For most owners, the decision to sell their business is not just a financial calculation. It’s the most significant financial and emotional event of their lives. Your business is often your “child,” representing years of personal sacrifice, late-night troubleshooting, and a deep sense of responsibility to your employees and customers.
As a member of Evergreen’s M&A team, I often see my role in this process as a guide. Just as a guide helps a climber up Mount Everest, my job is to provide market context, technical guidance, and a steady hand to reach the summit safely. While a completed transaction for both parties is a great outcome, the goal is to be the helpful connector who ensures you reach your goals while protecting the legacy you have built.
Cut Through the M&A Noise
There’s a tremendous amount of noise in the IT channel industry right now. Terms such as multiples, EBITDA, and exit strategies are thrown around frequently. This jargon can make the process feel incredibly transactional, as if your life’s work is being reduced to a one-time event or a row on a spreadsheet.
The reality is that a successful exit should be a nurturing process rather than a cold transaction. Many owners fear that starting a conversation will prompt them to sell immediately, or they’ll be added to an endless email list. My goal is to demystify that noise. Whether you’re ready to sell today or in five years, you deserve transparency into what we’re seeing in the market and what your valuations means.
Power of the Visionary Shift
One of the most effective ways to prepare for this journey is to build operational maturity. In my conversations with owners, my ears perk up the moment I hear that a business is running on the EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) framework.
EOS signals that a business has a clear leadership team and defined accountability. It enables you to shift from being an operator who pulls every lever and every ticket to a visionary who makes strategic decisions for the future.
Stepping back from daily operations is often one of the hardest things a founder will do. Yet the relief of realizing your team can handle the hum of the business lets you finally breathe. This maturity not only drives valuation but also ensures that when you do step away, the business has the structural integrity to survive without you.
Reed Goddard
Passing the Grocery Store Test
The ultimate metric for a successful exit is what I call the grocery store test. You should be able to walk into your local grocery store, run into a former employee or a long-term customer, and look them in the eyes with pride.
In a traditional private equity model, firms often come in, cut costs aggressively, and lay off staff to meet short-term targets. To me, that breaks the entire model. We believe in being the best home for your business and your leaders, which is why we operate as a permanent holding company that preserves business independence. Your employees keep their jobs, your customers retain their trusted partner, and your legacy remains intact.
Finding a Permanent Home
If you’ve spent your career building a business grounded in trust and relationships, you deserve a buyer who shares those values. My accounting and finance background taught me to analyze the numbers, but my experience has taught me that the best deals are built on integrity and long-term partnership. Selling your business is a monumental climb. You don't have to do it alone, and you certainly shouldn't do it in the dark.
(As part of Evergreen’s M&A team, Reed Goodard drives Evergreen’s inorganic growth, specifically focusing on managed IT services businesses. He identifies and talks to business owners and brings in new acquisitions.}