Navigating business exit readiness: financial modelling and quality of earnings with Rob Hong

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by a professional from Simon Fraser University
in Toronto, ON, Canada

1w ago

Navigating business exit readiness: financial modelling and quality of earnings with Rob Hong

In this episode of The Canadian Exit Briefing video podcast, host David Prowse of The Shaughnessy Group sits down with Rob Hong, founder and leader at Sapling Financial, to discuss how Canadian business owners planning an exit within the next five years can get their financial house in order. The conversation explores key buy-side and sell-side perspectives, examining how private equity firms and strategic buyers evaluate financial readiness, the rising importance of sell-side quality of earnings (QoE) reports in Canada, and common pitfalls in financial reporting and add-backs. Whether you are scaling your FP&A capabilities or preparing for due diligence, this discussion offers practical insights to maximize business value. About the Guest Rob Hong is the leader at Sapling Financial, a 30-person firm specializing in lower mid-market private equity support, financial planning and analysis (FP&A), financial modelling, due diligence, data analytics, and digital transformation. Sapling works extensively on both buy-side and sell-side engagements across Canada and the United States. Links Website: redacted LinkedIn: / robhong Subscribe to The Canadian Exit Briefing for exclusive articles, guides, and reports for Canadian business owners and their advisors: sellingyourcanadianbusiness.ca/subscribe ------------------ 00:00 - Introduction & Guest Welcome 00:37 - Rob Hong's Background & Founding Sapling Financial 01:31 - How Sapling Facilitates the M&A Process (Buy Side vs. Sell Side) 02:47 - What Financial Trends & KPIs Are Buyers Looking For? 04:06 - When Do You Model Free Cash Flow vs. Working Capital? 05:11 - What is a Quality of Earnings (QofE) Report, and Why Does It Matter? 07:42 - How Does QofE Shape Due Diligence for Strategic & PE Buyers? 08:44 - The Trend of QofE Moving to the Lower-Middle Market 10:43 - Why Should a Business Owner Consider a Sell-Side QofE? 13:16 - Building Trust & Managing Adjustments with a Sell-Side QofE 16:54 - Which Adjustments & Add-Backs Face the Most Scrutiny? 19:23 - The Value of Pre-Exit Financial Cleanup vs. Last-Minute Sales 21:40 - How FP&A (Forecasting & Budgeting) Helps Sellers Stand Out 24:12 - What M&A & PE Trends from the US Are Coming to Canada? 27:34 - How Does Data Analytics Uncover Hidden Operational Drivers? 30:10 - Conclusion & Wrap-Up -------------------

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