Capital readiness for deals and businesses under $10M
Everyone keeps telling you no.
It's not the deal. It's the package. Banks won't underwrite you. Institutional money won't look at you. And nobody tells you what "come back when you're further along" actually means. I do — and then I fix it.
Flat fee. No percentage of what you raise. You keep control.
Why it's a no
Under $10M, the money passes for one of four reasons.
Nobody at the bank has time to explain it, and the investor who said "interesting, keep me posted" is never going to. So here they are, in the words you actually heard, with what each one really means.
The numbers don't quite work for us.
The model doesn't hold up.
An underwriter rebuilt your projections on their own spreadsheet and got a different answer. Thin coverage, optimistic margins, or a pro forma with no sensitivities.
Fix: an investor-grade model they can't poke a hole in.
We're just not seeing it.
The story doesn't match the numbers.
The deck says one thing, the financials say another, and the use of funds says a third. The moment those disagree, you've lost the room.
Fix: one narrative, one set of numbers, one ask.
We'll need a lot more documentation.
The entity and cap table are a mess.
Handshake partners, an old operating agreement, a promise of equity to a cousin. Diligence finds it, and the deal dies late — after you've spent months on it.
Fix: clean structure, clean cap table, clean paper.
This isn't really our kind of deal.
You asked for the wrong money.
Equity when you needed debt. A bank when you needed a bridge. A single lender when the deal wanted a capital stack. Right deal, wrong door.
Fix: the right instrument, the right structure, the right source.
How it works
You bring the deal. I make it fundable. You raise it and keep control.
First — diagnose
We autopsy the last no.
I read what you sent them, and what they sent back. In 30 minutes you'll know which of the four reasons it was, and what a yes requires.
Then — rebuild
We build the package the money expects.
Model or pro forma, structure, deck or lender package, data room, and the entity work behind it. Built to survive underwriting, not to look pretty.
Finally — at the table
I sit next to you when terms come in.
Term sheets, lender proposals, JV and co-GP agreements. You run the conversation. I make sure you don't sign something you'll regret.
Three ways to work together
Pick the depth. Every tier builds on the one before it.
Diagnose & Structure
$5,00030 DAYS
Find out why it's a no, and fix the structure.
- Full deal autopsy: model, story, structure, entity — line by line
- Written diagnosis of why they passed and what a yes requires
- Capital strategy: raise size, instrument, use of funds
- Term sheet framework you can defend
- 1 hour of private 1:1 time
Build the Package
$10,00060 DAYS
Everything in Tier 1, plus the package itself.
- Investor-grade financial model or real estate pro forma with sensitivities, sources & uses, and waterfall
- Executive summary and pitch deck, or lender & LP package
- Secure diligence data room, organized the way the money expects
- Review of one live term sheet or lender proposal
- 3 hours of private 1:1 time
Full Capital Readiness
$15,00090 DAYS
Everything in Tier 2, plus me at the table.
- Entity, cap table, and governance cleanup so diligence doesn't kill the deal late
- Introductions to securities counsel, CPAs, lenders, and strategic advisors
- Side-by-side negotiation on every term sheet, lender proposal, and JV/co-GP agreement
- Investor Q&A prep and diligence response support
- 5 hours of private 1:1 time, priority access for 90 days
Pay in full and take 10% off any tier. Tiers 2 and 3 can be paid monthly over the engagement. Real estate sponsors use the same three tiers — the model is a pro forma with waterfall and the package is a lender and LP package. Not sure within the first 30 days (10 for Tier 1)? Cancel in writing for a prorated refund.
Who this is for
A real asset or real revenue, and at least two no's.
This is you if
- You own an operating business doing $1M–$10M in revenue — trades, services, franchises, healthcare practices, light manufacturing — and want growth or acquisition capital.
- You're a real estate sponsor on deal two through ten, assembling LP equity, bridge debt, or bank financing on a $2M–$15M project.
- You've been told "no," "not yet," or "come back when you're further along" and nobody explained why.
- You'd rather spend a fixed amount now than give up control later.
This isn't you if
- You have an idea but no revenue and no asset. There's nothing yet for the money to underwrite.
- You want someone to find the investors and take a cut. That's a licensed broker-dealer, and it isn't me.
- You want a guarantee of funding. Anyone who offers one is either lying or unlicensed.
- You're raising $25M+. You've outgrown this; I'll point you to the right people.
The partnership stake
I'd rather be on your side of the table than on your invoice.
The fee covers the work. The stake is a separate decision we make together, on partnership terms — never in place of the fee, and never tied to what you raise.
- Operating businesses
- Typically a 2–5% minority stake, fully diluted, issued under your operating or shareholder agreement with a board observer seat and information rights. If you want a fractional CFO/COO in the building, that's a 5–15% partner stake with an operating role and a monthly retainer.
- Real estate sponsors
- A 10–20% co-GP position with a pro-rata share of acquisition fees, asset management fees, and promote. I put in at least 5% of the required GP equity and carry GP duties, with a right of first offer on your next two projects.
Straight answers
The questions everyone asks on the first call.
Do you raise the money for me?
No. I don't sell securities, I don't solicit investors, and I don't take a percentage of what you raise. I make you ready, I sit next to you when the terms come in, and you raise it and keep control. That's on purpose.
Can you guarantee I get funded?
No. What I guarantee is that you walk into the next conversation with a package that doesn't get turned down for the reasons you've been turned down so far.
I already have a CPA, a banker, and a consultant.
Keep them. I'm not any of those. I'm the person who figures out why the money said no and rebuilds what they're looking at. Your CPA will like me — I make their job easier.
Do I have to give up equity?
No. Every tier stands on its own. The partnership stake is a separate conversation. Most clients want me in for the long haul; some don't. Either way is fine.
What if I'm not sure after we start?
Tell me in writing within the first 30 days (10 days on Tier 1) and you get a prorated refund. I'd rather part ways than have a client who isn't getting value.
Are you a lawyer or a CPA?
No. Every document, agreement, and offering we build gets reviewed by your own counsel before you sign it. I'll tell you when you need them, and for how many hours.
Free 30-minute deal autopsy
Send me the last no. I'll tell you why.
You send what you gave them and what they sent back. I read it before we talk. On the call you get the real reason it was a no and what a yes requires — whether or not you ever hire me.
Prefer to just grab a time? Book directly on my calendar →