M&A Advisory & Business Brokerage
Sell Your Business With Confidence
Hands-on M&A advisory from experienced business owners and advisors who understand how to build value, prepare a company for sale, negotiate effectively, and successfully complete a transaction.
Our experience spans buying, building, operating, advising, and selling privately held businesses.
22
Companies Acquired by Our Founder
Buyer & Seller
Firsthand Experience on Both Sides
Team-Based
Deal Execution, Not a Solo Broker
Hands-On
Support Through Closing
The Entrepreneur LLC | Confidential M&A Advisory
Your Business Deserves More Than a Listing
Selling a business is one of the most important financial and personal decisions an owner will make. You may have spent decades building your company, developing your employees, serving customers, and creating value. When it is time to consider a sale, you deserve an advisory team that understands what is at stake.
The Entrepreneur LLC provides hands-on M&A advisory and business brokerage services to owners who want to understand their options, prepare their companies for the market, identify qualified buyers, negotiate favorable terms, and confidently navigate the transaction process.
We remain actively involved from initial preparation and valuation through buyer research, confidential outreach, negotiations, due diligence, and closing.
Experience
Built on Real Business and Transaction Experience
The Entrepreneur LLC’s M&A approach is built on firsthand experience as business owners, buyers, sellers, advisors, and negotiators.
Before founding The Entrepreneur LLC, Fred Serra built one of Connecticut’s largest independent insurance agencies, growing the organization both organically and through the acquisition of numerous companies.
Being directly involved in buying businesses gave Fred firsthand experience understanding what motivates a seller, identifying the issues that matter most to both sides of a transaction, structuring deals, and negotiating agreements that can successfully reach the closing table.
Fred has also successfully completed several sell-side transactions during his career, giving him experience on both sides of the negotiating table.
Today, he brings that experience to business owners considering a sale. His extensive business background, combined with negotiation training through Harvard Business School, provides a practical approach to preparing companies for sale, positioning their strengths, identifying the right buyers, and negotiating transactions designed to maximize value for the owner.
At The Entrepreneur LLC, we believe achieving the highest possible value starts well before a business is placed on the market.
We Understand the Buyer’s Perspective
Having personally acquired and integrated numerous businesses, Fred understands what serious buyers examine when evaluating a company—including financial performance, management structure, customers, employees, operations, risks, and future growth opportunities. That experience allows our team to look at a company through the eyes of a prospective buyer, anticipate potential concerns, and help the owner prepare before the business is presented to the market.
We Understand the Seller’s Perspective
Fred also understands the transaction from the seller's side of the table through his experience completing sell-side transactions and advising business owners. For most owners, selling a company is about much more than achieving a purchase price. Employees, customers, family, legacy, future involvement, real estate, taxes, financial security, and the certainty that a buyer can actually complete the transaction can all be important considerations. Our role is to understand what a successful transaction means to each individual owner and build the strategy around those objectives.
A Team Supporting Every Engagement
Selling a company requires preparation, financial review, buyer research, confidential outreach, communication, negotiation, due diligence coordination, and follow-through. Our team-based approach means each engagement benefits from multiple perspectives, with responsibilities assigned to maintain responsiveness, continuity, and accountability.
Our Team
Meet Our M&A Advisory Team
Our practice combines firsthand transaction experience, business development, buyer research, analytical support, and transaction administration—each member with a defined role from preparation through closing.
Fred Serra
Founder & CEO
Fred is an entrepreneur, business advisor, experienced acquirer, and M&A advisor who has spent his career building, buying, operating, and selling businesses.
His experience includes building one of Connecticut’s largest independent insurance agencies, completing numerous acquisitions, successfully completing sell-side transactions, and advising business owners on growth, operations, negotiations, and exit strategies.
Fred provides strategic guidance on business positioning, valuation, transaction structure, buyer evaluation, negotiations, and the major decisions owners face throughout the sale process.
Matthew Olival
President
Matt works directly with business owners, prospective buyers, strategic acquirers, and other transaction participants.
He assists with business development, buyer relationships, transaction communications, meetings, negotiations, due diligence, and closing activities.
Christopher Serra
Director of Operations & M&A Analytics
Christopher supports the operational and analytical side of our M&A engagements.
His responsibilities include industry and buyer research, financial and transaction analytics, company data, prospective-buyer tracking, outreach activity, transaction documentation, and coordination throughout the M&A process.
Supported by an Experienced Professional Network
Our team works alongside each client’s attorneys, accountants, tax professionals, lenders, real estate professionals, and other transaction specialists—allowing each professional to focus on their expertise while we help manage communication, maintain momentum, and keep the transaction moving toward the owner’s objectives.
Why Choose Us
Why Business Owners Choose The Entrepreneur LLC
Business Owners Advising Business Owners
We understand the responsibilities, pressures, and risks of ownership because we have experienced them ourselves. Our advice considers more than purchase price. We help owners evaluate employees, customers, family, legacy, future plans, transaction structure, and certainty of closing.
A Team-Based Advisory Approach
Selling a business requires many different skills. Our team works together across strategy, financial review, buyer research, outreach, negotiations, due diligence, and transaction administration.
Targeted Buyer Outreach
Rather than simply advertising a company and waiting for inquiries, we develop a targeted buyer strategy. Potential buyers may include: •Strategic acquirers •Private equity groups •Family offices •Independent sponsors •Qualified private investors •Industry competitors •Companies seeking geographic or product expansion
Confidentiality Comes First
Protecting confidentiality is critical. We use a controlled process designed to prevent employees, customers, competitors, suppliers, and other parties from unnecessarily learning that the company may be considering a sale.
More Than a Listing Service
Our role goes well beyond putting a business on the market. We help prepare the business, develop marketing materials, research potential buyers, conduct confidential outreach, manage buyer conversations, evaluate offers, assist with negotiations, and support the transaction through closing.
Focused on the Entire Transaction
The highest headline offer is not always the transaction that delivers the greatest value to the owner. We help owners evaluate: •Purchase price •Cash at closing •Seller financing •Earnouts •Working capital requirements •Contingencies •Real estate •Employee considerations •Owner transition requirements •Tax implications •Financing •Certainty of closing
Services
Our M&A and Business Brokerage Services
Business Valuation & Market Assessment
We help owners understand how buyers may evaluate their companies—reviewing financial performance, normalized earnings, assets, customer concentration, management depth, growth opportunities, and industry conditions.
Exit Planning & Sale Preparation
If you are not ready to sell today, we help identify the financial, operational, and organizational improvements that may strengthen the company and make it more attractive to future buyers.
Financial Review & Normalization
We work with owners and their accountants to understand historical performance and identify owner compensation, personal expenses, nonrecurring costs, and other adjustments affecting normalized earnings.
Confidential Marketing Materials
We prepare professional materials that clearly explain the company’s history, services, customers, operations, financial performance, competitive advantages, and transaction potential.
Buyer Research & Identification
We research industries, market activity, strategic acquirers, private equity firms, family offices, independent sponsors, and qualified private buyers to develop a targeted buyer list for each engagement.
Confidential Buyer Outreach
We approach prospective buyers without publicly identifying the company. Interested parties are screened before receiving any sensitive business information.
Buyer Screening & Qualification
We evaluate each buyer’s interest, financial capability, transaction experience, strategic fit, proposed structure, and ability to complete the acquisition.
Offer Evaluation & Negotiation
We help owners review indications of interest and letters of intent based on the entire proposed transaction—not only the headline purchase price.
Buy-Side Acquisition Advisory
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Due Diligence Coordination
We help organize and coordinate buyer requests while working alongside the seller’s attorneys, accountants, tax advisors, lenders, and other professionals.
Closing Support
We remain engaged as the transaction progresses toward closing—helping address open items, manage communication, maintain organization, and preserve momentum.
Process
Our 10-Step M&A Advisory Process
A clear, ten-step path from first confidential conversation to closing.
1
Confidential Consultation
We begin by learning about your company, ownership, objectives, timeline, and what you ultimately want to accomplish.
2
Business & Financial Review
We review the company’s financial, operational, organizational, and ownership information.
3
Preparation & Positioning
We organize the information, identify potential concerns, and determine how the opportunity should be positioned to prospective buyers.
4
Marketing Material Development
We create a confidential business overview or offering memorandum designed to professionally present the opportunity.
5
Buyer Research & Identification
We develop a targeted list of potential strategic and financial buyers.
6
Confidential Buyer Outreach
Prospective buyers are approached confidentially without publicly identifying the company.
7
Management of Buyer Discussions
We help coordinate questions, conference calls, meetings, facility visits, and follow-up communications.
8
Offer Review & Negotiation
We help the owner compare more than price.
We evaluate valuation, structure, financing, contingencies, timing, transition requirements, and the likelihood that the buyer can successfully close.
9
Due Diligence
Once a buyer is selected, we help coordinate the information requested during due diligence and work alongside the owner’s legal, accounting, and tax advisors.
10
Closing
We help manage open issues, communication, organization, and transaction momentum through closing.
Transaction Types
Transactions We Advise On
We help manage open issues, communication, organization, and transaction momentum through closing.
- Full or partial business sales
- Stock Sales
- Asset sales
- Strategic acquisitions
- Buy-side acquisitions
- Private equity transactions
- Family office and private investor transactions
- Management and family transitions
- Seller-financed transactions
- Business and real estate transactions
- Succession and exit planning
Industries
Industries We Serve
Our experience and advisory approach can be applied across many privately held industries, including:
Manufacturing & Industrial Services
Metal Finishing & Precision Manufacturing
Aerospace & Defense-Related Suppliers
Insurance Agencies & Financial Services
Staffing & Outsourced Business Services
Construction & Field-Service Companies
Professional & Business Services
Representative Experience
Representative M&A Experience
Our team has worked with owners of specialized manufacturing and service businesses involving complex financial, operational, ownership, and real estate considerations. Our work may include:
- Reviewing and normalizing financial performance
- Organizing company and transaction information
- Preparing confidential company presentations
- Researching industries and market activity
- Identifying strategic and financial buyers
- Researching prospective buyers and acquisition criteria
- Screening and qualifying interested parties
- Tracking buyer outreach and communications
- Coordinating management presentations and facility tours
- Evaluating stock and asset-sale structures
- Addressing seller financing and earnout proposals
- Coordinating business and real estate considerations
- Assisting with negotiations and letters of intent
- Supporting financial, operational, legal, and tax due diligence
- Working alongside attorneys, accountants, tax professionals, and other advisors
- Reviewing and normalizing financial performance
- Organizing company and transaction information
- Preparing confidential company presentations
- Researching industries and market activity
- Identifying strategic and financial buyers
- Researching prospective buyers and acquisition criteria
- Screening and qualifying interested parties
- Tracking buyer outreach and communications
- Coordinating management presentations and facility tours
- Evaluating stock and asset-sale structures
- Addressing seller financing and earnout proposals
- Coordinating business and real estate considerations
- Assisting with negotiations and letters of intent
- Supporting financial, operational, legal, and tax due diligence
- Working alongside attorneys, accountants, tax professionals, and other advisors
- Reviewing and normalizing financial performance
- Organizing company and transaction information
- Preparing confidential company presentations
- Researching industries and market activity
- Identifying strategic and financial buyers
- Researching prospective buyers and acquisition criteria
- Screening and qualifying interested parties
- Tracking buyer outreach and communications
- Coordinating management presentations and facility tours
- Evaluating stock and asset-sale structures
- Addressing seller financing and earnout proposals
- Coordinating business and real estate considerations
- Assisting with negotiations and letters of intent
- Supporting financial, operational, legal, and tax due diligence
- Working alongside attorneys, accountants, tax professionals, and other advisors
Sale Readiness
Thinking About Selling Down the Road?
You don’t have to be ready to sell today to start planning for a successful exit.
In fact, some of our most productive relationships begin with business owners who are thinking about selling several years down the road.
The Entrepreneur LLC is not only an M&A advisory firm. We are also an experienced business consulting firm that can work with owners to develop and implement an exit strategy well before the company is brought to market.
Preparing in advance provides an opportunity to identify the areas of the company that could potentially increase value or create concerns for a future buyer.
This may include strengthening profitability, developing the management team, reducing dependence on the owner, addressing customer concentration, improving financial reporting, creating more efficient operations, developing recurring revenue, strengthening employee retention, and positioning the company for future growth.
The Best Time to Prepare for a Sale Is Before You Need to Sell
Waiting until you are ready to sell can limit your options.
Starting the process one, two, three, or even more years in advance gives an owner time to make meaningful changes that may strengthen the business and improve its attractiveness to potential buyers.
Our consulting team can help you develop a customized exit strategy focused on:
- Increasing business value
- Improving profitability and cash flow
- Strengthening management and operations
- Reducing owner dependency
- Identifying potential buyer concerns
- Improving financial reporting
- Addressing customer concentration
- Developing growth opportunities
- Preparing management and employees for transition
- Establishing an appropriate timeline for a future sale
The objective is simple: build a stronger, more valuable business today so that when the time comes to sell, you are prepared to go to market from a position of strength.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Business value can be affected by normalized earnings, industry multiples, recurring revenue, customer concentration, management depth, assets, growth trends, competitive advantages, market conditions, and transaction structure.
Understanding value can also help an owner determine what changes should be made before going to market.
Confidentiality is an important part of our process.
Prospective buyers are screened, and sensitive information is generally not shared until appropriate confidentiality protections are in place.
Timing depends on the company, industry, preparation, buyer interest, financing, due diligence, and complexity of the transaction.
A business sale can take six to twelve months or longer depending on the circumstances.
We maintain relationships with strategic acquirers, private equity groups, family offices, independent sponsors, and private investors.
More importantly, we conduct transaction-specific research to identify potential buyers that may have a strategic reason to acquire your company rather than relying exclusively on an existing buyer database.
Our team evaluates industry activity, acquisition history, investment criteria, geographic focus, company size, strategic fit, and other relevant information when developing a prospective-buyer list. We use this research to support more targeted outreach and help determine which buyers may have a legitimate reason to pursue the opportunity.
We use a controlled outreach and information-sharing process. Prospective buyers may be required to execute a confidentiality agreement and demonstrate legitimate interest and financial capability before receiving sensitive company information.
Our primary role is to represent and advise the party that has formally engaged our firm. Any potential conflicts are disclosed and handled appropriately.
An initial review commonly includes three years of financial statements and business tax returns, current year-to-date results, revenue by customer or category, payroll and organizational information, major assets and liabilities, real estate information if applicable, ownership structure, and the owner’s desired timeline and goals. Additional information may be requested based on the company and transaction.
Engagements generally include an advisory fee and a success fee.
The exact structure depends on the size and complexity of the company, the scope of the engagement, and the anticipated transaction process.
Many owners begin the conversation one to three years before they intend to sell. Early planning provides time to improve financial reporting, reduce owner dependence, address operational risks, strengthen management, and prepare for due diligence. There is no obligation to sell simply because you begin exploring your options.
Considering a Sale?
Start With a Confidential Conversation
Whether you are considering selling your business today or believe a sale may be several years away, we invite you to have a confidential conversation with us.
The Entrepreneur LLC offers business owners a complimentary 60-minute confidential consultation.
There is no obligation and no pressure to sell your company.
The purpose of the meeting is to learn about your business, understand your objectives, answer your questions, and discuss what steps may make sense—whether that means beginning a sale process today or developing a longer-term strategy to prepare your company for a future exit.
Call The Entrepreneur LLC to Schedule Your Complimentary 60-Minute Consultation
The Entrepreneur LLC
2 Enterprise Drive
Shelton, Connecticut 06484
M&A Advisory | Business Brokerage | Exit Planning | Business Consulting
Contact
Request a Confidential Consultation
Please provide a few details about your company. A member of our team will contact you privately.
Your information will be kept confidential and will not be shared with prospective buyers without your authorization.