HLP CAPITAL ADVISORY · READINESS REPORT ™

M&A
Readiness™.

Not deal execution. This is a 16-dimension coordination diagnostic for acquirers. It maps your capacity across thesis, financing, diligence, integration, and post-close operating rhythm — then classifies your acquisition profile.

◉ 16 DIMENSIONS
◉ 12 STRATEGY MOVES
◉ VOICE-ENABLED
◉ 18-24 MINUTES
Not M&A advisory or investment banking. M&A Readiness™ is a coordination diagnostic for acquirers. HLP does not source targets, negotiate LOIs, execute transactions, or issue fairness opinions. Findings surface pre-market moves for you to discuss with your investment banker, M&A attorney, transaction CPA, and financing partners — those licensed professionals own the regulated advice and execution.
SECTION 01 · ACQUISITION THESIS 1 OF 16
◉ THESIS · 01

Acquisition thesis.

Every disciplined acquirer starts with a written thesis. Opportunistic buyers overpay. Thesis-driven buyers win — because they know exactly what they're looking for before they see it.

◉ THESIS · 02

Deal type.

Different acquisition types require radically different infrastructure. Bolt-ons are simplest. Platform deals require full IB coverage. Roll-ups need a repeatable playbook. Search fund is its own discipline.

◉ THESIS · 03

Target size band.

Deal size drives which advisors, lenders, and financing structures apply. Below $2M EBITDA is a very different market from $10M+. Match the right infrastructure to the target size.

◉ CAPITAL · 01

Equity capital available.

Personal capital committed to deals — plus committed co-investors and family capital. This is the number lenders and sellers care about first.

◉ CAPITAL · 02

Debt financing capacity.

SBA · conventional bank · unitranche · seller-note · mezzanine · asset-based lending. Which lending relationships are already in place, and which are aspirational?

◉ CAPITAL · 03

Co-investor network.

Whether you need co-investors depends on deal size relative to your equity. If yes, quality of network is the biggest constraint on deal flow.

◉ EXPERIENCE · 01

Acquisition track record.

Sellers, lenders, and co-investors all discount buyers with no closed deals. First-timers pay a "novice premium" of 5-15% on price — the cost of learning while shopping.

◉ EXPERIENCE · 02

Industry experience.

Operating within your target industry cuts diligence time in half and reduces integration failure risk by 3-5×. Cross-industry acquirers underperform 60% of the time.

◉ PIPELINE · 01

Deal sourcing.

Proprietary deal flow beats intermediated flow at every level. Direct-source acquirers routinely pay 1-2 turns below auction prices. Sourcing is arguably the highest-ROI capability an acquirer can build.

◉ PROCESS · 01

Diligence discipline.

Disciplined acquirers walk from 4-6 deals for every one they close. Undisciplined acquirers close the first one that looks decent. QoE reports · legal diligence · IT diligence · HR diligence separate professionals from amateurs.

◉ PROCESS · 02

Legal acquisition vehicle.

The right acquisition entity matters for liability, tax, financing, and future roll-up capacity. Common mistake: acquiring in personal name or under an unrelated existing entity.

◉ INTEGRATION · 01

Post-close integration capability.

70% of acquisitions fail to hit projections — almost always because of poor integration. Systems · people · culture · brand · customer transitions. Weak integration destroys the equity story.

◉ INTEGRATION · 02

Operational bandwidth.

Acquisitions require 20-40 hours per week from someone senior for the first 6-12 months post-close. Weak-bandwidth acquirers lose value in the transition window.

◉ PROCESS · 03

Tax structure.

Asset vs. stock sale · § 338(h)(10) elections · installment sales · goodwill amortization. Wrong tax structure can cost more than the negotiation. This should be modeled before LOI.

◉ TEAM · 01

Deal advisory bench.

A first-time acquirer with the right team beats a repeat acquirer with the wrong team. Buy-side representation, transaction attorney, QoE firm, financing arranger.

◉ REPORT DELIVERY

Where do we send your report?

Chekelah's team reviews every submission within 48 hours. Full M&A Readiness Report™ arrives as signed PDF suitable for handoff to your deal team.

◉ CLASSIFYING
—/100
SCORING

Your M&A Readiness score is being classified across the 12 highest-leverage acquirer moves.

◉ TOP MOVES TO EVALUATE WITH YOUR DEAL TEAM
DELIVERABLE
Full M&A Readiness Report™ arrives in 48 hours
Chekelah's Capital Advisory team reviews every submission. Report includes: acquirer-profile classification, full move-scored register, 90-day preparation roadmap, and — where warranted — introductions to buy-side M&A advisors, transaction attorneys, and QoE specialists matched to your target size.
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