The AJM Data Diagnostic is a structured audit of your financial data quality, EBITDA normalization, and value gaps. Fixed fee. Explicit deliverables. Actionable findings.
Most businesses in the $5M–$50M range have accounting. Very few have financial data infrastructure. The difference matters — for management decisions, for lender conversations, and critically, for what an acquirer sees when they open your books.
The Data Diagnostic examines your financials at the level that lenders and buyers examine them — not just whether the numbers add up, but whether they tell a coherent, defensible story about the business.
It is not an audit. It is not accounting. It is a diagnostic designed to surface the gaps between what your financial data shows and what it should show — and to give you a prioritized plan for closing those gaps.
The diagnostic is the starting point for all AJM succession engagements. It’s also available as a standalone engagement for businesses that need financial clarity for lending, operational decisions, or planning — regardless of whether a transaction is on the horizon.
The diagnostic identifies what needs to be fixed before you go to market — and how long it takes to fix it. Starting 12–18 months out is the minimum for meaningful preparation.
Before engaging the buyer, you need to know what your financial data looks like to an acquirer. The diagnostic gives you that picture in 4–6 weeks.
You know the business performs better than the financials suggest — but you can’t prove it in a way a lender or buyer will accept. The diagnostic surfaces the documentation gaps.
Lenders look at your financials with the same scrutiny as buyers. The diagnostic ensures your data package supports your financing ask rather than undermining it.
Equipment, acquisition, facility — any significant capital commitment benefits from a clear picture of the business’s financial health and capacity.
If the last time your financials were scrutinized at this level was never — this diagnostic will find things that surprise you. Most do.
Margin by product line, supplier costs, and working capital variability are notoriously hard to see in standard accounting output. The diagnostic surfaces exactly those gaps — and gives you the financial visibility your operations actually require.
We learn about your business, timeline, and specific concerns. You learn what the diagnostic involves and whether it’s the right starting point. We scope the engagement based on complexity.
You receive a fixed-fee proposal with explicit scope, deliverables, and timeline. No ambiguity about what you’re committing to.
We request three years of financial statements, management accounts, and supporting schedules. We’ve built this process to be low-friction — you don’t need to prepare anything beyond what you already have.
Arthur leads the financial analysis. Michael Yeung reviews the package through the lens of what an acquirer’s due diligence team would flag. Michael Cooper assesses the operational risk indicators embedded in the financial data.
You receive a written report with findings and a prioritized roadmap. We walk through it together in a 90-minute briefing with all three principals. Every recommendation is tied to your actual numbers — no generic advice.
The Data Diagnostic is the starting point for all AJM succession engagements. If you’re planning to sell or transition ownership in the next 12–36 months, the diagnostic gives you the roadmap that determines what Phases 2, 3, and 4 need to accomplish.
The diagnostic is the starting point. Book a discovery call and we’ll scope it based on your business and timeline.