Corporate Development for Founder-Led Businesses That Want More Than Just a Fair Price
Delivered through ErgoComps — founded and led by Charles Bedard
Through ErgoComps, I provide advisory and embedded operator services for founders and investors who understand that valuation isn’t an outcome—it’s a consequence. Of positioning. Of metrics. Of narrative. Of operational maturity.
Whether you’re prepping to exit, evaluating add-ons, or building a more defensible business model, I help you see what buyers see—and act accordingly, before they do. This is strategic corporate development, powered by real comps, delivered without the banker script.
Comps Analyst & Valuation Intelligence
What It Is: This is the foundation of everything: understanding what your business is actually worth—and why. Using ErgoComps’ proprietary comps engine, I provide valuation benchmarking that’s specific to B2B service companies. This isn’t abstract “rule of thumb” math—it’s custom, data-backed, and founder-relevant.
What You Get:
Detailed market comps tailored to your model, structure, and maturity
Comparative analysis across industry cohorts and deal types
Insight into which valuation levers are working for you—and which are working against you
A grounded, defensible valuation narrative that survives first contact with buyers
Why It Matters: Most founders guess at value. Or worse—rely on someone else to tell them. This flips that script. You don’t just know your number—you understand how to move it.
Corporate Development Strategy & Execution
What It Is: Strategic growth, value creation, and buyer positioning—engineered from the inside. As a fractional corporate development partner, I work with you and your leadership team to shape the internal and external factors that drive strategic value. This isn’t investor pitch polish. It’s internal clarity, financial hygiene, and growth logic that maps to your endgame.
What You Get:
Corporate development roadmap aligned to your business goals (exit, acquisition, roll-up, hold-and-optimize)
Metric and KPI alignment: Retention, revenue quality, margin structure, customer concentration
Buyer psychology mapping and value articulation
Growth planning aligned to acquisition or investment criteria
Operating partner engagement (as needed) to align incentives and model forward scenarios
Why It Matters: You don’t get a premium multiple just because your business is “good.” You get it because someone else sees a story they want to buy into. We make that story real—and measurable.
M&A Corporate Development & Exit Readiness
What It Is: Support for founders, CFOs, and platforms preparing for or evaluating M&A opportunities—on either side of the table.
This includes strategic preparation (pre-LOI), support through diligence, or post-acquisition integration planning. I embed in the process as a thought partner, fixer, and strategic translator between your business and the market.
What You Get:
Exit readiness assessments and 12–24 month ramp planning
Buyer/Investor screening and communication strategy
Coordination with legal, finance, and accounting teams during diligence
Deck and material review through the lens of credibility and risk
Narrative work: why you’re worth it, and why now
Strategic deal support: structure logic, risk mitigation, value defense
Why It Matters: When the opportunity comes, you don’t want to “scramble into readiness.” You want to move with clarity and control. This gives you both.
Use Cases & Case Study Highlights
Valuation Clarity for a Scaling Services Firm
A founder-led digital consultancy with $6.5M in revenue believed they were positioned for a 6–7x multiple. After a comps-backed benchmark analysis, we discovered significant risk: customer concentration, lumpy revenue, and a dependency on the founder’s presence.
Result: Strategic changes and narrative reframing over 12 months yielded a realistic—and defensible—5.2x multiple with a favorable earnout structure.
Roll-Up Logic for a
PE Platform
Worked with a PE-backed B2B services platform to evaluate a series of add-on targets. We layered ErgoComps data to assess strategic fit, revenue quality, and valuation hygiene across three deals.
Result: One target was fast-tracked for diligence and closed within 90 days. The other two were disqualified early, saving six figures in diligence costs.
Exit Readiness for a Founder-Owned Firm
Engaged 18 months pre-exit with a founder doing $3.8M ARR. We identified operational bottlenecks, restructured contracts for clean recurring revenue optics, and rebuilt the KPI dashboard around buyer triggers.
Result: Multiple unsolicited offers emerged prior to formal marketing. Deal closed at 8.1x trailing EBITDA with favorable terms and 100% closing.
How to Engage
I take on a limited number of clients through ErgoComps to ensure deep, strategic engagement. There are no retainers for the sake of it, and no vague advisory relationships. We scope, we agree, and we move. Together.
Engagement Models:
Project-Based (Valuation Clarity, Benchmarking, Exit Readiness)
Fractional (1–2 days/week embedded corporate development lead)
Advisory + Diligence Support (for investor teams or buy-side roll-ups)
Where Else You Can Find Me
Solve the Value Blog
I share sharp insights, dry takes, and real-world strategy for founders building valuable businesses—whether you're prepping for exit or just thinking smarter.
Visit Solve the Value Now
The Accounting Podcast
You can also hear me on the Accounting Podcast, where I spoke about modern pricing models and how they impact firm valuation—especially in services-driven businesses.
Let’s Connect on LinkedIn
I share practical insights, no-fluff takes, and occasional dry humor about building valuable, founder-led businesses—whether you're exiting or just getting sharper.