Diligence · Deal Workstream

Quality of Earnings.

The buyer's accounting diligence report normalizing earnings, working capital, and pro-forma performance.

The moves

How Quality of Earnings actually gets done.

  1. Engage QofE within five business days of LOI signing.

  2. Scope to include working capital normalization, deferred revenue, and customer concentration.

  3. Share preliminary findings with the seller before final report, to surface disputes early.

  4. Coordinate QofE findings into both the purchase agreement and the LP commitment package.

The common mistake

Treating QofE as a back-office exercise. It is the basis for the price, the working capital peg, and the LP pitch.

Jason's take
"The QofE is the deal book. Read it twice before you negotiate anything."
Jason Powell · Quality of Earnings
Quality of Earnings across industries

25 industries with Quality of Earnings pages.

$15M to $120M EV

Healthcare Services

roll-up of physician practices and ancillary service lines

$8M to $80M EV

Home Services

regional roll-ups of HVAC, plumbing, and electrical operators

$10M to $150M EV

Precision Manufacturing

platform plus tuck-in machine shops or aerospace-qualified shops

$10M to $200M EV

Vertical SaaS

platform plus adjacent module acquisitions inside a single end-market

$8M to $90M EV

B2B Services

recurring revenue service platform with bolt-on operators

$12M to $140M EV

Logistics & Distribution

regional acquisitions of brokerages, 3PLs, and last-mile operators

$10M to $100M EV

Specialty Distribution

vertical buy-up of niche product distributors

$10M to $120M EV

Food & Beverage

CPG roll-up or co-packing platform with regional bolt-ons

$8M to $80M EV

Multi-Unit Restaurants

franchisee roll-up or regional concept acquisition

$8M to $90M EV

Auto Aftermarket

service-center or specialty-shop regional roll-ups

$15M to $200M EV

Aerospace & Defense

tier-two or tier-three supplier consolidation with certifications as moat

$10M to $130M EV

Industrial Services

regional consolidation of plant maintenance, specialty contracting, or rentals

$10M to $150M EV

Building Products

regional manufacturer or specialty distributor consolidation

$8M to $110M EV

Specialty Construction

trade-specific buy-ups (roofing, mechanical, electrical, fire protection)

$10M to $150M EV

Insurance Brokerage

regional retail agency roll-ups

$10M to $180M EV

Wealth Advisors & RIAs

RIA aggregation or wealth platform roll-up

$8M to $100M EV

Veterinary Services

general or specialty practice roll-up under an MSO

$10M to $130M EV

Dental Practice Management

DSO buy-up under an MSO

$8M to $90M EV

Education & Training

private school, training academy, or B2B training platform consolidation

$5M to $80M EV

Marketing Agencies

specialty agency or holdco platform with bolt-ons

$8M to $100M EV

IT Services & MSPs

MSP platform with regional or vertical-specific bolt-ons

$10M to $130M EV

Cybersecurity Services

MSSP or specialty consulting platform

$10M to $140M EV

Energy Services

regional oilfield service or renewable services consolidation

$12M to $150M EV

Waste & Recycling

regional hauler or transfer station consolidation

$15M to $200M EV

Specialty Chemicals

niche formulator or contract manufacturing buy-up

Work with Jason

Talk to Jason about Quality of Earnings.

Twenty minutes of practitioner-grade input from a securities attorney built for the independent sponsor model.