The McFarland Group, an advisory firm that has supported more than 200 ownership transitions over the past two decades, has announced an expanded emphasis on its M&A advisory practice for closely held business owners evaluating sales to external buyers. The firm's approach prioritizes extended timelines, with engagements typically running six to twenty-four months, to allow for comprehensive exit readiness assessment, due diligence preparation, buyer identification, and transaction management.
Byron McFarland, founder of The McFarland Group, emphasized the importance of a patient, senior-led model. 'Selling a business to an external buyer is one of the most consequential decisions an owner will make, and it deserves more time than most processes give it,' he said. 'Our work brings the same calm, structured approach we have built over two decades of ownership-transition advisory. The goal is clarity for the owner, not speed for the dealmaker.'
The expanded focus reflects a growing number of owner-clients who are considering an external sale alongside or in place of an internal transition to management. The firm's M&A advisory encompasses both sell-side and buy-side transactions, targeting owner-led businesses with revenue between $5 million and $100 million—a segment the firm has served extensively through its management buyout work. Engagements are structured to begin early in an owner's planning horizon, often before the business is brought to market, so that questions of readiness, deal structure, and buyer fit can be addressed sequentially rather than under pressure.
'Owners deserve to know what they are walking into before they commit to a process,' McFarland added. 'When we slow the moment down at the front end, the entire transaction tends to go better at every step that follows.' The firm's approach ensures that Byron McFarland and the principal team remain directly engaged throughout each engagement rather than passing work to junior associates.
Across more than 200 ownership transitions, The McFarland Group has supported transactions totaling more than $3 billion. The firm's additional practice areas include management buyout advisory and performance equity compensation design, both of which complement the M&A practice for owners evaluating multiple paths forward. More information on the firm's M&A advisory is available at themcfarlandgroup.com/service/m-and-a-advisory-services.
