WETYR works with specialists. Publicly. No advisor is best at every transaction type. WETYR refers and partners with the firms below when their specialty exceeds ours. We list them publicly because honest positioning builds trust, and because most owners benefit from knowing who the right specialist is for their specific situation.
Specialist Partners By Category
CPA Practice Sales
When the engagement is a pure CPA practice brokerage, WETYR refers to specialists who own the niche. WETYR provides upstream advisory (preparation, succession, growth) for accounting firm owners — see our accounting firm advisory page.
- Accounting Practice Sales (APS) — Largest CPA practice broker in North America. State-by-state coverage.
- Poe Group Advisors — Brannon Poe (ex-Big 4 CPA). Cloud and virtual-firm specialty.
- Accounting Biz Brokers — Kathy Brents (CPA, CBI). 42-state coverage, boutique alternative.
- Accounting Broker Acquisition Group — Big 4 alumni; premium positioning.
- Whitman Transition Advisors — CPA firm succession and partnership structuring.
Healthcare M&A
Healthcare M&A requires state-by-state regulatory navigation (CON, Medicare, etc.) that takes years of focused practice. WETYR refers healthcare deals to:
- Mertz Taggart — Home health, hospice, behavioral health.
- Vertess — Broader healthcare services M&A.
Software / SaaS / Online Businesses
Pure software, SaaS, and online-business M&A is a vertical with established specialists. For dedicated digital-business advisory, WETYR refers to:
- Corum Group — Global software M&A leader, 37 years operating.
- FE International — SaaS, content, ecommerce. Premium tier.
- Empire Flippers — Vetted-listing marketplace for digital businesses.
- Quiet Light Brokerage — Digital business brokerage, mid-tier.
Exit Planning Frameworks & Credentialing
For owners seeking certified exit planning credentials or formal frameworks beyond what WETYR provides directly:
- Exit Planning Institute (EPI) — Issues the CEPA (Certified Exit Planning Advisor) credential. WETYR uses elements of the Value Acceleration Methodology.
- Business Enterprise Institute (BEI) — Issues the CExP (Certified Exit Planner) credential.
- NAVIX Consultants / ExitMap / Pinnacle Equity — Boutique exit planning firms with branded methodologies.
Operating-System & Coaching Networks
For ongoing operating-system implementation, peer-group advisory, or coaching engagements, WETYR refers to and partners with established networks:
- Vistage Worldwide — CEO peer advisory groups; 45,000+ members. WETYR partners with Florida and Southeast Vistage Chairs.
- EOS Worldwide — Entrepreneurial Operating System (Traction); 700+ Certified Implementers.
- Scaling Up — Verne Harnish methodology and coach network.
- The Alternative Board (TAB) — Peer-board advisory.
Buyer Network & ETA Ecosystem
WETYR's buyer-side relationships include named search funders, holdcos, family offices, PE platforms, and strategic acquirers. Sell-side mandates are matched into this network through the WETYR Buyer Registry:
- Searchfunder.com — Network platform for the ETA ecosystem.
- Permanent Equity — Long-hold holdco, $5M-$30M EBITDA acquisitions.
- Pacific Lake Partners / Trilogy / Search Fund Accelerator — Search-fund ecosystem investors.
- PE platforms in the 25 niches WETYR covers — Apex Service Partners (HVAC), Ascend (CPA), Mars/VCA (vet), Heartland Dental, Acrisure (insurance), Rollins (pest), and others.
Why WETYR Lists Partners Publicly
Most M&A advisors hide their referral relationships. WETYR lists ours because (1) honest positioning builds trust, (2) most owners benefit from knowing who the right specialist is for their specific situation, and (3) referral flow is reciprocal — partners send WETYR engagements that fit our practice (preparation, succession, growth, multi-vertical advisory, direct operator-buyer acquisition) in return for the engagements we send them.
For Specialist Firms Interested In Partnership
If you operate a specialist M&A firm in a niche WETYR does not cover and would like to discuss reciprocal referral relationships, email partners@wetyr.com or use the contact form. We respond within one business day.
Not Sure Where You Fit?
Take the Exit Score and book a call. We will tell you honestly whether WETYR or one of our specialist partners is the better fit for your situation.
Authoritative Sources & Further Reading
WETYR works alongside primary sources, regulators, and industry data providers when advising owners and operators. The references below are the same sources our advisory team uses when modeling deals, benchmarking multiples, and stress-testing assumptions. We encourage every owner, buyer, and operator to verify any data point that materially affects their decision against the underlying primary source.
Primary Federal Sources
- U.S. SBA — 7(a) Loan Program for acquisition financing eligibility, terms, and lender list.
- SEC EDGAR for public-company comparables, 10-K disclosures, and recent strategic acquirer filings.
- IRS — Sale of a Business on Section 1060 asset-allocation reporting and tax treatment of asset vs stock sales.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Industries at a Glance for wage, employment, and growth data by NAICS code.
- U.S. Census Economic Census for industry size, firm counts, and revenue distributions.
- Federal Reserve Economic Data for prevailing rate environment underwriting.
Standards & Reference Bodies
- AICPA for Quality of Earnings methodology and CPA standards governing transaction-related financial work.
- FINRA Rules and Guidance for understanding when a transaction crosses into broker-dealer territory.
- NACVA business valuation credentialing body and standards (CVA designation).
- USPAP — Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice for valuation engagement standards.
- Investopedia — EBITDA reference page for definitional alignment with our glossary.
- Harvard Business Review — Mergers and Acquisitions archive on integration and post-close value creation.
For deeper transaction-specific data, the GF Data and PitchBook private-company transaction databases publish quarterly multiple ranges by industry size band that we cross-reference against our own pipeline benchmarks. Owners considering a sale should also review the Pepperdine Private Capital Markets Report (free, annual) for current cost-of-capital and lender appetite data across the lower middle market. Buyers underwriting search-fund or holdco theses commonly pair Stanford GSB's Search Fund Study with the IBBA Market Pulse report, which tracks multiples for sub-$50M transactions quarterly. None of these sources replace deal-specific advisory, but they give owners and operators the same reference points professional acquirers are using on the other side of the table.
Related WETYR Resources
Every WETYR resource ladders into a structured engagement framework. Whether you are diagnosing readiness, modeling a number, or preparing for a specific transaction phase, the resources below cover the most common owner and operator workflows. All tools are free; all guides are operator-written; all engagements start with a confidential conversation.
Engagement Pillars
Decision Tools
Operator-Written
Glossary & FAQ
Checklists & Templates
Niche Coverage
If you are not sure where to start, the Exit Readiness Score takes about four minutes and produces a one-page diagnostic on the value drivers most likely to compress your multiple. From there the natural next step is either a long-form guide covering your specific situation, a focused glossary term lookup, or a confidential introductory call with our team to discuss whether WETYR's advisory or operator-buyer engagement is a fit. Our team responds to every inbound inquiry within one business day.