A second opinion before you grow or sell.
For owners of IT, software and tech-enabled service companies. Two private calls with Valeriia Chumachenko and a written report. You learn where your company stands in the eyes of buyers, which path fits you, and whether you need a paid advisor at all.
- For
- Owners of IT and tech-enabled service companies
- Format
- Two 60-minute video calls
- Fee
- $300 first call, $700 second call and report
- You get
- A concise PDF report
When an outside view is worth an hour.
- You may sell in the next one to four years and do not know where to start.
- Growth has slowed, and you want an outside view of what it does to the value of the company.
- A buyer or a broker has approached you, and you want a view from someone whose fee does not depend on your answer.
- You already hold a broker's pitch or a letter of intent and want a second opinion before you sign.
- You are deciding whether to hire a sell-side advisor at all.
- Partners or the board disagree on where the company should go.
Two calls and a report.
Booking and NDA
You pick a time and sign a mutual NDA online. A short form asks for the basics: revenue for three years, the recurring share, margin, the largest customer's share, ownership, your goal and timeline. About ten minutes.
First call, $300
Valeriia learns the company: its stage, its numbers, your goals and what worries you. She asks questions. At the end you decide whether to continue. If the call already answered what you needed, you stop there.
Between the calls
As suits your calendar. Valeriia studies your sector and companies like yours.
Second call, $700
Her view of the best scenario for your company and why, based on what she sees in the market. You decide what to do with it.
The report
A concise PDF of five pages or more. Short enough to read in one sitting and share with a partner or CFO.
Conclusions first, the plan last.
Written for an owner with little time: the first page holds the conclusions, the last page the plan.
- Page 1 · Summary and market
- Where the company stands, the recommended path and the three most important steps. Market trends and your positioning.
- Page 2 · Business model
- What to strengthen, what raises and what lowers the value, the risks a buyer will raise, and the numbers a buyer will ask for first.
- Page 3 · Your options
- A table of paths: full sale, majority sale, minority investment, merger, management buyout, or grow and prepare. Pros, cons, timing, and the path we recommend.
- Page 4 · Buyers
- The categories of buyers for that path, and how to position the company for each.
- Page 5 · Market value
- Deal activity in your sector and how the market values similar companies, as ranges with sources, and what moves a company up or down the range.
- Last page · Next steps
- A plan for 90 days and for 12 months, and whether you need an advisor and what kind.
Ranges for similar companies come from public sources, licensed databases and Valeriia's own market knowledge. They show what businesses like yours trade for. They are not a valuation of your company.
Sometimes the recommendation is not to sell yet: what to change first and when to come back to the question.
You pay for the advice itself.
Most sell-side firms meet owners for free. That first meeting is how a firm decides whether to take you on, and it is paid for later, through the sale mandate. The model works and serves many owners well.
This review works the other way round. You pay for the advice itself, so the time goes to your questions, and you leave with a view you can use whether or not you ever hire an advisor.
No pitch at the end.
- No pitch during or after the review. If you want more help, you ask.
- The fee is fixed and does not depend on whether you decide to sell, wait or grow. No success fee, no deal mandate tied to the review, and no referral fees from advisors, buyers or anyone we mention. Nothing further is required or assumed.
- Before we confirm a booking, we check for conflicts. If Valeriia has advised your company or another party in your situation in any earlier role, we decline.
- The Structure and PERETZ, a web and software agency, are under common ownership. If you later choose our other services, we are paid for them. You are never required to.
One person, start to finish.
Valeriia Chumachenko, Head of Advisory at The Structure. Fourteen years preparing founder-led software companies for buyers, more than 600 sessions with founders, and work on both the sell side and the buy side.
She takes up to eight reviews a month, and she is the only person who sees your numbers.
Simple terms.
- You pay for each call before it takes place.
- Up to 24 hours before the call you can reschedule free of charge or cancel for a full refund. Later changes and missed calls are not refunded.
- Calls are not recorded unless you agree.
- Your materials are deleted 90 days after the report.
- Before you pay, Valeriia reads your booking form and confirms the review fits your question. If it does not, we say so. Times are offered in US time zones. To book, write to us and we will offer times.
Advice, not a deal.
- Not a valuation of your company.
- Not legal, tax, accounting or investment advice.
- Not a sale process. We do not arrange, negotiate or execute transactions. We are not a broker-dealer.
- Not capital raising. If you need to raise money, we tell you what kind of licensed firm to look for.
Business strategy and market orientation only. Not legal, tax, accounting or investment advice, and not a securities offering. Market ranges for similar companies are given for orientation and are not a valuation of your company. No guarantee of valuation, buyer interest or deal outcome.
Common questions.
What should I prepare?
The booking form, about ten minutes. Then, if you have them at hand, bring the key metrics to the first call: revenue for the last three years and the share that recurs, net and gross revenue retention, gross margin, EBITDA or net profit, the share of revenue from your largest customers, headcount, and how the company makes money (subscriptions, projects or services). The latest financial statements help too. Rough numbers are fine. No data room.
Can I stop after the first call?
Yes. You pay $300 and nothing more.
Will you tell me what my company is worth?
You get ranges for similar companies in your sector, with sources. That is a guide, not a valuation.
Is it confidential?
Yes, under the mutual NDA you sign at booking. Valeriia is the only person who sees your numbers, and your materials are deleted 90 days after the report. The conversation is confidential but not legally privileged, as it would be with your lawyer.
Will you try to sell me something afterwards?
No. If you want more help, you ask.
I already have an advisor. Can I still book?
Yes. A second view before a major decision is a common reason to book.
Which companies do you review?
IT, software and tech-enabled service companies, mostly founder-led and in the lower middle market.
Preparing a sale or looking at a target?
We reply within one business day. NDA before any documents change hands.