Why should a business owner contemplating the sale of his or her company engage Timeline Advisers?
Selling one’s company and exiting the business is usually a once-in-a-lifetime event. That event is complex, time consuming, demanding, and fraught with risk. Timeline Advisers develops the exit plan, assembles the team, and manages execution of the plan so as to allow a business owner to achieve full value for his or her business, keep taxes to a minimum, avoid mistakes in estate planning and wealth management, and achieve one’s life goals. Take the evaluation see if you need us.

Just what is exit planning?
Exit planning is the full breadth of preparation a business owner should undertake in anticipation of selling his or her company and retiring or moving on to some other stage in one’s life. Exit planning goes beyond preparing to sell a company. It covers personal as well as company matters, including wealth management, tax planning, estate planning, succession planning, and much more.

Why is exit planning important?
The personal and business implications of exiting one’s business are complex and fraught with high-cost risks that often leave little or no room for error. Failure to undertake a thorough exit plan maximizes the likelihood of paying too much in taxes, not achieving full value for one’s company, not completing a transaction, or not achieving one’s targeted lifetime objectives.

How does Timeline Advisers help reduce the inefficiency of the M&A process and exiting one’s business?
There are four factors that characterize Timeline Advisers, which when individually and collectively applied to the M&A process help reduce inefficiencies: objectivity, perspective, thoroughness, and persistence.

For what size of companies does Timeline Advisers advise and counsel companies and business owners?
Our firm offers services to companies generally with annual revenues ranging from $10 million to $50 million, but exceptions apply on both sides of that range.

How soon prior to the expected sale or acquisition of a company should one engage with Timeline Advisers?
The earlier the better. Those experienced with M&A transactions recommend that exit planning and preparation for ultimate sale of a company begin from inception. More realistically, one should contact Timeline Advisers as soon as the initial thoughts about possible sale of a company occur.

Would Timeline Advisers provide assistance in finding an M&A investment banker?
Yes. An important part of our exit planning service is to work with and guide business owners through the process of identifying not only investment bankers but other important specialists who are an important part of an exit plan, such as wealth managers, estate planners, transaction attorneys, tax specialists, and CPAs, among others.

Does Timeline Advisers counsel companies in all industries?
Yes, almost all industries in which owner-operators of companies with annual revenues of $10 million to $50 million find themselves. Our specialty is exit planning and assembling a team that can address the specific requirements of a business and its owners.

Does Timeline Advisers have a geographic focus?
Yes, our firm currently serves the western half of the United States.

What is the Timeline Advisers’ review process?
Our Process is comprised of elements of review, assessment, comment, advice, and counseling related to preparing an owner-operator to exit his or her business and for the sale of the company.

The Process is iterative and cyclical, with the inherent objective of identifying risks and actionable items that can affect all aspects of exiting one’s business, including valuation, post-closing liabilities, closing timelines, and personal matters such as wealth management and estate planning. The initial part of the Process is designed to identify key issues, risks, and business drivers that will provide the framework for a thorough pre-sale preparation action plan. Based on that plan, there follows a series of pro-forma due diligence reviews, assessments, and revised action plans until the ultimate objective of thorough preparation is achieved.

We collaborate with our clients and specialists to discuss, review, and question every aspect of their business to raise management’s awareness of issues and risks that may affect an M&A transaction and to identify items that require correction or improvement. Upon completion, we prepare a clear, concise statement of a company’s elements of value from which management can negotiate with strength and confidence.

Does Timeline Advisers develop strategies related to the sale or acquisition of a business or perform related research and analysis?
No. Work of this type is normally done by investment banking firms that engage with a selling company. On the other hand, we can work with investment bankers and assist them based on our findings and recommendations.

Does Timeline Advisers develop business strategies and perform the research and analysis for developing a strategy?
No. Our firm reviews what has been done by management and others. If necessary, we can recommend resources for strategic planning and research.

What are the deliverables from Timeline Advisers?
During the course of a review and assessment, the client will receive feedback, reports (including a final report), and a debriefing outlining findings and recommending actions that will:

• Recommend a complete exit plan for pre-sale or pre-acquisition preparation;
• Help the business owner identify, select, and assemble a complete team to effect a thorough exit plan;
• Manage and oversee execution of the exit plan;
• Perform a risk assessment of each primary area or element of the client’s business from the perspective of a potential buyer or acquirer;
• Identify key issues and risks that may impact the company’s valuation, escrows or hold-backs, deal closing, and closing timelines;
• Recommend the form and method for creating special due diligence files and binders;
• Recommend corrective actions to ameliorate problematic risks, issues, and findings;
• Create a plan to allow for ongoing and current maintenance of pre-sale preparation;
• Create a clear, concise statement of elements of value;
• If appropriate, make recommendations pertaining to strategy, staffing, matters of execution, and operations.

Will Timeline Advisers guarantee that a client will be sold or acquired or if so at a valuation satisfactory to the client?
No, we do not accept success fees. Maintaining objectivity is vitally important to our work. Stock, options, or warrants are not accepted to protect the objectivity of our opinion.

What is Timeline Advisers’ fee structure?
Timeline Advisers works with a fixed fee, which is based on a pre-determined set of objectives and deliverables as agreed upon in advance with the client.

Does Timeline Advisers offer a free consultation?
A preliminary consultation is available, free of charge, for the purpose of discussing (1) whether there is a fit between the prospective client and Timeline Advisers, (2) the scope of a prospective engagement, (3) clearly identified deliverables and expectations, and (4) a proposed fixed fee.