Confidential. Off-Market. Results-Driven.

Twenty Years of Work Deserves a Serious Exit.

Lower-middle market M&A advisory firm. We represent business owners in confidential sell-side transactions and connect qualified buyers with off-market deal flow. $2M–$20M in annual revenue.

The Vanla Commitment

Qualified buyer introductions in 60 days

No retainer. No upfront fees. Success fee only at close.

$182M+

Transactions Advised

50+

Owners Represented

Upfront Fees

100%

Confidential

As Seen In

The Advisor Who Guides Every Deal Personally

Paul Cheetham founded Vanla Group to serve the business owners the big firms ignore. With a Harvard MBA and 12+ years in the lower-middle market, Paul and the team have closed $182M+ in transactions across services, manufacturing, healthcare, and technology.

He has represented 50+ owners from first conversation to closing table. Every engagement is led by Paul personally. No junior staff, no handoffs, no volume model.

"I founded Vanla because business owners building $2M to $20M companies deserve the same quality of advisory that a $200M company gets. Most of them were getting a listing and a phone number."

12+ Years

M&A advisory experience in the lower-middle market

Harvard MBA

Institutional-quality analysis applied to owner-operated businesses

Bought, Operated & Sold

Businesses himself before becoming an advisor

Success-Fee Only

No retainer. We only get paid when you close

Strategic Advisory

How We Create Value

Two sides of the same transaction. One dedicated team. We handle the complexities so you can focus on the closing.

Sell-Side Advisory

We represent business owners who want to exit quietly. Our process identifies the right buyer from our proprietary network. You never deal with tire-kickers, and your employees never find out.

Discretion First

Every buyer is vetted and NDA-signed before learning your name. Confidentiality is the foundation of our business.

VIP Buyer Network

Qualified acquirers get first look at our off-market mandates. Pre-qualified deal flow before it hits listing sites.

Precise Valuation

Financial review and realistic market ranges based on current buyer appetite in your sector. No guessing, just data.

How It Works

Five Steps. Every Deal.

A structured, confidential process designed to maximize your outcome while protecting what you built.

Confidential Consultation

A private conversation about your business, goals, and timeline. No pitch, no pressure, no obligation.

Valuation and Positioning

We analyze 3 years of financials, normalize EBITDA, and give you a frank market range: not what you want to hear, what buyers will actually pay.

Curated Buyer Search

We quietly identify and approach the right buyers from our proprietary network. Every buyer signs an NDA before learning your company name.

Competitive Introductions and LOI

We generate multiple qualified offers. When buyers compete, you negotiate from strength. Most clients receive an LOI within 60 days.

Due Diligence and Close

We manage the entire close: structure, due diligence, legal coordination. We only get paid when you get paid.

Book Your Discovery Call

Track Record

Deals We've Closed

Sold

$28M

Sale Price

Healthcare Services

Southeast US

Healthcare 6.2x EBITDA

Sold

$22M

Sale Price

Home Services Platform

Mid-Atlantic

Home Services 5.8x EBITDA

Sold

$13M

Sale Price

Professional Services

Midwest

Services 4.9x EBITDA

Browse Closed Transactions →

The Vanla Standard

Paul Cheetham, Founder

You built something real. When it is time to pass it on, the process should match the care that went into building it. At Vanla Group, discretion is not a feature. It is the foundation.

NDA Before Any Intro Every buyer is vetted and NDA-signed before they learn your company name

Employee Privacy Your team stays in the dark until you choose to tell them

Qualified Buyers Only Pre-screened acquirers only, no tire-kickers

Success Fee Only We earn nothing until you reach the closing table

End-to-End Discretion Confidential from first call through final signature

Industries

Industries We Serve

Recession-resistant, owner-operated businesses with $2M–$20M in annual revenue.

Home Services HVAC, plumbing, pest control, restoration

3x–5x

Manufacturing Custom fabrication, contract mfg, industrial parts

4x–6x

Healthcare Clinical, dental, veterinary, med services

4x–7x

Business Services Staffing, consulting, outsourced services

3x–5x

Industrial Equipment, maintenance, commercial services

3x–5x

SaaS / Tech Vertical SaaS, managed IT, software products

5x–8x

Distribution Wholesale, logistics, value-add distribution

3x–5x

Professional Services Accounting, legal, financial advisory firms

4x–6x

Common Questions

What Business Owners Ask Us

Will my employees find out?

Not unless you tell them. Every buyer is NDA-signed before they learn your company name. Your team, customers, and suppliers stay in the dark until you decide otherwise.

What does this cost?

Nothing upfront. We work exclusively on a success fee — we only get paid when you reach the closing table. If we don't close a deal, you owe us nothing.

How long does the process take?

Most transactions close in 6 to 9 months from our first conversation. Timeline depends on business complexity, buyer fit, and how quickly diligence moves.

How do you find the right buyer?

We don't post your business publicly. We quietly approach pre-qualified buyers from our proprietary network — strategic acquirers, private equity groups, and individual operators with the capital and intent to close.

What size businesses do you work with?

We focus exclusively on owner-operated businesses with $2M–$20M in annual revenue.

Your business could be the next one on this list.

$182M+ in transactions advised. The next one starts with a 20-minute call.

Start Your Confidential Exit

No upfront fees. Completely confidential. No obligation.