1
Understand realistic value and terms (full sale, partial sale, minority, preferred/structured equity, debt)
2
Evaluate a real offer: what’s fair, what’s aggressive, and what can hurt later
3
Run a controlled partner process: small, screened list; staged disclosure; clean diligence cadence
4
Negotiate the clauses that matter: control, governance, rollover, leverage, working capital, earnouts, financing outs, post-close constraints
5
Prepare for institutional capital: upgrade the story, materials, KPIs, and diligence readiness so terms improve (or timing accelerates)





