Free checklist for agency owners

Same revenue. Same profit.
The prep work decides whether you exit at 2.5x or 6.5x.

The Digital Marketing Agency Sell-Side Checklist covers all 7 areas buyers scrutinize before they pay top of the range. 54 items. Built from real transactions. Enter your name and email to get it free.

Download the free checklist

What you get

54 prep items across 7 categories: the exact areas buyers probe in due diligence
Priority levels for each item: high, medium, or lower. You will know where to spend your time.
The blind client report format buyers expect to see before they make an offer
The 30-to-90-day founder independence test, and what to do if you fail it

For digital marketing and Shopify agency owners doing meaningful recurring revenue who are thinking about an exit in the next 1 to 3 years.

I built this checklist for a digital marketing and Shopify agency client preparing to sell about a year out from a planned exit. After going through it with him, I realized it applies to almost any agency in the same position.

I have advised on 75 plus transactions totaling nine figures in closed value. Agency exits are a significant part of that work. This checklist reflects what determines where a deal lands in the valuation range.

Nate Lind. M&A Advisor, Maximum Exit

Get the free checklist

54 items. 7 sections. No fluff.

What the checklist covers

Seven sections. Organized by what moves the multiple the most. High-priority items are flagged so you know where to focus first.

Financial Records and Documentation

Monthly P&Ls, recast earnings worksheet, clean separation of recurring vs. project revenue. This is the foundation buyers and lenders model from.

Revenue Quality and Recurring Mix

Retainer percentage, client retention data, revenue vintage analysis. The single biggest driver of where you land in the multiple range.

Client Base and Concentration

Blind client list, single-client revenue share, tenure summary. Over 25% in one client costs multiple. Under that, it is a non-issue.

Team and Founder Independence

Org chart, the 30-to-90-day test, documented delivery systems. This section separates agencies that close deals from the ones that don't.

Contracts, Legal and IP

Client contracts, vendor and platform agreements, proprietary tool ownership. Surprises here kill deals. Disclose early so they can be managed.

Growth Story and Market Position

3-year trend narrative, differentiation story, growth opportunities for the buyer. Buyers pay for trajectory. Show them what drove it.

Data Room and Process Readiness

Organized data room, mutual NDA, realistic seller goals. An organized data room is the difference between a 6-month process and a 9-month one.