Client Reviews.

This review is for the exit planning services we’ve used Kimberly Advisors for. I run a construction company the old fashioned way: relationships, safety, and getting the punch list done. Our advisor helped us to form a concise list of things to work on that we can hammer out in our first quarter. We decided to start by tightening our bid/no bid process so we chase the right work, not all work. After listening to how we work, he advised us to track project manager productivity and create a foreman bench so crews aren’t built around me. We looked at safety metrics and succession for the superintendent role that everybody leans on. At home, my wife finally has an emergency plan if I twist an ankle or worse. We discussed options like ESOPs and leadership buy ins without committing to anything, and he respected that I’m not ready to step off site. I’ve really enjoyed the process of formalizing my plan for retirement. This process has removed a great deal of stress from realizing that I may have a lot of exit options if I choose to start creating them early.

I’ve been in the trucking business for about forty years now. Trucking teaches you to live with volatility—diesel, rates, weather. What I didn’t see was how much volatility I created by keeping everything in my head. Jeff and Kimberly Advisors showed me how that spooks lenders and buyers and drags value. I’m getting older now and I can honestly say that I’ve really enjoyed the exit planning process so far. I’ve decided to start by building an emergency binder that my wife can open if I’m sidelined. Although we have a team my biggest priority this year is going to be to streamline our business development and our dispatch process. Right now the business development is chaotic and dispatch sometimes feels like a fire drill. We also talked through scenarios: keep running, step back a day or two a week, or hand the wheel to a new GM while I mentor. No pressure to choose now. Jeff respected that my identity includes this yard, these trucks, and these drivers. However, I’m not getting any younger.

Our company is healthy, but I was uneasy about how fragile success can be when too many decisions sit with the founder. The advisor approached this like building a board: risk register, clear KPIs, succession for key roles, and capital discipline to fund value levers. He prepared a valuation framework that makes a lot of sense to us. Perhaps the best thing we got out of working with Kimberly Advisors was their framework for how we can actually delegate the goals we want to hit to grow our exit value to our team members. Jeff, our advisor was able to give clear advice about what moves the multiple: reliable cash flows, repeatable processes, leadership depth, and transparency. I also appreciated the alignment across business, personal, and financial goals—he forced me to write them down and sequence them. Rather than fixating on a calendar date, we’re watching readiness indicators and letting those lead the timing. The outcome so far is clarity, accountability, and less drama. We are not “for sale.” We are building an enterprise that—when we choose—can transition without chaos.

We scaled fast and then hit ceiling chaos: too many SKUs, cash tied in inventory, and me doing late night customer emails. Kimberly Advisors gave me a clear valuation lens and a value growth plan that didn’t seem unattainable. To begin with, I’ve decided to start with the financials and with improving our inventory systems. We’re moving some of that to Shopify’s fulfilment network, I’ve renegotiated 3PL terms, and built a cash conversion dashboard I actually check. On the team front, I wrote down SOP’s so customer experience doesn’t live in my head; and I’m planning on hiring another team member to run this for me later this year. My advisor also made me face personal goals—what kind of parent I want to be and what I’d do with time I’ve forgotten I’m allowed to have. We’re not plotting a sale yet, but I can see how the work we’re doing will create options for me in the future. The brand feels more durable, my stress is down, and the number on paper is moving the right way because the business underneath is healthier. That’s the real win for me.

I’ve had a very pleasant experience working with Kimberly Advisors. I started this business with my father shortly after leaving college and I wish we had started working with an M&A advisor sooner. We’re an organic specialty foods brand based out of Asheville and our products live and die on taste and trust. One of the biggest takeaways from working with Jeff is his ability to answer all of my (many) questions about what a sale to a strategic buyer might look like. My father passed away a few years ago, and the company isn’t as much fun without him. I really appreciate the level of detail he has been able to give me. We have a relatively strong brand, dependable marketing, and great customer support; so I’ve decided to start working on what we consider the “boring stuff” first. I really appreciate that Jeff didn’t try to look at our company as just a “spreadsheet”. He also guided a personal conversation about philanthropy and how we might support local food banks as we free more of our time in coming years. We will be reaching out to the financial planner he recommended as well.

When I started working with Kimberly Advisors, I wanted three things: (1) an honest valuation, (2) a plan to grow that value, and (3) options when I eventually step back. They delivered all three. First, we went through our financials and my advisor explained how maintenance contracts, seasonality, and churn affect value. Second, we built a 24 month value acceleration plan: stabilize recurring service revenue, reduce dependence on me for sales, and tighten dispatch efficiency to lift margin without burning out techs. He showed me how customer concentration drags multiples and some simple tweaks to mitigate it. Third, we clarified personal goals—grandkids, my wife’s timeline, and the income we’ll need when I work less. I appreciated that he never pushed a sale; instead, he set milestones that trigger a “go/no go” decision later. The leadership development piece mattered most: two foremen now own scheduling KPIs, and our weekly “red flag” meeting surfaces risks before they become emergencies. I still run the company, but I’m no longer as much of a bottleneck. The valuation story is getting stronger, and I finally have a practical path to a future exit that keeps faith with my crew and customers.

In professional services, value walks out the door at 5 p.m. unless you institutionalize it. Our advisor worked with us to frame valuation in terms of durable revenue, client diversification, and the risk that too much of the B.D. process sat with me. We’ve decided to start by creating a partner track, revising the comp model to reward origination and on cross selling. I also want to work on building some kind of client transition map so relationships aren’t so single threaded. Additionally, we’re very excited to start documenting methodologies and quality controls so we can pass these standards down. On timing, we’re deliberately agnostic; readiness matters more than dates. Personally, my spouse and I finally synced estate plans and cash flow projections, so my anxiety isn’t steering decisions. We haven’t “pressed go” on any exit, but when we do, it will be because the firm is ready and our family is ready, not because we ran out of steam.

We’re a second generation restaurant family. The hardest part isn’t food; it’s family. Our advisor brought everyone to the table—literally. He showed us how to set a family meeting that helped us to clarify the roles we would all be in charge of. It took us a bit to get everything worked out, but we’re extremely happy with the outcome. Since working with Kimberly Advisors, my daughter now runs operations, my son handles the whole catering side, my spouse manages the books, and I am in charge of hiring. One of the biggest mental breakthroughs was how he helped us to define what “on our terms” means. Ironically, we discovered it meant something different to everybody. After some initial friction it was actually easier than my husband and I had thought to move our children into the roles they already were thriving in. Once we were clear on “who” was in charge of “what” a lot of the bickering stopped. We also got a useful valuation range and a roadmap to raise it through predictable catering revenue and systems that don’t require me to taste every sauce. The real gift is fewer whispered conversations and more shared language. Our restaurants feel lighter, and so does our family group text.

I own a non-emergency medical transport business, our vans carry people to dialysis, chemo, and more. Initially, Kimberly Advisors helped us to see how our business is founder dependent and exactly what that means from a buyer’s perspective. One of the biggest takeaways we’ve been able to learn from them is an understanding of how buyers think about a company as a potential investment. If we were to sell today, we would likely be selling to a new owner operator that would likely use an SBA loan to buy us out. It’s been very eye-opening to see how we can make this company better from that lens. I would say that our exit planning now makes up about eighty percent of our focus on growing our business. If you’re planning on eventually exiting, I strongly recommend starting the exit planning process early on.

As a lifelong tinkerer turned owner, I had absolutely no background in valuation. Working with Kimberly Advisors has given me a very clear picture of our worth. It’s actually been surprisingly fun to work “on” our company in this way. For us, we decided that we would start with ARR quality, churn, rethinking our ticket backlog, and our SLAs with our larger clients. Next, we plan to work on the inputs: standardizing onboarding, quarterly QBRs, and a renewal cadence that doesn’t depend on my personal charm. Our advisor pushed us to formalize documentation and cross train so the NOC runs without my midnight heroics. On the personal front, our advisor helped us to model different “work less” scenarios so my wife and I can plan without guessing. We’re not marketing the firm for sale yet. We’re planning on giving our value growth initiatives at least a year but we’re very impressed with the quality of advice and the clarity of the action items we’ve received.

I built my machine shop one purchase order at a time and, like a lot of owners, I tied my identity to the shop floor. I’ve benefited a lot from working with Kimberly Advisors. We started by demystifying valuation. I learned how buyers actually look at risk, cash flow, and owner dependence. Seeing a baseline valuation range with plain English drivers to move the number gave me something I never had: a scoreboard. From there we built a value growth plan that didn’t hijack day to day production. We looked at how to map processes, cross train operators, and put a second in command in charge of a weekly ops huddle so fewer decisions bottleneck at my desk. My advisor, Jeff also insisted we think beyond the business—personal financial modeling, contingency plans if I get sick, and a conversation with my wife about what “enough” looks like. I’m not exiting now; we agreed on a two to three year runway to strengthen the multiple and reduce stress. The surprise wasn’t just numbers moving up; it was sleeping better knowing my team, customers, and family have a clearer path. If you’re proud of what you built but unsure what it’s worth or how to de risk it, you would probably benefit from working with Kimberly Advisors.

I dreaded the question, “Who am I without the practice?” Our advisor (Jeff) started there—not with spreadsheets, but with purpose. He had my husband and I outline a “life after full-time dentistry” plan: the rhythms of a week, community work we care about, and how we’ll stay useful. Only then did we tackle valuation and the levers that matter in a dental group. For our first areas of focus, we decided on: diversifying our marketing, associate productivity, payer mix, and referral dependence on me. We also started work on a patient transition playbook that protects experience and reduces the risk of key person reliance. On the personal side, he advised us to refresh our estate documents and to model income needs under different pacing—slowing down, not stopping cold. We’re not selling; we’re shaping a future where my identity isn’t under a microscope light. I feel seen both as a clinician and as a person who’s earned a gentler pace. I now know our value, how owners go about growing it ethically, and how to exit someday without abandoning the culture we built.