- The exact levelers buyers scrutinize in due diligence (that founders don't know exist until it's too late)
- How to identify the hidden landmines killing deals that are lurking in your business right now
- Why fixing them before you list your business for sale is the difference between a regrettable fire sale and a record-high multiplier.
The 9 Exit Killers
CEOs Don't See Coming
micro-shifts that create 8-figure exits
The Gap
why founders scaling past $3M bring us in
Most $3M-$10M businesses operate at the execution layer.
Revenue growth.
Team management.
Client delivery.
Premium exits happen at the infrastructure layer.
Real-time financial intelligence.
Forensic documentation.
Buyer-ready systems.
The gap between these layers: 5-6x EBITDA.
Buyers don't negotiate this gap.
They just price accordingly.
The Layers
Most $3M-$10M founders hire professionals at the wrong layer.
The majority of founders operate at Layer 2-3
with professionals who maintain those layers.
Buyers evaluate at Layer 5.
The gap costs $3-6M on a $10M revenue business.
Why Traditional Professionals
Don't Bridge The Gap
not their expertise
not their timeline
not their orientation
not their Layer
not their experience
Accountants are compliance experts.
Exit infrastructure architects are different.
Bookkeepers manage finances monthly.
Exit infrastructure requires 12-36 months to build.
Coaches focus on founder growth.
Exit infrastructure focuses on buyer requirements.
Traditional professionals operate 1-3 layers below where buyers evaluate.
Most traditional professionals haven't built businesses through forensic buyer due diligence multiple times.
Dr. Mindy Pelz | The Reset Factor
"Astrid has the ability to look at complex,
overwhelming situations and
turn them into an opportunity to grow."
Corey Whitaker, CFO | Evolved Finance
"I’ve worked with Astrid on several projects
and the results she gets for her clients
are unprecedented."
Mellissa Seaman | Your Unique Genius
From $200K to $722K in 9 Months
"Astrid is more innovative, more strategic,
and more creative than anyone
when it comes to creating elegant structure."
Elayne Kalila | Priestess Presence
From $22K in Monthly Recurring Revenue to $112K
“Astrid and her team has made
my backend business structures as elegant and clear
as the work that we offer into the world!"
Jesse Koren + Sharla Jacobs | Thrive Academy
Saved $500K in Yearly Payroll
“Partnering with Astrid and her team
has been one of the smartest decisions we’ve made
in redesigning our business for the online world."
Accountant: taxes, compliance, historical accuracy
Bookkeeper: monthly close, transaction categorization
CFO (if you have one): reporting, KPIs, board materials
We build for the exit:
Real-time dashboards (profit by service line, cash conversion, concentration)
Forensic documentation (every claim defendable under audit)
Buyer-ready systems (designed for scrutiny, not scrambling)
Different function. Different layer. Different outcome.
We Don't Replace Your Accountant, Bookkeeper, or CFO.
We Build Above Them.
The Truth
what no one talks about in entrepreneur circles #376
If your accountant could build exit infrastructure, they would have.
If your bookkeeper could design forensic systems, they would have.
If your coach could architect for premium multiples, they would have.
They can't.
Because that's not what they build.
They maintain and optimize the layers below where buyers evaluate.
Premium exits require infrastructure at the layer where buyers price.
Different layer.
Different expertise.
Different outcome.
At Ledger + Legacy, we build what doesn't exist: infrastructure at the valuation layer for $3M-$10M founders planning for an 8-figure exit.
Not preparation.
Architecture.
Not maintenance.
Infrastructure.
Not Layer 3 compliance.
Layer 5 valuation readiness.
How Buyers Price Your Business
Most $3M-$10M founders build for vanity metrics, not buyer metrics
Buyers form valuation assumptions in the first 48 hours.
Not from your pitch deck.
But from real data.
What they find determines the multiple:
Historical reports only → compliance layer → 3-4x consideration
Real-time dashboards → infrastructure layer → 7-9x consideration
They don't negotiate up from their initial assumptions.
They negotiate down.
Infrastructure either exists at the premium layer or it doesn't.
When it does, buyers price accordingly.
When it doesn't, they discount accordingly.
The Work
Not coaching calls.
Not ongoing training.
Not hand-holding.
What gets built:
- Real-time dashboards
(profit, cash, concentration, dependency) - Forensic documentation
(designed for buyer scrutiny) - Exit-ready systems
(proven to function at the valuation layer)
What it delivers:
- Asynchronous documentation and dashboard builds
(not historical data) - Strategic architecture
(not ongoing consulting) - Infrastructure layer work
(not execution layer coaching)
Investment reflects the layer being built:
Starting at $5K monthly retainer.
Not based on the hours invested.
But based on what is built at the layer where 8x multiples are defensible.
Who It's For
Who It's NOT For
- $3-10M revenue, service-based businesses
- 12-36 months to exit timeline
- Operating or ready for 30%+ net margins
- Understand that infrastructure is the operational standard, not exit preparation
- Ready for forensic level documentation
- Under $2M revenue
- Less than 10% net margins
- Need justification throughout the transformation
- Operating at the execution layer and not ready or unwilling to shift to the infrastructure and the valuation layers
- Require constant emotional support
- Most recent P&L (12 months)
- Website
- Exit timeline and target outcome
Send to Astrid@Ledger-Legacy.com with subject line: Exit Evaluation.
I'll personally evaluate your business for an exit within 48 hours.
If there's a fit at the infrastructure layer, I'll respond with the specific gaps identified and an infrastructure build timeline.
If not, I'll explain which threshold has not been met yet.
Not a time-wasting, pitch-friendly sales call.
But custom recommendations specifically for you and your business.
Your Complimentary Exit Evaluation