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Weeks Weekly with Ed Weeks Jr. MBAAuthor: Ed Weeks, Jr.
Weeks Weekly with Ed Weeks Jr. Most owners do one major deal. The other side does it for a living. Weeks Weekly with Ed Weeks Jr. is about the decisions that can materially change what a business is worth growth, capital, acquisitions, succession and M&A. Ed Weeks Jr. is the founder of Weeks Consulting Group and works with owners of established 2M20M businesses navigating consequential decisions about their companies and what comes next. Drawing on 30 years across Wall Street, operating companies, sales, marketing, entrepreneurship and M&A, Ed looks at what actually happens when ownership, money and deals collide. Episodes explore the questions established business owners eventually face: - Is growth actually making the company more valuable? - What would the business be worth without the owner? - When does outside capital make sense and when doesn't it? - Should you buy a competitor instead of building organically? - What do buyers, lenders and investors see that owners often don't? - How do you evaluate an unsolicited offer? - What makes a business transferable? - When should you hold, grow, acquire, recapitalize, bring in a partner or sell? Some episodes are Ed breaking down a real owner problem or market dynamic. Others are conversations with owners, buyers, capital providers and professionals who spend their careers on the other side of these decisions. This isn't a show about rushing owners toward an exit. It's about optionality. Build a stronger company. Understand what it's worth. Know what choices are available to you before you need to make one. New episodes weekly. Not sure what your next move should be? Take the Business Optionality Assessment: edweeksjr.com/assessment Weeks Consulting Group: edweeksjr.com Weeks Weekly newsletter: weeksweekly.substack.com Build a more valuable company. Create more options. Language: en Genres: Business, Entrepreneurship, Investing Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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The Buyer Found a Problem. Now Your Sale Price Just Changed.
Episode 10
Tuesday, 13 October, 2026
Why sellers lose negotiating leverage after the letter of intent, and how to find the expensive surprises before buyers do. You agreed on a price. Signed the letter of intent. Started thinking about what life might look like after the sale. Then the buyer's accountants call. Some of your earnings adjustments don't hold up. Working capital isn't what they expected. Suddenly, the buyer wants to renegotiate. And you've already stopped talking to other buyers. This is where business owners can lose hundreds of thousands of dollars without anything actually changing in their business. In this episode of Weeks Weekly, Ed Weeks Jr. explains why the most dangerous financial surprises aren't necessarily the ones you discover. They're the ones your buyer discovers first. Drawing on conversations with a quality of earnings professional and his own experience working with business owners, Ed breaks down: Why your negotiating position changes dramatically after signing a letter of intent. What buyers actually examine when they challenge your adjusted EBITDA. How working capital and other financial adjustments can reduce what you take home. When a sell-side quality of earnings (QoE) report is worth the investment. What the new October 2026 SBA lending requirements mean for owners selling businesses for $3 million or more. What you can do today to protect your options, even if selling is still years away. The takeaway: Don't wait for a buyer to tell you what's wrong with your numbers. Find out while you still have the time and leverage to do something about it. Thinking about selling, raising capital, or figuring out your next move? Take the free, 3-minute Weeks Consulting Group assessment to understand where your business stands and what deserves your attention first. https://edweeksjr.com/assessment/ ABOUT THE HOST Ed Weeks Jr. brings more than 33 years of operating, investing, and advisory experience to conversations about buying, selling, growing, and financing privately held businesses. Weeks Consulting Group https://edweeksjr.com SOURCES & ADDITIONAL READING Carr, Riggs & Ingram: https://www.criadv.com/insight/sba-quality-of-earnings-requirement-7a-loans/ HartmannRhodes: https://www.hartmannrhodes.com/post/new-sba-business-acquisition-rules-october-1-2026 Federal Reserve, September 2026: https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/files/monetary20260916a1.pdf GF Data Q2 2026: https://www.acg.org/news-trends/news/gf-data-reports-show-steady-middle-market-deal-flow-amid-more-selective This episode is for general educational purposes and is not legal, tax, or investment advice. CHAPTERS: 00:00 Introduction 00:19 The phone call that can change your sale price 01:11 Why sellers lose leverage after the LOI 02:39 Working capital: The hidden price adjustment 03:53 What a sell-side quality of earnings report reveals 04:28 What a QoE professional told me 05:44 Why financing conditions matter 06:59 New SBA rules every seller should understand 08:20 The lesson from second-generation business owners 09:20 How to prepare before buyers start looking 10:59 Closing thoughts
