Ep. 265 | Everybody wants private equity to buy them. Fewer founders are ready for what buyers actually find.
Selling your company can look like “the big win.” The check clears. The headlines sound nice. Maybe someone even posts a tasteful LinkedIn announcement with way too many gratitude emojis.
Then comes the hard part: contracts, systems, data, cyber risk, SOPs, people, processes, and the tiny little question that can wreck a deal:
Can this business actually run without you?
In this episode of The Liquid Lunch Project Podcast, Matt sits down with Mark Sims, Managing Principal of Technology Solutions at ConsultMSG, to talk about what business owners need to fix before private equity shows up with a checkbook.
Yes, they talk about what happens after a private equity deal closes. New boss. New board. New systems. New rules. Weird vibes in the Monday meeting.
But the bigger warning is this: if your business is held together by handshake deals, tribal knowledge, messy data, and “Judy knows where that file is,” you may not get the valuation, speed, or smooth transition you were hoping for.
Mark breaks down how technology, clean data, documented processes, AI, cybersecurity, and basic operational discipline can protect company value before a sale…or quietly drain it when buyers start looking under the hood.
🍸 What you'll hear in this episode:
Why founders need to think past the check
What private equity buyers look for beyond revenue
Why messy systems can lower company value
How poor documentation slows down deals
Why handshake deals do not impress buyers
How clean data helps buyers understand how you make money
Why AI is only useful if your data is not garbage
How cyber insurance protects value
Why SOPs matter more than founders want to admit
What makes a business easier to buy, run, and scale
🎧 Listen if you’re thinking about…
Selling your business someday
Buying or integrating a company
Cleaning up your operations before a deal
Making better decisions with data
Avoiding expensive tech mistakes
Turning technology into a growth engine
💡 A line we loved…
“A founder-owner needs to really think through what life’s gonna look like post-close.”
👤 About our Guest:
Mark Sims is Managing Principal of Technology Solutions at ConsultMSG, where he helps companies use technology, data, and systems to improve operations, support M&A, and scale smarter. He has more than 25 years of experience across strategy, IT, ERP, private equity, manufacturing, retail, and business transformation.
🔗 Links + Stuff
Website: https://consultmsg.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markjsims/
Before you chase the private equity check, make sure your business can survive the buyer’s questions. Listen now, then share this episode with a founder who thinks “we’ll clean that up later” is a strategy.
📬 Want more than just the podcast?
Every Friday, we publish The Weekly. A fast, smart rundown of what actually matters in finance, tech, small business, and the economy...without the noise.
Subscribe here: 👉https://theweeklyfromshieldadvisory.substack.com/
💼 Need funding or working capital?
If today’s conversation raised questions about capital, cash flow, or financing options, you can schedule a conversation with our sponsor, Credit Banc.
Credit Banc helps business owners make sense of their options and move forward with a clear plan, without pressure or guesswork.
👉 Book a free 15-minute call here: https://shorturl.at/LwxsA
📲 Connect with the hosts
Follow along for behind-the-scenes clips, commentary, and things that don’t make it into the episode.
• Matt Meehan:https://www.instagram.com/matthew.r.meehan
• Luigi Rosabianca:https://www.instagram.com/luigi_rosabianca
• The Liquid Lunch Project:https://www.instagram.com/theliquidlunchproject/
💬 One last thing
Know a business owner who would appreciate this conversation?
Send them the episode. That’s how this show grows.
