Category: Blog Posts
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An ESOP Feasibility Study—How It Guides the ESOP Decision
Authored By: Patrick Guthrie, CFA When business owners begin exploring exit strategies or liquidity events, the idea of selling to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) often surfaces as one of several options. Assessing whether an ESOP is the right financial and strategic fit for both the company and its owner requires a thorough, data-driven…
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Your Business Has an Accounting Team. Do You Still Need a Fractional CFO?
Many growing businesses have a capable accounting team in place but still lack the financial insight needed to make confident strategic decisions. The books are accurate, financial statements are prepared, and day-to-day accounting is covered—but leadership may still lack visibility into cash flow, forecasting, profitability, and what the numbers mean for the future. That’s where…
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Business Valuation Services Explained: Which Method Fits Your Company and Why
Authored By: Patrick Guthrie There is no one-size-fits-all approach to business valuation. The appropriate methodology depends on the purpose of the valuation, the characteristics of the business, and the financial and market data available. Business owners seek valuations for many reasons, including mergers and acquisitions, tax planning, financial reporting, litigation, succession planning, and strategic planning. Because…
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4 Key Drivers That Increase Business Value
Valuing a business requires synthesizing a wide range of information, including financial statement trends, operating performance, management strength, public company comparisons, and private market transactions. These factors are evaluated in the context of the risk and potential returns investors can achieve through alternative investments in the market. During a business valuation, owners often ask what…
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When Not to Implement an ESOP: Considerations for Businesses
Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) can be a powerful tool for engaging employees and fostering a sense of alignment within a company, but much like any business strategy; they are not a one-size-fits-all solution. Business owners should carefully consider the risks and rewards prior to implementing an ESOP, as the various financial needs and growth…
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Evergreen Advisors Celebrates 25 Years
A Conversation with Founder Rick Kohr, President Shelley Lombardo, and President of Investment Banking Steve Prichett Twenty-five years ago, Evergreen Advisors was founded with a simple but powerful belief: great advisory work starts with strong relationships. What began in 2001 as an entrepreneurial vision has grown into a multi-disciplinary advisory firm serving clients through some…
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What an Outsourced CFO Actually Does in the First 90 Days
As companies grow, things naturally get more complicated. More customers, more employees, more moving pieces, and more decisions that need to be made quickly. At a certain point, many leadership teams realize they’ve outgrown the systems and processes that got them to where they are. That’s usually when an outsourced CFO comes in. An outsourced…
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4 Key Takeaways From the 2026 National ESOP Conference
Authored By: Patrick Lowry At The ESOP Association’s National 2026 Conference, Daniel Aronowitz, head of the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), outlined the agency’s evolving approach to ERISA enforcement and oversight. His comments signaled a potentially more balanced regulatory posture, including reduced second-guessing of responsible fiduciaries and a focus on fair and even-handed enforcement efforts.…
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Spring 2026 Fair Value Conference – AI Impacts on Valuation Practices
Authored By: Will O’Donnell At the Spring 2026 ASA Fair Value Conference, the opening panel session brought together managing directors from industry leaders at Deloitte, EY, PwC, KPMG, and Kroll to discuss how artificial intelligence (“AI”) is reshaping valuation practices. The conversation offered a candid look at both the opportunities and challenges as firms integrate…
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What New DOL Guidance Means for ESOP Valuations—and Why It Matters Now
Authored By: Pat Lowry For years, ESOP transactions have operated under a consistent backdrop of regulatory and legal scrutiny—especially around trustee independence, fiduciary processes, and transaction fairness. For trustees, fiduciaries, and business owners, valuation challenges remain a key concern. In April 2026, the DOL’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) outlined updated enforcement priorities that point…
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Strategic Planning Through the Lens of Business Valuation: Preparing for What’s Next
Authored By: Pat Lowry Planning Beyond the Present At some point, every business owner and leadership team faces the same fundamental question: How do I develop a succession plan that will help ensure the continuity of the business while providing liquidity to current shareholders? For some, the answer points toward a sale. For others, it…
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The Questions Outsourced CFOs Ask That Help Investors Protect—and Grow Value
Investors are surrounded by information. The challenge is turning it into clarity at the moment it matters most. Portfolio companies generate reports, dashboards, and updates at a steady pace. Yet many of the most consequential decisions—whether to lean in, hold steady, or step back—are made with incomplete context. By the time issues surface clearly in…
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From Burn to Breakout: Financial Inflection Points Investors Should Watch For
When Investors Have to Decide Every investor faces moments where a portfolio company forces a decision: lean in, hold steady, or step back. These moments rarely arrive with clear signals. More often, they show up as subtle shifts in burn, margins, or efficiency—easy to dismiss in isolation, but critical in combination. The challenge isn’t identifying…
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5 Key Lessons for Better Site Selection Decisions
Authored By: Jacob DiMattia Practical Lessons for Smoother Site Selection Projects The path to a successful site selection project is rarely linear. After supporting more than 1,000 projects across industries and geographies, one thing is clear: the difference between a smooth process and a challenging one isn’t luck—it’s structure, alignment, and decision-making discipline. Below are…
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Rollover Equity in M&A: Considerations Leading up to a Transaction
Authored By: Steve Prichett Rollover equity can play a key role in middle-market M&A. If carefully structured, it offers an opportunity for owners to unlock additional value. Understanding how rollover equity fits into a deal and whether it aligns with your long-term goals is essential when assessing your options. What is Rollover Equity in an M&A…