The Owner's Manual

Why, When, and How to Sell Your Business to Private Equity

Seth Deutsch

$56.95 $48.54

Hardback

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English

Samson Partners Group
04 November 2025

Corporate finance; Takeovers, mergers & buy-outs; Small businesses & self-employed

Most owners don't plan the sale of their companies. Instead, they drift into it after receiving a ""we're interested"" email. The Owner's Manual helps prepare founders and owners for a potential sale years before that email is received. This book explains how private equity investors evaluate and price businesses so that if and when you are ready to sell your business, you can be well-positioned to get the outcome you want.

Inside, you'll learn to:

Think like a buyer: prioritize predictable cash flow, decrease key man risk, build durable revenue, reduce customer concentration, and focus on the metrics that move multiples. Baseline with EVRSTM: every business (based on its industry, size, and other factors) trades in a range of multiples. Where your business is in that range depends on seven elements. You'll see where you are in that range TODAY and then you have a choice: remodel the business before selling, or take it to market as is. But either way, you'll know where you stand. Choose the right path: platform vs. add-on, when to go to market, and how to assemble a team that can help you from the time you contemplate selling all the way through to the exit. Understand that valuation is not the only consideration in selling a business: who you partner with matters, and how the deal is structured 'Arill be a function of how anti-fragile the business is. Avoid the traps: missed numbers, ""market"" myths, being unprepared, and other key factors that kill deals.

With clear checklists, actionable takeaways, and case studies, this is the field guide for owner-operators who want a great outcome on purpose-not by accident. Better preparation means better multiples, cleaner terms, and your best shot at a life-changing sale.

By: Seth Deutsch
Imprint: Samson Partners Group
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 14mm
Weight: 494g
ISBN: 9798993609409
Pages: 242
Publication Date: 04 November 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Seth Deutsch is a deal architect, investor, and operator who helps founder-led companies grow, go to market, and sell on their terms. Over his career he has led or advised on 70-plus acquisitions, built nine private-equity-backed platforms, and partnered with dozens of owner-operators to make their businesses investor-ready. As founder of Samson Operating Partners, Seth's team works directly with owners and investors to professionalize operations, strengthen leadership, and drive enterprise growth by blending the discipline of private equity with the empathy of an operator. He travels the country speaking with CEOs, PE firms, and advisors to educate as many buyers and sellers as possible. In The Owner's Manual, he distills that experience so owners can think like investors and engineer life-changing sales.

Reviews for The Owner's Manual: Why, When, and How to Sell Your Business to Private Equity

""What sets this book apart is its relentless focus on the owner's perspective. Selling a business is not just a financial event. It's personal. It touches your legacy, your team, and your vision for the next chapter of your life. Seth writes with empathy but stays rooted in reality. He will challenge you to look at your company through an investor's lens and then give you the tools to make it better. ""Whether you plan to sell in six months or in five years, this book will meet you where you are. It distills complex concepts into clear actions and gives you a way to measure progress. Read it to get smart on what private equity is looking for. Use it to raise your multiple, improve your terms, and increase certainty of close. Most of all, use it to make decisions that align with your goals."" - Adam E. Coffey, author of The Private Equity Playbook, The Exit Strategy Playbook, and Empire Builder