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Quinn M&A · Pre-Sale Handbook 2026
It's Time for a Business Health Check
A practical pre-sale handbook for private business owners — assess readiness, reduce transaction risk and improve value before going to market.
Look in the mirror before the market does
A pre-sale business health check is a structured review of the parts of a business that buyers test before they decide price, deal terms and settlement mechanics.
The aim isn't only to tidy paperwork. It's to present a business that is understandable, defensible and easier to transfer. Buyers generally pay more for businesses they can trust, understand quickly and integrate with less disruption.
A good health check improves bargaining power because it finds price leaks early — weak financial records, customer concentration, underpaid superannuation, undocumented IP, founder dependency, poor cyber controls or contracts that can't transfer without consent.
Australian and international M&A practice point the same way: preparation matters. A seller who has already reviewed the core risk areas runs a faster process, faces fewer surprises, and gives away less to late price chips, escrow, earn-outs or stronger warranties.
This handbook turns that work into a clear sequence — read it front to back, or skip to the final master checklist to test where your business stands today.
What's inside the handbook
Organised by workstream. Each chapter sets out what serious buyers usually test, why it matters to value, and the practical actions an owner can take before going to market.01
Financial & tax
Quality of earnings, normalisation, working capital, and the tax impact of a share, asset or business sale.02
Legal & corporate
Proving ownership and authority — entity structure, registers, contracts and change-of-control consents.03
Commercial & customer
Customer concentration, contract length, pricing power, churn and the durability of revenue.04
Operations & supply chain
Core workflows, single points of failure, warranty exposure and business continuity.05
People & management
Employment and contractor records, payroll and super accuracy, key-person risk and management depth.06
Technology, cyber & privacy
Core systems, privileged access, backups, licensing, incident history and privacy obligations.07
IP & regulatory
Brand, domains and software ownership, assignment documents, licences, permits and unfair-terms risk.08
Property & lease
Lease terms, options, assignment rights, make-good and the right to keep trading after settlement.09
Founder dependency & succession
Transition readiness, delegating key relationships, plus succession and estate planning as alternatives to sale.Who it's for
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- Owners weighing a full sale, partial sale or recapitalisation in the next 1–2 years
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- Directors who want to find and fix value leaks before a buyer does
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- Family groups considering succession alongside, or instead of, a sale
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- Owners who want a clear, staged 12-month preparation plan rather than a rushed exit
Free download
Get the 2026 Business Health Check
Enter your details and we'll email you the handbook straight away — fifteen short chapters and a final master checklist you can work through at your own pace.
Senior-led, discreet, and free. No high-volume marketing — just occasional, useful thinking from the Quinn M&A team.
Download the handbook
