“Doug looks at a business the way a buyer will, then fixes what’s costing it.”
You don't need to know anything about brand to refer someone. You only have to notice the gap. Nobody's baby's ugly. It might just not be dressed for the season of selling.
You've got a bench. This is one seat on it.
I'm the one you bring in when the business is solid and the outside doesn't show it. Old website. No clear story. Everything depends on the owner. Nothing a buyer can check in ten minutes that makes them feel good.
A valuation tells you what the business is worth on paper. My work is about whether a buyer can see it. Earlier is better. An owner who's already selling won't spend on it. An owner two years out will.
It's your client.
I'm the person you bring in for one piece of it, and you hear what I find. You stay the main relationship. I keep you in the loop the whole way.
Four steps. You're in the loop for all of them.
You flag a client.
A quick note is enough. Who they are and what's coming up.
I take a first look.
How the business reads from the outside, across eight areas. Only what's already public.
You both see the findings.
A walkthrough with the owner. What's working, what's costing them, what can wait.
The client decides.
What to fix first, what can wait, what doesn't need fixing. They can stop at any step.
Start wherever it's easiest.
The first 100 days.
A new portco’s story, pulled together while there’s still time to build on it. How a business reads from the outside is part of what gets priced at exit. Get it clear early and the sale moves faster, and the number is easier to defend.
Four tells
- The website still describes the founder’s company. Not the one you just bought.
- Two companies, one story. An add-on just closed and nobody’s merged the message.
- Sales can’t explain the thesis. The deck says one thing, the reps say another.
- No one in house owns it. No marketing team, and the deal team shouldn’t be writing copy.
What happens
- Days 1 to 30See it clearly. A first look from the outside, then a walkthrough with me. What to fix first, what can wait.
- Days 30 to 60Set the direction. Strategy and concept. The story, and how it should look and sound.
- Days 60 to 100Build it out. Site, sales materials, LinkedIn. Refine it, and flag what’s next.
You approve at every step and can stop at any of them.
What it looks like when it works.
A company that sold for 30% over asking. One that went from first meeting to launch in eight weeks. An M&A firm that hired me for itself. And the research on why buyers care.
Choice Health Centre
%
over asking
I rebranded it before it went to market. It drew a bidding war and sold for 30% over asking. The buyer later rebranded his own clinics to match.
Read the caseCORE Long Term Care Services.
Back-office services for long-term care. I showed them what wasn’t working first, then rebuilt the brand, site and LinkedIn.
“Doug started by showing us what wasn’t working before he built anything. Eight weeks later we had a website our own team can run, and a LinkedIn presence that finally looks like the company we are.”Lee Rooney, COO, CORE Long Term Care ServicesRead the case
White Horse Partners.
I’m their fractional Chief Brand Officer. Before we changed anything, I ran the read on them. It became the brief for the new brand.
See the readWhat the research says.
Brand is part of that. It’s also the part nobody checks.
I won’t promise a number. This is what moves.
More buyers look.
A clear story widens the field. More interest means more competitive tension.
Trust comes faster.
When the outside checks out, diligence has fewer questions to chase.
Less discount for doubt.
Anything a buyer can’t verify in ten minutes gets priced as risk.
Less key-person risk.
When the story only lives in the founder’s head, a buyer sees dependence.
Occasionally we do come across companies that before we take them to market for their exit, we take a look at their website and let them know, like, there needs to be significant cleanup here.
“We would be, you know, probably your ideal customer since we just don't even have that capacity whatsoever right now.”
“I could see the need for your services in family office deals where they're looking to truly build a brand and build value.”
“Branding is going to be that new thing that I can add in now that there's a solution... in the past... we didn't have a place for it to go to.”
“I think you're probably the first person who has approached us in this context.”
Enterprise work, most of it as Executive Creative Director at SweetRush. The same eye now goes on companies your clients own.
What advisors ask me.
Does brand affect what a business sells for?
It affects how many buyers look, how fast they trust what they see, and how much they have to discount for doubt. I won't promise a number. I can show you what happened when one company got it right.
How far ahead of a sale should an owner start?
Two to three years. Enough time to fix things and have results to show.
What is brand due diligence?
Checking how a company is seen from outside, the same way you'd check its books. Is the story clear, is it consistent, does it depend on one person, would a stranger trust it.
Which companies are a fit?
Established, owner-led or investor-backed, mid-sized. Most of my work has been in healthcare, professional and financial services, and technology. The situation matters more than the sector.
Will you take over my client relationship?
No. It's your client. You stay the main relationship and you hear everything I find.
Do I need to understand brand to refer someone?
No. You only need to notice that the business is better than it looks. I'll take it from there.
Do you do the work or just advise?
Both. I set the direction and I make the work. When it needs a specialist, I bring in someone I trust.
How is it scoped?
After a first conversation. The first look is part of the project, not something sold ahead of it.
Two one-pagers.
One page each. Send it to a client or pass it around the deal team. No form, no email needed.