What's your business worth?What's your HVAC business really worth?
What If You Could Add 0.5x to 2.0x to Your EBITDA Multiple Before You Sell?
Most HVAC owners leave hundreds of thousands on the table because they go to market before their business is ready. The Exit Prep Engagement is 6-18 months of hands-on advisory that fixes what buyers care about and positions your business for the strongest possible exit.
Billy Baumann
Founder, Exit Lab | COO, Stone Capital Partners
The Difference Between a Good Exit and a Great One
HVAC businesses that prepare before going to market consistently close at higher multiples. The numbers speak for themselves.
4.0x - 5.5x
Unprepared Exit
Owner-dependent, messy financials, no service agreements, reactive sale
5.5x - 7.0x
Average Exit
Some preparation, decent financials, but gaps in operations or customer base
7.0x - 10.0x
Prepared Exit
Clean financials, strong team, recurring revenue, multiple buyer interest
On a $1.5M EBITDA business, the difference between 5.0x and 7.5x is $3,750,000.
That is the value of preparation. That is what the Exit Prep Engagement is designed to capture.
Is This Right for You?
The Exit Prep Engagement is not for everyone. It is designed for HVAC business owners who are serious about maximizing their outcome and willing to invest the time to do it right.
$1M-$10M+ Revenue
Established HVAC businesses with meaningful revenue and EBITDA that represent a real acquisition target for PE firms and strategic buyers.
6-24 Month Horizon
Owners planning to exit within the next 6-24 months who want to maximize their outcome, not rush it. The best exits are planned, not reactive.
Value-Focused Owners
Owners who understand that 6-12 months of preparation can add 0.5-2.0x to their EBITDA multiple. That is often hundreds of thousands of dollars.
How It Works
A structured, phased approach that builds value systematically and positions your business for the strongest possible exit. Every phase has clear deliverables and measurable outcomes.
Diagnostic and Baseline
- Deep financial analysis (EBITDA, SDE, add-backs)
- Operational audit across all 7 exit readiness categories
- Buyer landscape mapping for your market
- Baseline valuation with sensitivity ranges
Value Optimization
- Execute highest-leverage improvements from diagnostic
- Service agreement growth strategy and implementation
- Management team development and owner dependency reduction
- Financial clean-up and presentation optimization
Market Preparation
- Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM) preparation
- Buyer outreach strategy (strategic, PE, independent)
- Deal structure optimization (earn-outs, seller notes, etc.)
- Negotiation preparation and leverage point identification
Transaction Support
- Manage buyer conversations and LOI evaluation
- Due diligence coordination and data room management
- Deal structure negotiation support
- Closing coordination and transition planning
Want to see if this is the right fit? Book a quick 15-minute call with Billy. No obligation, no pressure. Just an honest conversation about your goals.
Book a 15-Min CallWhy This Is Not Like Working with a Broker
Brokers want to list and sell. We want to make sure you are ready first.
✕Traditional Broker Approach
- -Lists your business as-is, hoping for the best
- -Charges 5-10% commission on the sale price
- -No incentive to help you improve before listing
- -Transactional relationship focused on closing fast
- -You find out your gaps during due diligence (too late)
✓Exit Prep Engagement
- Works with you to fix value gaps before going to market
- Flat advisory fee, not commission-based
- Aligned incentive: your success is our success
- Long-term partnership focused on maximizing value
- You go to market from a position of strength, not desperation
"I was going to list my business as-is. Billy showed me three things I could fix in 6 months that would add over $400K to my sale price. Best investment I ever made."
HVAC Business Owner, Southeast U.S.
Not Sure Where to Start?
Each tier builds on the last. Start wherever makes sense for your situation.
Start the Conversation
No commitment. Tell us about your business and goals, and we will schedule a confidential call to discuss whether the Exit Prep Engagement is the right fit.