M&A Due Diligence Checklist for Small Business Owners
Small business owner reviewing key financial and legal documents during M&A due diligence If you’re buying or selling a small business, due diligence is where the deal gets tested against reality. A clean process protects your price, exposes hidden liabilities, and gives you leverage before you sign the final documents. You don’t need a bloated corporate playbook to run solid diligence on a smaller transaction. You need a disciplined checklist, a sharp eye for deal structure, and a clear sense of what can break value fast. This guide walks you through the items that matter most, how to review them, and where small business owners usually get surprised. What Should Be On Your M&A Due Diligence Checklist? Your checklist should cover financial records, tax filings, legal documents, operations, employees, technology, customer concentration, liabilities, and transfer issues. If you miss one of those buckets, you leave room for price erosion, indemnity fights, or post-cl...