Our Process

Building your business took decades of hard work and dedication. We've designed our process to be transparent, collaborative, and built around your timeline and goals, honoring what you've built while ensuring a smooth transition to the next chapter.

While no two transactions are identical, our typical timeline is 10-18 weeks from first conversation to closing.

Initial Conversation

30–60 minutes

A confidential call to hear your story, share ours, and decide if there's mutual fit. All information shared is completely confidential. We love to meet and learn from successful entrepreneurs.

Outcome

Understand if there is mutual fit and proceed accordingly.

In-Person Engagement

1–2 weeks

We visit you near your home base—often over coffee or a meal—to get to know you better. This step reflects our commitment to building strong, personal relationships, and face time is an important component for us. While we would love to conduct a site visit, we understand if you prefer to keep the discussion confidential from your team at this stage.

Outcome

Strengthened relationship foundation and agreement to share information.

Transparent Evaluation & LOI

1–2 weeks

After signing a mutual NDA, we review high-level financials and operating metrics, then deliver a Letter of Intent covering valuation, transaction structure, and transition timeline. You've worked hard to build your business, and we want to ensure we can provide you with the best transition based on your goals.

Outcome

Alignment on objectives and timeline, and a signed LOI.

Confirmatory Due Diligence

8–12 weeks

With the LOI in place, we partner on deep-dive diligence covering operational, financial, legal, commercial, customer, technological, HR, and other areas. We engage with a variety of service providers, including our investors, accountants, legal experts, and other specialists to create a clear document request list, timeline, and regular updates. This step can be complex and time-consuming, but we promise to be transparent, communicate efficiently, and stress empathy along the way.

Outcome

Finalized purchase agreement and transition plan.

Close & Launch Partnership

1-2 weeks

We sign definitive documents, wire proceeds, and celebrate our new partnership, ideally at your favorite restaurant. Then we step into full-time operations and begin executing our growth plan.

Outcome

Smooth hand-off and energized kick-off.

How We Compare

	Arch Legacy Partners	Private Equity	Strategic Buyer
Buyers Post-Sale Commitment	Your company becomes our sole focus for 20+ years	One of 10-20 portfolio companies	Integrated as division; strategy follows parent company priorities
Your Role After Sale	Flexible transition on your timeline—clean exit or continued involvement	Often required to stay 3-5 years under management agreement	Become employee of parent company with limited autonomy
Future for Employees	Invested in and central to growth plans—comprehensive development programs	At risk during optimization phases to meet return targets	Subject to redundancy and restructuring for synergy realization
Decision Making Approach	Long-term decisions by hands-on operators focused on sustainable, compounding growth	Short-term decisions driven by fund timelines and LP returns	Decisions made by parent company executives often disconnected from operations
Deal Timeline	Typically 10-18 weeks with clear milestones and regular updates	Typically 6-12+ months with extensive committee approvals	Typically 12+ months with multiple stakeholder sign-offs
Deal Structure	Flexible terms tailored to your goals—clean break, advisory role, or equity rollover	Standardized fund terms with rigid covenants and requirements	Least flexible—complex approvals and integration requirements
Source of Capital	Successful operators and patient family offices committed to long-term growth	Institutional LPs (pensions, endowments) with return mandates	Parent company balance sheet subject to corporate priorities
Value Creation Strategy	Operational improvements, culture preservation, strategic growth	Financial engineering, leverage optimization, cost cutting	Synergy extraction and cost absorption through integration

Buyers Post-Sale Commitment

Arch Legacy PartnersYour company becomes our sole focus for 20+ years

Private EquityOne of 10-20 portfolio companies

Strategic BuyerIntegrated as division; strategy follows parent company priorities

Your Role After Sale

Arch Legacy PartnersFlexible transition on your timeline—clean exit or continued involvement

Private EquityOften required to stay 3-5 years under management agreement

Strategic BuyerBecome employee of parent company with limited autonomy

Future for Employees

Arch Legacy PartnersInvested in and central to growth plans—comprehensive development programs

Private EquityAt risk during optimization phases to meet return targets

Strategic BuyerSubject to redundancy and restructuring for synergy realization

Decision Making Approach

Arch Legacy PartnersLong-term decisions by hands-on operators focused on sustainable, compounding growth

Private EquityShort-term decisions driven by fund timelines and LP returns

Strategic BuyerDecisions made by parent company executives often disconnected from operations

Deal Timeline

Arch Legacy PartnersTypically 10-18 weeks with clear milestones and regular updates

Private EquityTypically 6-12+ months with extensive committee approvals

Strategic BuyerTypically 12+ months with multiple stakeholder sign-offs

Deal Structure

Arch Legacy PartnersFlexible terms tailored to your goals—clean break, advisory role, or equity rollover

Private EquityStandardized fund terms with rigid covenants and requirements

Strategic BuyerLeast flexible—complex approvals and integration requirements

Source of Capital

Arch Legacy PartnersSuccessful operators and patient family offices committed to long-term growth

Private EquityInstitutional LPs (pensions, endowments) with return mandates

Strategic BuyerParent company balance sheet subject to corporate priorities

Value Creation Strategy

Arch Legacy PartnersOperational improvements, culture preservation, strategic growth

Private EquityFinancial engineering, leverage optimization, cost cutting

Strategic BuyerSynergy extraction and cost absorption through integration