Before the call
Three things worth having ready.
The three LAUNCH™ dimensions a first conversation usually turns on. Rough answers are fine.
L
Legibility
Your most recent numbers
The latest P&L and balance sheet, however current they are. If the close is behind, that is useful information on its own.
N
Normalization
What the statements don’t show
Owner expenses, one-off items, related-party arrangements — anything that makes the reported number different from the real one.
H
Horizon
Where you want this to go
Growth, capital, a sale, or simply less chaos — and roughly when. An approximate answer is enough to shape the work.