Home / For Advisors / M&A Advisors
For M&A advisors, brokers & investment bankersYou run the process. We get the business ready. Fulkrem puts experienced fractional leaders inside founder-led companies 12 to 36 months before a mandate, building the things buyers pay for and keeping the business performing through the close.
Supply is coming and buyers are waiting. The bottleneck is seller readiness.
of Canadian small business owners plan to exit within ten years
CFIB, 2023
opportunity as Canadian SMEs change hands over the next five years
BDC, 2026
ten buyers for every seven sellers in Canada
BDC, 2026
of $5M–$50M owners engage an advisor without formal exit planning
IBBA & M&A Source Market Pulse, Q1 2026
None of these surprise an experienced advisor. Each one pushes price down, pushes structure toward deferred payments, or stops a deal from closing. Every one can be fixed, with enough runway.
Key relationships, decisions and know-how sit with the founder. Shows up as a lower multiple and more of the price tied to an earnout.
Late or unreliable financials, aggressive add-backs, mixed personal expenses. Shows up as quality-of-earnings adjustments, then a retrade.
One customer, supplier or contract carries too much of the business. Shows up as price discounts, special protections, or a buyer who walks.
No second layer of leaders, and key people with no reason to stay. Shows up as retention demands and deferred consideration.
Outdated shareholder agreements, unassignable contracts, messy records. Shows up as slower diligence and last-minute surprises.
No plan for life after the sale, and a business that slips while the owner is distracted. Shows up as cold feet or a deal that dies at the end.
Most readiness problems aren't fixable in the six weeks before a teaser goes out. Fulkrem works in the years before: a team that can run without the owner, numbers that hold up, and systems that make the business transferable.
We hand you a company that's easier to sell, then step back for the transaction. After the close, we can help keep the business performing through the transition, and support buy-side integration.
A 13-page guide for M&A advisors, business brokers and investment bankers working with founder-led companies: why deals break, what readiness does to price and structure, after the close, and how to work with Fulkrem on your mandates. Every figure is sourced.
Get the free guideThe Mini Freedom Score takes an owner about two minutes and shows where owner dependence, numbers and leadership stand. Use it to start the readiness conversation before you take the business to market.
Want a link tagged to your firm? Ask us.
Have a founder who isn't deal ready yet, or want to explore a referral partnership? Let's talk.
Partner with Fulkrem
Fulkrem™