Ian Nairn / October 20, 2025

Schooley Mitchell’s Robyn Bowles’ teamed up with Juliet Peters of Framework Legal to produce a blog about analyzing expenses and getting your financials in shape to sell.

Are you preparing your business for sale and aiming to maximize its value? A critical step often overlooked is the proper management of expenses to enhance your profit and loss statement. It’s a common pain point, seeing businesses sell for less than they’re worth due to misaligned expenses affecting the sale multiple.

We’ve collaborated with Robyn Bowles from the Chandler Office of Schooley Mitchell, bringing you invaluable insights on cost reduction strategies that can position your business for the profitability it truly deserves. Our latest Q&A blog provides a deep dive into effective business optimization processes backed by Robyn’s extensive knowledge and expertise.

Don’t miss the opportunity to learn how to keep your business’s financial house in order, ensuring you gain the maximum value from your sale. Read our joint blog here:

https://lnkd.in/gmEn3Jei 

https://www.frameworklegal.com/blog-post/business-optimization-with-schooley-mitchell-keep-your-house-in-order

Ian Nairn / October 15, 2025

If a client is considering a cost reduction effort in preparation for an M&A event, make sure they understand the different approaches.

Not All Cost Reduction Efforts are Built the Same!

Some businesses engage with Big Consulting to conduct “cost studies” in an effort to reduce expenses. At Schooley Mitchell, we take a very different approach to reducing your expenses. 

Ask the following questions for a better understanding of the differences.

How are you Paid?
➡️ Schooley Mitchell is paid on a contingent basis from the savings we generate.

Is there any upfront retainer?
➡️ Schooley Mitchell has no upfront retainer and performs the analysis on a cost-free basis.

Is there any guarantee of  results?
➡️ Schooley Mitchell only gets paid when we reduce your expenses.

Do you have specialized expertise in my expenses?
➡️ Schooley Mitchell has analysts with specialized technical expertise in your specific cost areas.

Who implements your cost reduction recommendations?
➡️ Schooley Mitchell project manages/leads the implementation of the recommendations that you accept.

Is there any ongoing support?
➡️ Schooley Mitchell provides ongoing support through the term of the Service Agreement.

Are your cost reduction recommendations specific to my business?
➡️ Schooley Mitchell develops recommendations tailored to your specific business, cost areas and vendors.

What is the focus of your cost reduction recommendations? Process changes? New technology?
➡️ Schooley Mitchell is laser-focused on your specific cost areas and vendors.

Ian Nairn / October 15, 2025

You’ve spent months working with a number of financial and business advisors and you have finally completed the purchase of a new business.

You begin to assess the current state of the business on a more detailed level, trying to find ways to increase your overall profit. You will review things like the current product offering/pricing, marketing plans, sales team, etc. 

What about your business expenses?

How do you know if previous ownership optimized their expenses? How do you know if previous ownership kept vendors out of a sense of loyalty or because they had always done things a certain way?

In my experience, many business owners stay with their current vendors because of a sense of loyalty. Over time they have formed professional and sometimes personal relationships with their vendor sales reps. They will say that the vendor has “always been good to them” and this familiarity can breed complacency when it comes to cost.

Another reason that many business owners stay with their current vendors is an aversion to change. There is a fear of trying something new and different, even if it would benefit the business.

Here are some real-life quotes that I have heard when talking to business owners about vendors:

“I have been using the same vendor and sales rep for almost 20 years; I have never really thought about making a change”.
“Patty has been handling our purchasing for over 10 years. I am sure that Patty is doing a good job and I don’t want to upset the apple cart.”
“My brother-in-law works for our vendor and I cannot really make a change without causing family issues.”
“My employee told me that there is no other vendor that can do what our current vendor does for us”.

A vendor audit is great way to know if your business expenses are optimized, as it will answer the following questions for each cost area that is reviewed:
• What is the current cost structure and how does it compare to the marketplace?
• Are there any billing issues or errors that have been missed or ignored?
• Are there products or services that are being paid for but are redundant or simply not being used?
• Are there any process or procedural changes that would help reduce your business expenses?

Why not take a fresh look at the vendors being used in your new business?

With Schooley Mitchell, vendor audits are always risk and cost-free.
If you would like to talk about a vendor audit, please reach out to me at [email protected].