Weeks Weekly with Ed Weeks Jr.

Ed Weeks, Jr.
  • 5.0 (11)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

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 $2M–$20M+ 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.

  1. 2d ago

    The Buyer Found a Problem. Now Your Sale Price Just Changed.

    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

    The Buyer Found a Problem. Now Your Sale Price Just Changed.

  2. 2d ago ·  Bonus

    You Might Enjoy: On Purpose with Jay Shetty

    Introducing COLLIN GOSSELIN: The Real Story Behind One of America’s Most-Watched Families from On Purpose with Jay Shetty. Follow the show: On Purpose with Jay Shetty Collin Gosselin opens up about what it was really like growing up in the spotlight of Jon & Kate Plus 8, sharing his personal account of life behind the camera. He recounts his experiences with family isolation, allegations of physical abuse, time spent in a basement room, and his twenty-month stay in an institution he says he never needed to be in. Collin also details how a smuggled note led to a reunion with his father, how he is working to rebuild his life today, and why he is finally choosing to speak publicly about his past. With Love and Gratitude, Jay Shetty Instagram Teen Accounts: Built-in protections for teens. Learn More. At https://chase.com/sapphirereserve JAY'S DAILY WISDOM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX Join 900,000+ readers discovering how small daily shifts create big life change with my free newsletter. Subscribe here: https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast What We Discuss: 00:00 Welcome To On Purpose And Disclaimer 01:43 Inside the Gosselin Household 03:50 Faking Reality On Camera 05:15 The Normalization Of Constant Filming 06:35 The Turning Point 09:06 Modern Child Exploitation 12:35 Pushing Back And Early On-Camera Resistance 17:02 Earliest Memories Of In-Home Abuse 20:37 Targeted Isolation And Homeschooling 25:21 Child Protective System Flaws 35:11 Advocacy In The Face Of Public Backlash 36:55 The Attempted Runaway 44:03 Institutionalization At Age 11 48:16 Twenty Months In Inpatient Confinement 53:53 The Official Admission Records 59:12 The Harsh Reality of Living in Isolation 01:04:45 The Smuggled Letter And Custody Battle 01:08:37 Reconnecting And Healing 01:11:26 Repairing The Father-Son Relationship 01:14:00 Turning Pain into Purpose 01:17:14 False Diagnoses & His Dream of Joining The Marines 01:24:41 Legal Defamation Threats 01:26:16 Where Does He Stand With His Siblings? 01:30:20 Who is Collin Today? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to team@podroll.fm.

    You Might Enjoy: On Purpose with Jay Shetty

  3. Oct 8

    Same EBITDA, Different Price: What Actually Sets Your Multiple

    Why two companies with the same $2 million of EBITDA can sell millions apart, and the five things buyers actually price. Two companies each earn about $2 million of EBITDA. One sells for $8 million. The other sells for $14 million. Same earnings. A $6 million difference in value. Why? In this episode of Weeks Weekly, Ed Weeks Jr. breaks down what actually determines the multiple a buyer is willing to pay, using current M&A market data and lessons from real business transactions. You'll learn: The five factors buyers evaluate: recurring revenue, management depth, EBITDA add-backs, customer concentration, and financial quality. Why business size and buyer type influence valuation multiples. How owner dependency can reduce what buyers are willing to pay. Why the headline purchase price and the cash you receive at closing can be very different. What business owners can do now to improve value, even if they aren't planning to sell. The two-company comparison is illustrative, but the underlying valuation principles have real financial consequences. 00:00 Intro 00:19 Two $2 Million Companies: $8 Million vs. $14 Million 01:15 What the Market Is Paying 02:39 Five Questions Every Buyer Asks 05:03 What Makes a Business Worth More 05:41 Headline Price vs. Cash at Closing 06:41 What Business Owners Should Do Now 07:44 Outro Read the full article: https://edweeksjr.com/same-ebitda-different-price/ Research and sources: TagniFi PowerComps Q2 2026: https://peprofessional.com/2026/08/private-equity-buyers-pay-up-for-small-add-ons-as-middle-market-multiples-climb-to-6-9x/ GF Data Q2 2026: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/gfdata_acg-privateequity-pe-activity-7506424956235333632-1Q8H PitchBook, Construction & Engineering: https://pitchbook.com/news/articles/ai-data-center-boom-private-equity-deals-electrical-hvac SRS Acquiom Deal Terms Study: https://www.srsacquiom.com/our-insights/deal-terms-study/ SRS Acquiom Earnout Trends: https://www.srsacquiom.com/our-insights/ma-earnout-milestone-trends/ IBBA and M&A Source Market Pulse: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-market-pulse-survey-q2-2026-reports-the-latest-trends-in-business-sales-up-to-50m-302858664.html About the host Ed Weeks Jr. is the founder of Weeks Consulting Group, advising business owners, buyers, and capital partners on valuation, acquisitions, exits, and strategic decisions. https://edweeksjr.com General education only. Not legal, tax, or investment advice.

    Same EBITDA, Different Price: What Actually Sets Your Multiple

  4. Sep 28

    Paper Before Price: New SBA Rules, a Rate Hike, and Your Exit Options

    New SBA acquisition lending rules take effect October 1, and they put a seller's last fiscal year or two at the center of whether an SBA buyer can get financed. Add a September rate hike and tighter private equity leverage, and deal structure matters more than it did a few months ago. Ed covers three ideas for owners of established companies. Historical performance increasingly decides financeability. Structure matters more when debt is tighter. And your financials and diligence materials need to be ready before a buyer puts a price in front of you. He also talks about the household clock and the company clock, and why the owners with the most options are the ones whose company clock is ahead. General education, not legal, tax, or lending advice. Confirm SBA specifics with your lender. Host: Ed Weeks Jr. Weeks Consulting Group https://edweeksjr.com Sources: - U.S. Small Business Administration, SOP 50 10 8.1, Lender and Development Company Loan Programs with Technical Policy Updates, effective October 1, 2026 (Appendix 15, 7(a) Changes of Ownership): https://www.sba.gov/document/sop-50-10-lender-development-company-loan-programs - SBA Information Notice 5000-882227, Issuance of Technical Updates to SOP 50 10 8.1 (published September 25, 2026): https://www.sba.gov/document/information-notice-5000-882227-issuance-technical-updates-sop-50-10-81 - NAGGL, "SBA Publishes SOP 50 10 8.1 with Technical Policy Updates" (September 25, 2026): https://www.naggl.org/sop-update-sba-publishes-sop-50-10-8-1-with-technical-policy-updates/ - Federal Reserve, FOMC statement (September 16, 2026): https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/monetary20260916a.htm - CNBC, "Fed approves interest rate hike, signals one more to come this year" (September 16, 2026): https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/16/fed-rate-decision-september-2026.html - GF Data Q2 2026 M&A and Leverage Reports, via ACG (August 27, 2026): https://www.acg.org/news-trends/news/gf-data-reports-show-steady-middle-market-deal-flow-amid-more-selective - IBBA and M&A Source, Market Pulse Survey Q2 2026 (August 25, 2026): https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-market-pulse-survey-q2-2026-reports-the-latest-trends-in-business-sales-up-to-50m-302858664.html - BNY Wealth, Structuring the Sale, survey of 354 deal advisors conducted by The Harris Poll, via InvestmentNews (September 25, 2026): https://www.investmentnews.com/practice-management/private-business-owners-selling-now-are-often-unprepared-bny-survey-says/268367

    Paper Before Price: New SBA Rules, a Rate Hike, and Your Exit Options

  5. Sep 22

    A Handshake is not Economics.

    Owners get burned when introductions go out before four answers are on paper: 1. Who owns the relationship after the intro? 2. What is each party responsible for? 3. How is everyone compensated if something real happens? 4. What happens if progress stops? Good intent is not commercial infrastructure. When social agreements get treated like process, three things tend to follow: - money shows up and memory gets creative; - nothing shows up and reputation was already spent; - or the path stalls and the owner is parked with no written way back to a decision. Operating standards from this episode: - Write the economics before the introductions. - Agree the floor before shared work or shared lists. - Protect the return path before a soft handoff. Owners do not need more introductions. They need introductions that can still produce a decision if the first path fails. Host: Ed Weeks Jr. Weeks Consulting Group https://edweeksjr.com

    A Handshake is not Economics.

  6. Sep 16

    Sell, Grow, or Take Capital?

    A business owner is deciding whether to sell his company or keep growing it. But what if those aren't the only two choices? In this episode of Weeks Weekly, Ed Weeks looks at the decision that should come before the transaction. An owner might sell. But they might also bring in capital, recapitalize, acquire a competitor, build a management team, take some liquidity off the table—or simply keep the damn company. The real question isn't "Should I sell?" It's: What am I actually trying to accomplish, and which choices do I need to preserve to get there? Ed also explores why financial reporting, owner dependency, access to capital and management depth aren't merely "exit readiness" issues. They determine how many good choices an owner has while they still own the business. Plus, why the experience gap matters when a transaction finally does happen: Most owners will do one major transaction in their lifetime. Everyone else at the table does this for a living. Weeks Consulting Group works with established business owners navigating growth, acquisitions, capital, succession and M&A. Better decisions for business owners.

  7. Sep 11

    Your Best Year Could Be Your Most Dangerous Year

    Your best year in business might also be your most dangerous. Revenue is up. Sales are strong. The backlog is full. You're hiring, buying equipment and taking on bigger customers. So why is there less cash in the bank? In this episode of Weeks Weekly with Ed Weeks Jr., Ed breaks down one of the most misunderstood problems in a growing business - growth consumes cash before it produces cash. Using the example of a $5 million business growing toward $6 million, Ed explains how payroll, equipment, materials, receivables and customer payment terms can create a working-capital squeeze even while the income statement looks great. You'll hear why owners should pay attention to: • The cash conversion cycle • Working-capital requirements • Receivables and payment terms • Customer concentration • Margin quality • Owner dependency • The difference between growing revenue and growing business value Because the real question isn't simply whether your company is getting bigger. Is it becoming a better business — and is it creating more options for you as the owner? Ed also explains why these issues matter long before you're thinking about selling. Lenders, investors, partners and eventual buyers all evaluate the quality of growth differently than an owner looking at top-line revenue. Weeks Weekly with Ed Weeks Jr. is for owners of established $2M–$20M+ businesses navigating growth, capital, acquisitions, succession and M&A. Most owners do one major deal. The other side does it for a living. Not sure what your next move should be? Take the Business Optionality Assessment: edweeksjr.com/assessment Weeks Consulting Group: edweeksjr.com Weeks Weekly: weeksweekly.substack.com Build a more valuable company. Create more options.

  8. Jun 17

    Stop Pretending "Sell and Stay" Is the Safe Play

    Thinking about what's next for your business? See what it's worth to a buyer with the free Exit Readiness Scorecard: edweeksjr.com/scorecard Most founders selling a $2M to $20M business think the headline number on the page is the win. It isn't. The real money lives in the parts that come later: the earnout, the rolled equity, the so-called second bite. And later only pays if the business keeps performing after you've stopped running it the way only you knew how. This week, Ed breaks down "the vacation tell," the pattern one acquirer noticed after buying up ten small companies and keeping the old owners on. About a year after each deal closed, those owners started taking the vacations they'd sworn for fifteen years they could never take. They weren't slacking. They'd exhaled. The weight was somebody else's now. As the buyer put it: they were cooked without telling me they were cooked. Ed connects that to the brutal math nobody puts in front of you at closing. SRS Acquiom found that of all the earnout money that could have been paid out across a pile of recent deals, only about 21 percent actually was. One dentist hit 97 percent of her revenue targets and collected 60 percent of her earnout. Miss the line by a hair and the box stays shut, in a business you no longer control. The trap is the cruel part: the exact engine that makes the back half of your deal pay at full power is the exact thing closing is designed to switch off. This episode is about seeing that clearly before you sign, and being honest about which version of the deal you're really walking into. Inside this episode: Why the relief you feel at closing is a leading indicator your number is about to shrink The 21-cents-on-the-dollar reality of earnouts most advisors won't say to your face Why "sell, stay, and ride it out" is the riskiest plan, not the safest What founders actually want when they stop chasing top dollar The only homework that matters this week if you're 54 to 58 and quietly thinking about it Legacy lasts longer than the wire transfer. Read the structure, not the headline. This isn't legal or financial advice. Use your own counsel. Every deal is its own animal. Ed Weeks Jr. is a buy-side M&A advisor and the principal of Weeks Consulting Group. Book an introductory call: https://calendly.com/ed-edweeksjr/introductory-call

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About

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 $2M–$20M+ 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.

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