
The Mark Perlberg CPA Podcast
EP 151 - Maximizing Your Business Value w/ Tom McElwrath
Send us Fan Mail Your business is not worth what your revenue says it’s worth. It’s worth what a buyer believes will keep working after you’re gone and they’re willing to pay up or discount hard based on risk. We sit down with Tom McElwrath of Kandem Services Group (KSG) to unpack what actually drives business valuation and enterprise value for high-income business owners. We talk through the risks that quietly destroy a sale price: founder dependence, customer concentration, undocumented processes, weak bench depth, and relationships that live only in the owner’s head. Tom explains why the smartest move is starting three to five years before a sale, because once an LOI shows up, diligence begins and negotiating power shrinks fast. We also connect operations to financial clarity and tax planning. If you don’t trust your books, you can’t forecast cash flow, manage EBITDA, or plan taxes with confidence. We dig into why a fractional CFO can be a game-changer, how clean financials make buyers more comfortable, and how tax savings can create liquidity to reinvest in systems and growth. Then we get tactical on valuation multiples, deal terms beyond purchase price, and one overlooked concept that can add real money at closing: adbacks. If you’re building toward an exit or simply want a company that runs without you, listen through and take notes. Subscribe, share this with a fellow owner, and leave a review with the biggest risk you’re going to de-risk first. Next Steps: for a free assessment of how advanced tax reduction can help build your wealth, go to: https://prosperlcpa.com/apply Connect with Tom at:Tom@kandem.com

