If you're thinking about selling your business, growing its value before a sale, or just trying to understand what it's actually worth — you're not alone. These are the questions we hear most often.
The honest answer: it depends on who's buying it and how prepared you are when they show up.
A standard valuation gives you a number based on financial metrics — revenue, EBITDA, industry comps. That number is a starting point, not a ceiling. What a buyer actually pays depends on 26 specific value drivers across your operations, market position, and strategic factors. Two businesses with identical financials can sell for wildly different multiples based on how those drivers are performing.
The 26-factor assessment shows you which drivers are working in your favor and which ones are suppressing your price. It's the most accurate picture of what your business is worth — and what it could be worth. Take the free 26-factor assessment →
They're two different numbers. Valuation is a calculation. Transaction value is a negotiation.
Your business might be worth $50 million by every reasonable measure. But the price a buyer actually pays depends on how the deal is structured, how the negotiation goes, how many buyers are competing, and how well you've prepared the business to withstand due diligence. Earn-outs, rollover equity, and performance milestones can all reduce the real value of a deal below the headline number.
ZLV works on both sides — building the underlying value of the business and positioning the transaction to capture that value in the actual deal terms. See how our process works →
Multiples vary by industry, but the range within any industry is wider than most founders realize.
A manufacturing company might sell for 4x EBITDA on the low end and 12x on the high end. A SaaS business might range from 6x to 20x+. The difference isn't the industry — it's the specific combination of value drivers inside the business. Recurring revenue, customer diversification, management depth, growth trajectory, market position — these push a deal from the bottom of the range to the top.
Generic multiples are useful as a baseline. They're not useful as a target. The 26-factor methodology identifies exactly which drivers are suppressing your multiple and which ones could lift it. Learn how the 26-factor assessment works →
The transaction itself typically takes 3 to 9 months from go-to-market to close. But that's the wrong timeframe to think about.
The businesses that achieve the highest multiples — 6x, 10x, and beyond — spent 6 to 12 months preparing before the first buyer ever knew their name. Preparation means optimizing the value drivers that buyers will evaluate. It means closing the gaps that would otherwise become negotiation discounts. It means going to market from a position of strength, not urgency.
The total timeline from first assessment to closed deal is typically 12 to 36 months. The founders who give themselves that runway get the best results. See the full three-phase process →
A business broker lists your business and finds a buyer. An M&A advisor prepares your business, positions it, and engineers the transaction.
Brokers typically work on a commission model — their incentive is speed, not price maximization. They take the business as it is and find the best available buyer. For straightforward transactions, that works fine.
ZLV starts earlier. We assess the business, identify where value is being left on the table, help you close those gaps, and bring the business to market in a position that commands a premium. The preparation phase is what separates a reasonable outcome from an exceptional one. Read how ZLV's process is different →
We work with founders and owners of companies generating at least $15 million in annual revenue.
Most of our clients fall in the $15M to $500M revenue range. The sweet spot is businesses with real revenue, real operations, and real exit potential — but whose owners sense that the number they've been quoted doesn't reflect the full value of what they've built.
If you're below $15M in revenue, the 26-factor assessment and The M&A Multiplier Playbook are still valuable resources. The methodology works at any scale. The advisory engagement is where the revenue threshold applies. Download The M&A Multiplier Playbook →
We don't specialize in industries. We specialize in value drivers.
The 26-factor methodology works across sectors because the drivers that determine valuation — recurring revenue, customer diversification, management depth, market position, operational documentation — are universal. We've produced results in technology, eCommerce, transportation, digital media, and publishing, among others.
What matters isn't your industry. It's whether your business has untapped value drivers that a focused engagement could activate. The assessment tells you. See case studies across industries →
You can. The question is whether you should.
Selling a business is a different skill set than running one. The negotiation dynamics, deal structures, buyer psychology, due diligence process, and legal complexity are all areas where experience matters. And the mistakes tend to be expensive.
The founders who achieve the highest multiples aren't the ones who negotiate hardest. They're the ones who prepare best — and who have experienced guidance through every stage of the process. Apply for a strategy session →
That might be the best time to start.
The businesses that exit at the highest multiples didn't begin preparing when they were ready to sell. They started 12 to 36 months earlier — when there was still time to optimize value drivers, close gaps, and go to market from a position of strength.
Every improvement you make in preparation for a sale makes your business better regardless of whether the sale happens. Better operations. Stronger management. Cleaner finances. The process pays for itself even if you decide not to exit. See why timing matters →
It's a diagnostic that scores your business across 26 specific value drivers — the same dimensions sophisticated buyers evaluate before making an offer.
The 26 factors are organized into three categories: Operational Drivers (financials, technology, operations, management depth), Market Drivers (growth trajectory, recurring revenue, market position, barriers to entry), and Value Accelerators (impact mission, brand equity, data strategy, activated culture). Each factor gets scored from zero to ten. The complete picture shows you exactly where value is hiding and where it's being left on the table.
You can take a free self-assessment version online in about 15 minutes. The deep diagnostic happens during a ZLV engagement. Take the free 26-factor assessment →
Nothing. The Strategy Session is free.
It's a 60-minute working session where a ZLV advisor goes deep on your 26-factor assessment results. You leave with a clear picture of which gaps are suppressing your multiple, which ones can be closed quickly, and what a realistic preparation path looks like for your business.
There's no pitch at the end. No obligation. It's a working session, not a sales call. If there's a fit for working together, that will be clear to both of us. If there isn't, you'll still leave with more clarity than you came in with. Apply for a strategy session →
Most M&A firms show up when you're ready to sell. They take the business as it is, build a deck, and start shopping. Their job is to find a buyer for what exists.
ZLV shows up earlier. We transform the business first — then bring it to market. The difference is typically millions.
The 26-factor methodology is the mechanism. It's a scored diagnostic that identifies exactly where value is hiding and exactly what it would take to capture it. No other firm uses this framework. And the firm was built by Steve Little — a serial entrepreneur with 6 personal exits to nine-figure valuations who has been on both sides of the table. He built the system because he needed it himself. Read Steve's story →
The best way to get a specific answer for your situation is to take the 26-factor assessment and bring your results to a strategy session. Every business is different. The assessment shows you yours.