M&a Market Trends

A Warm Quarter in a Cold Year

Jacob Oliver, December 9 2025

Even as winter settles in, the M&A market is finally starting to thaw. 2025 opened with hesitation baked into every corner of the lower middle market. Deals were getting done, but only for companies that had cleared an unusually high readiness bar. Buyers had record levels of capital yet approached each transaction as if the downside risk...

Sell-Side

Why "Good Enough" Won't Sell Your Business in 2025

Jacob Oliver, September 25 2025

Most business owners assume they will be ready to sell when the time comes. Profitability is strong. The team is capable. Customers are loyal. The number in their head feels reasonable. Generous, even. But in 2025, readiness is not a feeling. It is a discipline. Buyers are no longer rewarding potential; they are rewarding proof. And...