions to buyers. This practice grades a business the way a buyer would so the owner knows where he stands. It has no part in any transaction, and that is a permanent line rather than a current arrangement.
Do you ever take a commission or a success fee?
Never, on anything. No commission, no success fee, no finder's fee, no transaction-contingent compensation of any kind. No referral fees are accepted either — not from financial advisors, not from lenders, not from anybody. Fees are published and paid by the client, and that is the only way money moves.
Do you give legal, tax or valuation advice?
No. No legal advice, no tax advice, and no valuation of record. Where the work touches something needing an attorney, a CPA, an appraiser, a lender or a financial advisor, I say so plainly and say who does that work. The Readout states annual cash in dollars and buyer-pool effects in words — it never states a multiple or a price your business would sell for, because nobody honestly can.
Do you guarantee results?
No, and any guarantee in this line of work would be dishonest. What is guaranteed is the method: readings that were actually measured, a gap priced in dollars, a dated plan, and the same reading taken again to prove whether it moved. If it didn't move, that gets said out loud. And you can cancel any time, no notice and no penalty, which is a stronger protection than a promise.
If that's the kind of boundary you want, the next step is a call.
Talk to me