Most businesses that go to market aren't ready. Shepherd helps owners identify and fix the gaps that kill deals and suppress valuations — years before they ever talk to a buyer.
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"I've seen too many businesses come to the table completely unprepared — leaving real money on the table and killing deals that should have closed."
Shepherd guides you through every dimension of exit readiness — with a live score, prioritized action plan, and AI advisor available every step of the way.
A single 0–100 score broken across 7 categories — Financials, Operations, Contracts, Legal, People, Data, and Technology. Updated automatically as you make progress.
A focused questionnaire across all 7 categories surfaces exactly where you stand and what to prioritize — answerable in under an hour.
Personalized recommendations for every gap in your score — specific, prioritized, and written in plain language a business owner can act on today.
Watch your score improve over months as you address each area. Monthly readiness reports you can share with your advisors, CPA, or attorney.
A pre-structured virtual data room built into Shepherd. Start organizing documents years in advance so you're deal-ready the moment a buyer comes knocking.
Not a generic AI — a purpose-built exit consultant trained on buy-side M&A expertise and real-world deal experience. Ask anything and get answers grounded in what acquirers actually think.
Shepherd guides you turn by turn — from where you are today to the exit you've worked toward.
Answer 40+ questions across 7 categories in under an hour. Shepherd builds your baseline Exit Readiness Score immediately.
Receive a prioritized, personalized action plan — organized by category and urgency — telling you exactly what to fix first.
Use the AI advisor to go deeper on any topic. Upload documents to your secure data room. Check off action items and watch your score climb.
After 2–5 years of preparation, you'll enter conversations with buyers knowing your business is ready — and your valuation reflects it.
Corporate development professionals have pipelines full of companies they'd love to acquire someday — but no scalable way to help those targets get ready.
Shepherd solves that. Refer targets to the platform and they'll arrive at the table prepared, organized, and ready to close.
A monthly subscription with no hidden fees. Cancel anytime. Most owners use Shepherd for 24–36 months before going to market.
Shepherd was founded by a corporate development professional with years of experience evaluating acquisitions — and years of watching business owners arrive at the table completely unprepared to sell.
The same problems appeared in deal after deal: financials that weren't clean, documents that didn't exist, customer concentration that hadn't been addressed, and owners who were shocked by what buyers found in due diligence. Most of these issues were fixable — just not in the middle of a live transaction.
Shepherd exists to solve that problem earlier, giving every business owner access to the same buy-side perspective that acquirers use to evaluate companies — years before the pressure of a deal begins.
I always assumed my business was ready to sell. Shepherd showed me five things a buyer would have flagged immediately in due diligence. Two years of prep time well spent.
As a corp dev professional, I refer targets to Shepherd because it's the only scalable way to help companies in my pipeline get ready without hand-holding them myself.
The data room integration alone is worth the subscription. I've had organized documents for two years. When a buyer asked for our data room last month, we sent a link in 10 minutes.
How long will I need to use Shepherd?
Most owners use Shepherd for 24–36 months before going to market. The earlier you start, the more time you have to address gaps, improve your score, and maximize your valuation.
What size business is Shepherd designed for?
Shepherd is built for small and mid-market businesses with $5M–$50M in annual revenue planning a sale in the next 2–5 years.
Is my information and data secure?
Yes. Documents are stored in a SOC 2 certified virtual data room with enterprise-grade security. Your data is yours — fully protected and accessible only to you.
Can I cancel at any time?
Monthly plans can be cancelled anytime with no penalty. Annual plans are non-refundable, but your data and documents remain accessible through the end of your term.
How does the corp dev referral program work?
Corporate development professionals can refer target companies directly. In some cases, buy-side companies reimburse Shepherd fees at close as part of their deal preparation support.
Does Shepherd replace my investment banker or M&A advisor?
No — Shepherd prepares you for the process. Think of it as what you do before you hire a banker. A well-prepared seller gets better terms, a smoother process, and a higher valuation from their advisor.
Start your exit journey today and arrive at the table with confidence, clarity, and the valuation your business deserves.
Start your exit journey