What Buyers Actually Look For — And Why Most Businesses Never Sell
A guide for family business owners thinking about exit in the next 3–7 years.
Written by Niels Siskens after two years on the buy side, analysing over 10,000 businesses. The guide walks through all seven dimensions of the 7 Mills Framework — what each one means, what buyers are really asking, and what it costs when any one of them is missing.
- M1 · The Post Mill — Owner Independence
- M2 · The Saw Mill — Documented Process
- M3 · The Tower Mill — People & Management
- M4 · The Paper Mill — Financial Clarity
- M5 · The Water Mill — Revenue Quality
- M6 · The Millstone Mill — Competitive Value
- M7 · The Wind Mill — Owner Readiness
The 7 Mills Framework
What Buyers
Actually Look For
And Why Most Businesses Never Sell
Post Mill Saw Mill Tower Mill Paper Mill Water Mill Millstone Mill Wind Mill