Nationwide Advisory Firm

Financial clarity
for every stage
of your business journey

From fractional CFO leadership to strategic exits, Sunset Business Advisors partners with privately held businesses to build lasting value and capture it when the time is right.

50+Years of hands-on advisory experience
+34%Avg. value increase with pre-sale engagement
$50MFocus on businesses up to $50M in revenue
46+
Completed Transactions
11x
EBITDA Exit Experience
100s
Business Owners Advised
$1M–$50M
Lower Middle Market Focus
Who We Are

More than a
transaction firm

"The right time to start your next chapter is before the sun sets on today's opportunity."
50+
Years of experience, not theory
100%
Privately held business focus
3
Core services under one roof
National
Reach with national-caliber advisory

Sunset Business Advisors works alongside business owners at every stage, not just at the finish line. We are a national advisory firm serving privately held businesses across the lower middle market, bringing institutional-quality expertise to owner-operated companies that deserve more than a template approach.

Whether you need a trusted financial officer embedded in your business, a clear picture of what your company is worth, or expert guidance through a sale or acquisition, we bring the same discipline and hands-on experience to every engagement.

We believe great outcomes are built over time, through strong financial foundations, strategic planning, and experienced guidance that stays with you through every milestone.


What We Do

Advisory services built
around your goals

A focused suite of services for privately held businesses in the lower middle market. From financial leadership to M&A execution, all under one roof.

01

Fractional CFO

Enterprise-level financial leadership without the full-time cost. We embed in your business as a strategic CFO, bringing financial discipline, board-ready reporting, and executive guidance to owner-operated companies.

  • Cash flow management & forecasting
  • Financial reporting & dashboards
  • Budgeting & scenario planning
  • Banking, lender & investor relations
  • Profitability analysis & KPI tracking
  • Growth strategy & capital planning
  • Pre-sale financial preparation
02

Business Valuation

Know exactly what your business is worth, and why. Our valuations are industry-specific, data-driven, and designed to give you clarity whether you are planning an exit, securing financing, or resolving a dispute.

  • Certified business appraisals
  • Industry-specific benchmarking
  • Exit readiness assessments
  • EBITDA normalization & add-backs
  • SBA & lender-ready reports
  • Litigation & estate valuations
03

M&A Advisory

Strategic guidance for buyers and sellers in the lower middle market. We run confidential, structured processes that connect the right parties, maximize value, and see transactions through to close.

  • Confidential business listings
  • Qualified buyer identification
  • Off-market deal sourcing
  • Deal structuring & negotiation
  • Due diligence coordination
  • Acquisition search & advisory
Fractional CFO

Strategic financial leadership. Scaled for your business.

Our Fractional CFO service delivers the same caliber of financial leadership found in enterprise-grade organizations, without the overhead of a full-time executive. We function as a true strategic partner, embedded in your operations, fluent in your numbers, and focused on outcomes that matter.

Whether you are a growth-stage company building your financial infrastructure, or a mature business preparing for a transaction, our Fractional CFO practice provides the clarity and strategic counsel your leadership team needs.

Who This Is For

  • CEOs who need financial leadership but are not ready for a full-time CFO
  • Companies with $1M–$50M in revenue seeking strategic financial oversight
  • Businesses preparing for a sale, capital raise, or lender relationship
  • Owner-operators who want clearer visibility into performance and cash flow
  • Companies experiencing rapid growth that have outpaced their financial systems

📊

Financial Clarity from Day One

Month one is focused on financial systems, forecasting infrastructure, and establishing the reporting cadence your business needs to operate with confidence.

🏢

Banking & Lender Relations

We handle banking relationships, prepare lender-ready packages, and ensure your capital structure supports your growth objectives rather than working against them.

📈

Growth Strategy & Capital Planning

We build the financial models and strategic plans that allow you to make confident decisions about hiring, expansion, acquisition, or exit, with the data to back them up.

🎯

Pre-Sale Financial Preparation

We normalize your EBITDA, clean up your reporting, and position your financials to withstand buyer due diligence, protecting valuation before you go to market.

Business Valuation

Know exactly what your business is worth, and why.

A credible, defensible business valuation is the foundation of every smart financial decision a business owner can make. Whether you are planning an exit, securing financing, navigating a dispute, or simply want to understand where you stand, our valuations give you the clarity and confidence to move forward.

Our valuations are industry-specific, data-driven, and built to withstand scrutiny from buyers, lenders, and courts alike. We do not produce templated reports. Every engagement reflects the specific dynamics of your business, your industry, and the current market.

When You Need a Valuation

  • Planning a sale and want to understand your realistic market value
  • Securing SBA financing, a bank loan, or outside investment
  • Resolving a shareholder dispute, divorce, or estate matter
  • Establishing a buy-sell agreement between partners
  • Benchmarking your business against industry peers
  • Making strategic decisions about growth, acquisition, or exit timing

📊

Industry-Specific Analysis

We benchmark your business against real transaction data and industry-specific multiples, not generic formulas. The result is a valuation that reflects what buyers in your market are actually paying.

🧾

EBITDA Normalization

We identify and document all legitimate add-backs and adjustments to your earnings, presenting your business at its true economic value rather than what the tax return shows.

🏭

SBA and Lender-Ready Reports

Our valuation reports meet the standards required by SBA lenders, commercial banks, and institutional buyers, so your financing process moves forward without delays.

⚖️

Expert Witness and Litigation Support

When valuation is disputed in court, our team provides credentialed expert witness testimony and documentation built to hold up under cross-examination.

M&A Advisory

Structured processes that maximize value on both sides of a transaction.

Whether you are ready to sell your business, looking to acquire a competitor, or seeking a qualified buyer for a confidential off-market transaction, Sunset Business Advisors manages the full process with discipline, confidentiality, and a focus on closing at the best possible terms.

We serve both sellers and buyers in the lower middle market, running structured processes that maintain deal momentum, protect confidentiality, and ensure that the right parties find each other at the right price.

Who We Work With

  • Business owners ready to sell and seeking a confidential, structured process
  • Owners planning an exit 12 to 36 months out who want to prepare properly
  • Entrepreneurs and operators seeking to acquire a business in their industry
  • Private equity firms and family offices sourcing lower middle market deals
  • Owners navigating a partner buyout or internal ownership transition
  • Companies pursuing add-on acquisitions to an existing platform

🔒

Strict Confidentiality

We manage every engagement with discretion from day one. Buyers are screened and qualified before receiving any information, and your identity is protected throughout the process.

👥

Qualified Buyer Identification

We do not blast listings to anonymous databases. We identify and approach the specific strategic and financial buyers most likely to value your business highly and close with certainty.

📝

Deal Structuring and Negotiation

Price is only one dimension of a transaction. We negotiate the full deal structure including payment terms, earnouts, representations, and transition arrangements to protect your interests at every step.

✅

Due Diligence Coordination

We manage the due diligence process to keep it moving efficiently, protect sensitive information, and prevent the last-minute surprises that derail closings and erode value.

Why Sunset

Grounded in real experience

01

Full-Spectrum Advisory

From ongoing financial leadership to a single transaction, we offer continuity of service so you do not have to start over with a new advisor at every stage of your business life.

02

Disciplined Execution

Every engagement follows a structured, end-to-end process designed to maintain momentum, reduce risk, and avoid the missed opportunities that cost owners value.

03

Targeted Access & Relationships

We do not rely on broad listings or directories. We run focused processes, connecting the right buyers, lenders, and opportunities through off-market relationships built over decades.

04

Lower Middle Market Specialists

Privately held businesses between $1M and $50M have unique needs that large investment banks ignore. Our entire practice is purpose-built for this market.

A Partner at Every Milestone

Wherever you are in
your business journey

Ongoing

Fractional CFO Engagement

Financial infrastructure, executive reporting, and growth support, delivered as an embedded strategic partner.

Planning

Business Valuation

Understand your company's true market value with an industry-specific, data-driven appraisal that sets the foundation for your next move.

Pre-Transaction

Exit Readiness Advisory

Clean financials, normalized EBITDA, reduced owner dependence, and a compelling buyer narrative, all built before you go to market.

Transaction

M&A Process Management

Buyer sourcing, structured negotiation, due diligence coordination, and deal close, managed with discipline from first conversation to final signing.

Post-Close

Transition & Acquisition Support

Smooth handoffs, new-owner financial integration, and operational continuity, ensuring that value created in the transaction is preserved after close.

How We Work

A structured approach
for every engagement

Every advisory engagement follows a proven process that keeps you informed and in control at every step.

1

Discovery Call

We learn about your business, goals, and timeline in a confidential, no-pressure conversation with no obligation.

2

Assessment

We evaluate your financials, operations, and objectives to identify the right advisory path and areas of opportunity.

3

Engagement Plan

We present a tailored scope of work, timeline, and deliverables aligned to your specific situation and goals.

4

Execution & Results

We execute with discipline, keeping you informed and adjusting strategy as conditions evolve, always with your outcome in mind.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common Questions from Business Owners

How much is my business worth?

Business value is typically based on EBITDA, growth trends, industry multiples, management depth, customer concentration, and overall transaction risk.

What is considered lower middle market?

Lower middle market businesses are typically companies generating between $1 million and $50 million in annual revenue or approximately $1 million to $10 million in EBITDA.

When should I start preparing to sell my business?

Most owners should begin exit preparation one to three years before going to market in order to improve financial reporting, reduce risk, and maximize valuation.

What does a fractional CFO do?

A fractional CFO provides strategic financial leadership including forecasting, cash flow management, KPI reporting, budgeting, lender relations, and transaction preparation.

Ready to strengthen your financial foundation?

Whether you are looking for fractional CFO support, want to know what your business is worth, or are considering a sale or acquisition, we would love to have a confidential conversation.

Get a Valuation

251-751-4744  ·  contact@sunsetig.com  ·  1203 US-98 E, Daphne, AL 36526

Insights & Analysis

Insights for Business Owners

Practical guidance on business value, financial clarity, exit planning, and the dynamics shaping the lower middle market.

Ready to take the next step?

Whether you are considering a sale, need a business valuation, or want to explore Fractional CFO services, we would welcome a confidential conversation.

Our Story

Built on experience.
Focused on outcomes.

Sunset Business Advisors is a national advisory firm serving privately held businesses across the lower middle market. We were founded on a simple belief: business owners deserve institutional-quality advisory, not afterthought service.

Our Philosophy

More than a
transaction firm


Most advisory firms only show up when a deal is imminent. We believe the most valuable work happens long before a transaction is on the horizon, in the financial systems you build, the reporting you establish, and the strategic decisions you make along the way.

That is why Sunset Business Advisors offers a full spectrum of advisory services, from embedded fractional CFO leadership to business valuations and M&A execution. Our clients do not have to start over with a new advisor at every stage of their business life. We stay with them.

Our advice is built on hands-on deal experience and financial leadership, not templates or theory. We have sat across the table in negotiations, built financial models for growth-stage companies, and guided owners through some of the most important decisions of their lives.

We serve owner-operated businesses between $1M and $50M in revenue nationwide, with a practice that is 100% dedicated to the lower middle market.

By the Numbers

50+
Years of advisory experience
100%
Privately held focus
$50M
Upper range of focus market
3
Core services, one team

"The right time to start your next chapter is before the sun sets on today's opportunity."

Our Values

What guides
every engagement

Honest Counsel

We tell clients what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. Our value is in our judgment, and we protect it by being direct about risks, realistic expectations, and the work required to achieve strong outcomes.

Long-Term Orientation

We measure success by what happens after our engagement ends, not just at closing. That means building relationships rather than transactions, and staying invested in outcomes that stand up over time.

Institutional Rigor

We bring the same analytical discipline and process standards to every engagement that larger firms apply only to their largest clients. Lower middle market businesses deserve nothing less.

Our Team

The advisors behind
your outcomes

Jeremy Hovater

Jeremy Hovater

Founder & Managing Advisor

Jeremy Hovater founded Sunset Business Advisors to bring institutional-quality advisory to privately held businesses that have traditionally been underserved by the financial advisory industry. His career spans over two decades of hands-on financial leadership and M&A advisory, including extensive experience as a Chief Financial Officer and Fractional CFO for privately held companies across multiple industries.

As a CFO and financial executive, Jeremy has built financial infrastructure for growth-stage businesses, managed banking and lender relationships, led capital raises, normalized EBITDA for pre-sale transactions, and served as a strategic partner to CEOs navigating major business decisions. This CFO background is the foundation of Sunset's Fractional CFO practice and a key differentiator for clients who want more than a bookkeeper or accountant.

His advisory work spans deal structuring, financial modeling, operational improvement, and executive counsel, built through direct engagement with businesses across multiple sectors and market cycles. He founded Sunset on the belief that great outcomes are built over time, and that the advisor who helps you build financial infrastructure today should be the same one who takes you to market when you are ready.

Fractional CFOM&A AdvisoryBusiness ValuationExit PlanningFinancial LeadershipLower Middle Market
William Bruce

William Bruce

Partner — Business Intermediary & Valuation

William Bruce is a seasoned business intermediary and valuation expert with nearly 40 years of experience facilitating the sale and acquisition of privately held businesses nationwide. He combines his deep industry knowledge with a proven track record of successful negotiations, strict confidentiality, and strategic guidance.

A graduate of Auburn University, William holds dual professional designations as an Accredited Business Intermediary (ABI) and Senior Valuation Analyst (SVA), credentials that reflect his expertise in both transaction facilitation and rigorous business valuation. He has owned multiple businesses and served in leadership roles in banking and local authorities, giving him a well-rounded perspective that clients trust when navigating complex transactions.

William's expertise spans all business sizes and sectors, and he is certified as an expert witness in valuation disputes, a distinction that underscores the depth and credibility of his analytical work. His nearly four decades of experience make him one of the most seasoned intermediaries in the country, and his commitment to confidentiality and client outcomes is central to everything he does at Sunset Business Advisors.

ABI — Accredited Business IntermediarySVA — Senior Valuation AnalystExpert Witness — ValuationM&A TransactionsBusiness ValuationAuburn University
Work With Us

Let's have a confidential
conversation

Whether you are exploring advisory options, ready to start an engagement, or simply want to understand what your business is worth, we would welcome the conversation.

Get in Touch

Let's have a
confidential conversation

No pressure and no obligation. Just an honest conversation about your business, your goals, and how we might be able to help.

Request a Consultation

✓

Message Received

Thank you for reaching out. A member of our team will contact you within one business day.

Direct Contact

Reach us directly

📞
✉
📍
Office
1203 US-98 E, Daphne, AL 36526
🌐
Service Area
Serving clients nationwide

Our commitment: All inquiries are treated as strictly confidential. We respond to every consultation request within one business day. There is no obligation and no pressure. Just an honest conversation about your situation and how we can help.

Not ready to talk yet?

Start with a Business Valuation. It is the clearest first step toward understanding your options, regardless of your timeline.

Get a Valuation →