Catapult PreLaunch Check

Because buyers and private equity firms will run their own Quality of Earnings analysis during due diligence regardless of whether you prepare in advance. The difference is timing: if issues surface after you’re under a Letter of Intent, they become leverage for the buyer to renegotiate price. If you identify and address them beforehand, you go to market with a defensible number and far less risk of a retrade.

We review your historical earnings and EBITDA normalization, working capital trends, and the documentation and reporting a buyer’s diligence team will request. The goal is to recreate, as closely as possible, what a buyer will find — before they find it — so you have time to correct or explain it.

1. We have an internal database of proven buyers and investors who we are in constant communication with.
2. We use online business databases to reach buyers agents and brokers.
3. We use our extensive networks of connections to put your business in front of.

Timing depends on the complexity of your financials and how organized your records are, but most readiness reviews are completed in a matter of weeks, not months. Because it happens before you go to market, it runs on your timeline rather than a buyer’s deadline.

That’s the point of doing this early. Every issue we identify comes with a recommendation for how to address it — whether that’s cleaning up an add-back, resolving a working capital shortfall, or tightening documentation — so you can fix it, or at least be prepared to explain it, well before a buyer ever sees it.

No. A valuation estimates what your business is worth; a Quality of Earnings review protects that value by making sure the underlying numbers hold up under buyer scrutiny. Many owners use both — a valuation to set expectations, and a readiness review to make sure diligence doesn’t erode the price a valuation supports.

Your accountant’s job is accurate bookkeeping and tax compliance, which is essential but different from what a buyer is testing for. We look at your numbers the way a buyer’s diligence team and private equity firm will — questioning add-backs, testing earnings quality, and flagging the kind of issues that lead to a lower price or a delayed closing, not just whether the books are accurate.

Yes. This is an internal readiness engagement conducted before you go to market, so there’s no outreach, no marketing materials, and no buyers involved. Everything stays between you and Catapult.

A Normalized EBITDA Analysis, a Recommended Add-Back Schedule, a Working Capital Assessment, an Earnings Risk Scorecard, a Due Diligence Readiness Report, and an Action Plan to improve value and sale readiness.

No. It’s most valuable done early, but a readiness review can still add significant value even with a buyer already in the picture, since it helps you anticipate what their diligence team will raise before they raise it. If you’re already under a Letter of Intent, reach out — timing will determine exactly what we can cover, but it’s rarely too late to be helpful.