Home News & Insights Articles posted by Marne Smiley
April 8, 2026
How Economic Cycles Impact M&A Activity in Middle Market Companies

Middle market M&A activity rarely slows because companies stop performing. More often, it slows or accelerates because buyers change their risk assessment. Economic cycles influence not just whether deals happen,…Read More

April 1, 2026
Main Street vs. Middle Market: Why It Matters When Selling Your Business

Not Every Private Company Is a Middle-Market Business Why understanding where your company fits is one of the most important decisions in any sale process When business owners begin thinking…Read More

March 25, 2026
From Letter of Intent to Closing: Navigating the Final Stages of a Deal

Sellers often view LOI as the finish line in an M&A process. In reality, it marks the beginning of the most execution-intensive phase of the transaction. The period between LOI…Read More

March 18, 2026
The RVD Model: A Practical Framework for Increasing Business Value Before a Sale

Many business owners assume increasing the value of their company before a sale simply means growing revenue or improving EBITDA. Growth certainly helps. But in middle-market transactions, valuation is rarely…Read More

March 11, 2026
Mitigating Risk Before Sale: Addressing Customer and Supplier Concentrations

When preparing a business for sale, most owners focus on growth, profitability, and valuation multiples. Sophisticated buyers start somewhere else entirely: risk. Specifically, they ask a simple question that sits…Read More

January 29, 2026
Risk, Return, and Price: How Implied Cost of Capital Shapes M&A Valuations

In mergers and acquisitions, it is not uncommon for two companies with similar revenue, EBITDA, or growth profiles to command materially different valuations. While these disparities are often attributed to…Read More