Outcome: We built a clear role definition for a back-office manager position and partnered the owner with a recruiting firm to fill it. The hire bought back 30+ hours of the owner’s time per week, improved his quality of life, and materially reduced owner-dependency — directly improving the business’s value and transferability.
- Planning Valuation Package
Know What Your Business Is Worth — and How to Grow It Before You Sell.
A complimentary 12-month business valuation and value-growth engagement for qualified founder-led businesses in Southern California.
- CVA® Certified
- CEPA® Certified
- NACVA Member
- USPAP-Compliant
- SSVS No. 1 Compliant
- Southern California Based
$2,500 for qualified applicants — a $12,000 engagement — and credited in full toward any future work with us. If you continue, the valuation costs you nothing.
- Who Qualifies
Who Qualifies for the Planning Valuation Package
A 12-month engagement of this depth is a $12,000 engagement at our standard rates — the preliminary valuation alone runs $5,000. For a limited number of qualified founder-led businesses each month, we offer the full package for $2,500. And we credit that $2,500 in full toward any engagement you start with us afterward. If you continue, the valuation cost you nothing.
- Closely held, founder-led business
Owned and operated by the founder or founding family.
- $2M – $20M in annual revenue
Where the value-growth work has enough operating substance to matter.
- Headquartered in Southern California
San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, or Riverside County.
- Expecting to sell, transition, or exit within 5 years
Where there is still runway to move the number.
- Willing to share complete financial information and commit to 4–6 hours of strategy time over 12 months
The work requires you in the room for the strategy conversations.
- Engagement Structure
What's Included in the 12-Month
Planning Valuation Package
This is the full 12-month scope — the same engagement we run for clients who pay our standard $12,000 rate. Here is everything included.
01
Preliminary Business Valuation
A preliminary business valuation performed by a Certified Valuation Analyst, prepared in accordance with AICPA SSVS No. 1 and USPAP. The report establishes an independent, third-party value range for your business as it stands today, normalized for non-recurring items and owner adjustments. It answers the two questions every owner needs answered before exit planning starts: what is it worth, and why is it worth that.
02
Strategic Plan + Presentation
A written strategic plan paired with a presentation delivered at the in-person strategy meeting. The plan identifies the highest-leverage opportunities to grow value before exit and the exit options best matched to your goals and timeline. Delivered as both a slide deck for the meeting and a written report as your takeaway document.
03
In-Person Strategy Meeting
A working session at your office or one of ours (Encinitas or Murrieta) where we present the valuation, walk through the strategic plan, and answer your questions. The valuation is delivered live at this meeting — not in advance — so you receive the analysis and the strategic context in the same room. Your existing advisors (CPA, wealth manager, attorney) are strongly encouraged to attend.
04
Quarterly Value Snapshots
Short, plain-English updates each quarter that track how your value has moved, what changed, and what still needs attention. Built around the value drivers identified in your initial strategic plan.
05
6-Month Strategy Review
A formal mid-engagement review session covering progress against the strategic plan, course corrections, and any changes to your exit timeline or strategy.
06
End-of-Year Refresh
At the close of the 12-month engagement, we deliver an updated valuation snapshot and a recommendation: continue with a paid TC Advisors engagement (Value Growth, Exit Planning, or M&A Advisory), renew the Planning Valuation Package on a paid basis, or close the engagement. No auto-renewal, no obligation.
- Scope Boundaries
What This Package Does and Does Not Cover
The Planning Valuation Package is purpose-built for business planning, value growth, and exit/succession decisions. It is not the right product for situations that require litigation-grade valuation work or compliance-driven filings.
This package IS for:
- Business planning and forecasting
- Value enhancement and growth planning
- Exit and succession decisions
- Pre-sale readiness assessment
This package IS NOT for:
- Divorce or marital dissolution valuations
- Shareholder disputes or litigation
- IRS or tax controversy matters (Form 706 estate, Form 709 gift, audits)
- SBA loan acquisition valuations
TC Advisors provides certified, compliant valuations for all of those situations under separate paid engagements. If that is your situation, contact us directly and we will scope a fit-for-purpose engagement.
- Why This Price
Why We Offer This at a Fraction of Its Value
Most valuation firms deliver a number in a PDF and disappear. Most exit planning firms try to plan an exit without knowing what the business is actually worth. TC Advisors does both — and the Planning Valuation Package is the entry point.
A valuation several years before exit is a diagnostic, not a deliverable. It tells you what the business is worth today, what is holding it back, and what changes between now and exit will move the number. That is not a $5,000 PDF. That is a 12-month working relationship.
We offer this at $2,500 — well below its $12,000 value — to qualified owners because the engagement creates the foundation for a longer relationship. Owners who complete the Planning Valuation Package typically continue with TC Advisors for value growth consulting, exit planning execution, or M&A advisory at transaction time. And because we credit your $2,500 in full toward that future work, owners who continue pay nothing extra for the valuation that started it all. That is the model. The Planning Valuation Package is where it starts.
The work is real, the methodology is credentialed (CVA, CEPA, USPAP, SSVS No. 1), and the deliverable is the same one a client paying our full $12,000 rate would receive. Qualified applicants simply pay a fraction of it — and get that fraction back if they continue with us.
- Lifecycle Position
Where Exit Planning Sits
in the Lifecycle
- Free broker valuation
- Free
- A rough, formula-driven number
- A broker/salesperson
- Win your sell-side listing
- They push you to sell now
- Typical one-time valuation report
- ~$5,000
- A one-time certified report, then you're on your own
- A credentialed appraiser
- A single compliance or decision point
- The engagement ends
- TC Advisors Planning Valuation Package
- $2,500 — and credited in full toward future work
- A certified preliminary valuation plus a 12-month strategic engagement
- A CVA and CEPA
- Diagnose value, grow it, plan the exit on your terms
- Quarterly snapshots, 6-month review, end-of-year refresh
- Lifecycle Position
Where the Planning Valuation Package Fits
The Planning Valuation Package is the on-ramp to TC Advisors’ four-stage advisory lifecycle. It lives at Stage 1 — Identify Value and connects through to the next three stages as your business and timeline progress.
| Stage | What It Covers | Page |
|---|---|---|
| 01 Identify Value | Certified business valuation. Where the Planning Valuation Package lives. | Business Valuation → |
| 02 Grow Value | Value enhancement consulting to close the gap between current value and exit-ready value. | Value Growth → |
| 03 Plan the Exit | Structured exit planning with succession, tax, and estate coordination. | Exit Planning → |
| 04 Execute the Sale | M&A advisory and sell-side representation when the business is ready to transact. | M&A Advisory → |
The Planning Valuation Package is the entry point. From there, owners typically continue with TC Advisors for value growth consulting, exit planning, or M&A advisory at transaction time. You don't have to commit to any of it — but the door is open.
- Value Drivers
What an Exit Plan Examines: The Five Value Drivers
An exit plan is only as good as what it measures. Every TC Advisors exit planning engagement examines the same five value drivers — the areas where lower-middle-market businesses gain or lose the most value before a sale, and the areas a buyer’s diligence team scrutinizes hardest. We benchmark each against your industry and size, then prioritize the highest-leverage fixes.
Driver 01
Owner Dependency
How much of the business runs through you personally — operations, client relationships, decision-making. The most common reason value is left on the table at exit, and the most common reason a buyer walks away after diligence.
Driver 02
Customer Concentration & Transferability
Revenue diversification across the customer base, and whether those relationships transfer to a new owner. Heavy concentration in a few accounts compresses valuation multiples and shrinks the buyer pool.
Driver 03
Pricing Models & Recurring Revenue
Pricing structure, contract terms, and the share of revenue that recurs predictably. Recurring and contracted revenue drives multiple expansion at exit; project-based, one-off revenue compresses it.
Driver 04
Management Depth
The strength of the leadership layer below the owner. Buyers pay premiums for businesses with capable managers who can run operations through and after transition. Thin management forces seller financing, earnouts, or extended transition periods.
Driver 05
Systems & Processes
Whether the work of the business is documented, repeatable, and increasingly automated — or whether it lives in the owner’s head and a few long-tenured employees.
Documented systems are the difference between a business and a job.
- Case Examples
Representative Engagements
Anonymized examples of recent exit planning work.
$3M · Commercial Plumbing · Orange County
Owner Dependency · Back-office build, 30+ hours/week reclaimed.
Situation: Owner was exploring exit options but was operationally underwater — heavily involved in day-to-day work and unable to step back. The business was overdependent on him, which capped value and limited buyer pool.
$3M · Financial Advisory · Temecula
Management Buyout · Independent valuation and structured pricing.
Situation: Owner was exploring a management buyout but had no structured view of what the business was worth or how to price the transaction with his internal team.
Outcome: We delivered an independent valuation, a defensible pricing structure for the buyout, and a strategic plan with a clear timeline for executing the transaction. The owner moved into the management buyout with a credentialed valuation in hand and a structured path to close.
$4M · Commercial HVAC · San Diego
Customer Concentration · Multi-year contracts and tier-based pricing.
Situation: Owner wanted to reduce customer concentration and the operational headaches that came with a long tail of low-margin accounts. Concentration was compressing his exit multiple and exhausting his team.
Outcome: We built a strategic plan that identified the “A-tier” customer profile, implemented a structured pricing system tied to multi-year service contracts, and improved profitability per customer. The contracted revenue base also materially improved transferability for a future buyer.
- Apply Now
Apply for the Planning
Valuation Package
The application takes 60 seconds. If you fit our criteria, we’ll review and follow up within 1–2 business days to schedule a discovery call.
Apply for the Planning Valuation Package
The application takes 60 seconds. If you fit our criteria, we’ll review and follow up within 1–2 business days to schedule a discovery call.
Form loading…
- Powered by HubSpot. Form will render when JavaScript loads.
To learn more about what we offer, please fill out the form below and we will contact you ASAP!
- Next Steps
What Happens After You Apply
01
You submit the application
60 seconds, then optional follow-up questions.
02
We review and confirm fit
Within 1–2 business days. If you fit the criteria, we send a calendar link for a 30-minute discovery call.
03
Discovery call (30 minutes)
We discuss your business, your exit horizon, and your goals. We confirm the Planning Valuation Package is the right fit before either of us commits.
04
Engagement letter
If we both agree, we send an engagement letter outlining the 12-month scope. The engagement is $2,500 for qualified applicants, credited in full toward any future work with us.
05
Onboarding and kickoff
Document review, initial valuation interview, and strategic discussion. The 12-month engagement begins.
- Credentials
Credentials and Why the CVA + CEPA Pairing Matters
Brandon Bay, CVA, CEPA
Brandon Bay is the Founder; Director of Business Valuation and M&A Services at TC Advisors. He is a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA®), credentialed by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA), and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®), credentialed by the Exit Planning Institute. He brings 5+ years of M&A sell-side advisory experience to every exit planning engagement. As the principal of a single-principal firm, Brandon performs the work personally — the person who scopes your engagement is the person who runs it.
Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA®) — NACVA
Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®) — Exit Planning Institute
Active NACVA Member in good standing
5+ Years M&A Sell-Side Advisory Experience
- FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions.
The questions owners and their advisors most often ask about exit planning, timing, the Planning Valuation Package, and how the engagement is structured.
What is exit planning, and how is it different from selling my business?
Exit planning is the work that happens before the sale — typically 1–3 years before. Selling the business is the transaction itself. Exit planning is the diagnostic and preparation phase: it identifies the risks and value gaps a buyer will price against, then gives you time to fix them. Going straight to a sale without exit planning means the buyer’s diligence team finds those problems first, and they become price reductions instead of fixes.
When should I start exit planning?
One to three years before you intend to sell or transition, at minimum. The value-driver work — reducing owner dependency, building a management layer, diversifying customers, documenting systems — takes time to implement and time to show results in the financials. Starting earlier gives more runway and more options. Starting after you have decided to sell this year leaves almost no time to move the number.
What is the difference between a CVA and a CEPA?
A Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) is credentialed by NACVA and trained in valuation methodology, USPAP compliance, and producing defensible valuation reports. A Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) is credentialed by the Exit Planning Institute and trained in the full ownership-transition process — value drivers, exit options, and coordinating the transition with tax, estate, and M&A strategy. Brandon Bay holds both, plus 5+ years of M&A sell-side experience.
Does exit planning include the actual sale of my business?
No. Exit planning prepares the business for sale; the sale itself is handled under TC Advisors’ M&A Advisory service line. The two are sequential. When the exit planning work is complete and the business is genuinely prepared, the engagement transitions into M&A advisory and sell-side representation — handled by the same firm, so nothing is lost in the handoff.
How is exit planning structured — is it a one-time report or an ongoing engagement?
It is an ongoing, multi-year engagement, not a one-time report. It begins with the Planning Valuation Package and Exit Roadmap, then proceeds as a sequence of defined, fixed-fee de-risking projects prioritized by leverage. Ongoing advisory access is included between projects, so the owner can reach Brandon directly whenever a question or concern comes up.
Do you handle personal financial or wealth planning?
No. TC Advisors focuses on the business — valuing it, preparing it, and positioning it for sale or transition. Personal financial planning, investment management, and wealth planning remain with your financial advisor or wealth manager. We coordinate directly with your existing advisor team rather than replacing any part of it.
What does an exit planning engagement cost?
Exit planning is structured as a series of fixed-fee projects, scoped to what your business actually needs. The engagement begins with the Planning Valuation Package, which is complimentary for qualified founder-led Southern California businesses. TC Advisors does not publish fees publicly because project scope depends on company size, complexity, and exit timeline. A discovery call produces a clear, fixed-fee proposal.
What is the Planning Valuation Package?
The Planning Valuation Package is the entry point to an exit planning engagement: a 12-month engagement that includes a certified Calculation of Value, a Strategic Exit Roadmap, an in-person strategy meeting, quarterly value snapshots, and a mid-year review. It is complimentary for qualified founder-led businesses in San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, or Riverside County with $2M–$20M in revenue and a 3–7 year exit horizon.
Can a business broker prepare my business for sale instead?
A broker’s role is to market and sell a business, not to spend two or three years preparing it. Brokers are generally compensated on transaction close, which aligns them with listing the business now rather than improving it first. Exit planning is a separate discipline with a different time horizon and a different objective: increasing the value and transferability of the business before it is ever listed.
Do you work outside Southern California?
TC Advisors is based in Southern California and concentrates on San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, and Riverside Counties. Most exit planning work is delivered remotely, with in-person strategy sessions available across the region. For engagements outside California, contact Brandon directly to discuss fit.
- Apply Today
Apply for the Planning Valuation Package.
We accept a limited number of new Planning Valuation clients each month. For qualified applicants, the full 12-month package is $2,500 — a $12,000 engagement — and credited in full toward any future work with us.