Exit Readiness Scorecard — ERS

Know What Buyers
See Before
You Sell.

Most service business owners don't find out what their company is really worth until they're already across the table from a buyer. By then, it's too late to fix what's costing them hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Get My Free Consultation See How ERS Works
100% confidential
No obligation
DFW & Texas statewide
$500K–$10M revenue businesses
Sample ERS Report
HVAC business — $2.4M revenue
61 / 100 score
Financial Clarity
82
Owner Independence
31
Revenue Quality
70
Customer Concentration
38
Operational Systems
60
Team & Talent Depth
55
Growth Trajectory
75
Scores under 50 in any pillar represent a negotiating liability with buyers.
The problem

Most owners are negotiating blind.

Buyers spend weeks analyzing your business before they make an offer. Most owners walk into that conversation with no idea what's about to happen.

78%
of service business owners don't know their company's true market value before they begin the sale process
3x
more value captured on average when owners plan their exit 12–36 months in advance
$340K
average value left on the table by owners who don't address buyer red flags before going to market
They wait until they're forced to sell
Burnout, health issues, a partner dispute, a competitor offer — when you're selling from a position of urgency, buyers sense it. And they price accordingly.
They assume revenue equals value
A $3M revenue business can be worth $900K or $4.5M depending on how it's built. Revenue is one number. Buyers look at seven.
They have undocumented operations
If your business runs on relationships, tribal knowledge, and your personal presence — a buyer sees a liability, not an asset. That gap costs multiples.
They've never seen their business through a buyer's eyes
That's exactly what the Exit Readiness Scorecard corrects. You see exactly what buyers see — before they use it against you at the negotiating table.
The framework

The 7 Pillars of Exit Readiness

Sophisticated buyers evaluate your business across seven critical dimensions. The ERS scores you on every one — and shows you exactly where you're leaving money on the table.

01
Financial Clarity
02
Owner Independence
03
Revenue Quality
04
Customer Concentration
05
Operational Systems
06
Team & Talent
07
Growth Trajectory
Financial Clarity

Are your books clean, consistent, and credible? Buyers discount businesses with messy financials — even profitable ones. This pillar measures whether your numbers tell a story a buyer can trust. Three years of clean P&Ls, reconciled tax returns, and clearly documented owner compensation are non-negotiable for premium buyers.

Buyer impact
Buyers discount asking price by 15–25% when financials are unclear or require restatement
What you receive

Not a quiz. A professional engagement.

The Exit Readiness Scorecard is a structured consulting engagement — the same intelligence sophisticated buyers use, delivered to you before they do.

01
Deep-dive assessment session
A 60–90 minute structured conversation with Todd Hutchinson covering your financials, operations, team, customer base, and market position. This is not a form — it's a professional dialogue.
02
Written ERS report — all 7 pillars
Your scored results across every pillar with detailed written analysis of where you're strong, where you're vulnerable, and specifically what each gap costs you in a buyer's valuation model.
03
Market valuation range
Based on your scores and current buyer activity in your industry, you'll receive an estimated valuation range — what your business would likely sell for today versus what it could sell for with targeted improvements.
04
Prioritized action plan
The specific improvements — ranked by impact on your sale price — that you can begin implementing immediately. Not generic advice. Specific moves for your specific business.
05
Private debrief session
A follow-up conversation to walk through your report, answer every question you have, and map out your next 90 days — whether that's going to market, building value, or simply staying informed.
06
Buyer profile summary
Who is most likely to buy your business, what they're looking for, and what motivates their offers. Understanding the buyer before you meet them is one of the most powerful advantages you can have.
Is this right for you?

Built for service business owners who are serious.

You don't need to be ready to sell tomorrow. You need to be serious about understanding your options.

You own an HVAC, plumbing, electrical, pest control, landscaping, auto repair, or other service business
Your business generates between $500K and $10M in annual revenue
You've wondered what your business is worth — even casually
You're thinking about selling in the next 1–5 years and want to be positioned correctly
You want to understand what buyers actually look at — before you're across the table from one
You want to sell from a position of strength — not urgency, burnout, or desperation
Investment

One engagement. Complete clarity.

Choose the engagement that matches where you are in your exit journey.

Exit Readiness Audit
$3,500
The complete ERS engagement — your starting point
  • ✓Full 25-point assessment review
  • ✓90-minute debrief call with Todd
  • ✓Written priority report — top 5 gaps + action plan
  • ✓EBITDA multiple estimate with improvement roadmap
  • ✓Buyer profile summary
  • ✓Estimated valuation range — today vs. potential
Schedule My Audit

Best for owners 3–5 years from a sale

Most chosen
Exit Acceleration Program
$24,000
6-month engagement — active value building
  • ✓Everything in the Exit Readiness Audit
  • ✓Bi-weekly strategy sessions
  • ✓Project-based work on your 3 lowest-scoring pillars
  • ✓Quarterly scorecard updates — track your progress
  • ✓Deal structure recommendations
  • ✓Priority access when you go to market
Start the Program

Best for owners preparing to sell in 2–3 years

Full Exit Preparation
$42,000
12-month engagement — complete exit readiness
  • ✓Everything in the Exit Acceleration Program
  • ✓Full due diligence preparation
  • ✓Buyer-ready documentation and financials
  • ✓Business positioning for market
  • ✓Direct input on go-to-market strategy
  • ✓12 months of weekly and bi-weekly sessions
Begin Full Preparation

Best for owners targeting a sale within 18–24 months

Not sure which is right? Start with a free 30-minute consultation — no obligation, no pressure.

Common questions

Everything you need to know.

Absolutely — and in fact, this is the ideal time. The ERS is most valuable when you have 12–36 months before you plan to sell, because that's when you can actually fix what's costing you money. Owners who wait until they're ready to sell have no runway to improve their score. You do.
A formal appraisal gives you a number. The ERS gives you that number plus the story behind it — specifically, what's driving it up and what's pulling it down. It's a strategic tool, not just a valuation exercise. Most owners find it more actionable than anything a formal appraiser produces.
Completely. Your employees, competitors, suppliers, and customers never know this conversation happened. Every detail shared in your ERS engagement stays between you and Todd Hutchinson, protected by professional confidentiality obligations. We can formalize this with a mutual NDA if preferred.
The ERS is designed for service businesses with $500K–$10M in annual revenue. HVAC, plumbing, electrical, pest control, landscaping, auto repair, cleaning, pool service, roofing, and other specialty trades are the core focus. If you're outside these categories, reach out — we'll tell you honestly whether the ERS is a fit.
A low score is information — and information is power. Most owners who complete the ERS find out that a few targeted improvements could add hundreds of thousands of dollars to their eventual sale price. A low score today means you have an opportunity to change it before buyers see it. That's exactly why you're doing this now, not later.
From scheduling to debrief, most ERS engagements are completed within 10–14 business days. The assessment session is 60–90 minutes, you receive your written report within 5 business days, and the debrief is scheduled at your convenience. The process is designed to fit around your schedule — not the other way around.
Todd Hutchinson — Business Broker & Exit Strategist
Todd Hutchinson
Business Broker — Exit Strategist — Dallas–Fort Worth
I work with service business owners who are serious about understanding what their company is worth and what a clean, strategic exit actually looks like. I developed the Exit Readiness Scorecard because I kept watching owners walk into buyer conversations unprepared — and leave money on the table they could have kept. The ERS fixes that. I don't rush deals. I don't push people toward decisions they aren't ready for. My job is to give you the full picture — and then help you move when the time is right for you.
Get started

Request your free consultation.

Before you commit to an ERS engagement, let's talk. This is a free, confidential 30-minute conversation about your business and what your exit options could look like. No pressure. No obligation.

Your information is 100% private. We never share, sell, or distribute your data. Every conversation is protected by professional confidentiality.