About
Exit Authority
Built by an owner who’s been in your shoes.​
If you’re an owner-led manufacturing, construction/trades, industrial services, specialty distribution, or B2B services company planning an exit in the next 2–5 years, Exit Authority exists for one reason:
​​
To help you close the value gap by reducing buyer discounts, building transferable value, and (when bolt-ons are part of the plan) using disciplined acquisitions to move up the valuation ladder.
Our Story
I’m Gerald Meunier, founder of Exit Authority.
​
For more than 30 years, my entire career has revolved around owning, growing, buying, and selling businesses, and seeing what actually holds up when a buyer is deciding price and terms.
​
My path in three quick chapters:
​
First exit — high-tech services startup
I built and sold my own high-tech services business. That first exit taught me how emotional and messy this process can be, and how much value gets left on the table when you’re learning as you go.
Second exit — business brokerage owner
After a short stint inside a brokerage, I bought a failing office in the next city, rebuilt it, ran it, and eventually sold it. That gave me a front-row seat to dozens of transactions, and how buyers really price risk.
Third exit — and a bigger idea
A third exit later, I realized most owners never get the benefit of that learning curve. They work for years to build something solid . . . then accept a “job price” when they finally sell.
Exit Authority is my way of fixing that.
Today, Exit Authority focuses on a specific mission:
Help owners grow into a more valuable category of business, often by building a buyer-ready platform and using bolt-on acquisitions to create platform value before they sell.
Why I Built This Firm
By the time owners find me, their stories sound remarkably similar:
​
-
They’re working 6–7 days a week and feel like they’ll “die at their desk” if nothing changes.
-
Their body is tired from years in the field or on the shop floor, and there’s no obvious successor in sight.
-
Margins are thin, and they worry a buyer will slap a low multiple on their earnings and move on.
-
The kids don’t want the business, the managers can’t afford it, and they feel stuck.
-
They’ve tried “solutions” - brokers, consultants, coaches - that produced nice reports but not real change.
Underneath all of that is a simple fear:
“What if my life’s work doesn’t add up to the retirement and freedom I thought it would?”
Exit Authority exists to give you a better option, and a clear, buyer-driven path to get there.
What I Bring to the Table
Here’s what’s actually behind the name “Exit Authority”:
30+ years as an owner, buyer, and seller
I’ve built, scaled, and exited three companies of my own and facilitated dozens of SME transactions. I understand this from both sides of the table.
Hands-on M&A execution (not just advice)
Most exit planners stop at slides and checklists. I help you design the strategy and execute it, identifying targets, structuring deals, navigating lenders, and getting transactions over the finish line.
The Exit Multiplier™ specialty
Instead of just polishing what you already have, my focus is helping you use disciplined acquisitions to move up the valuation ladder, transforming a solid operator into a more valuable platform that commands better multiples.
Capital relationships you don’t have to build from scratch
I stay plugged into SBA lenders, banks, and other capital sources, so once we identify the right opportunity, you’re not left guessing how to fund it.
A proven value-building framework (CVB®)
We use a systematic approach to improve the drivers buyers pay for, transferability, key-person risk reduction, recurring revenue strength, and more.
AI-ready operations and faster integrations
A big part of the work is making your business more “AI-ready”: better data, clearer processes, and practical use of AI where it reduces friction, so you run leaner now and integrate acquisitions with less chaos.
The Exit Multiplier™ in Plain English
Over the years I’ve packaged what works into a four-phase approach called The Exit Multiplier™ Methodology:
​
1) Value Gap & Roadmap (Months 1–3)
​
-
What your business is worth today
-
What you need from an exit
-
A practical plan for closing the gap (buyer-driven sequence)
2) Operational Value-Building (Months 1–12)
​
-
Reduce owner dependency
-
Strengthen reporting clarity and predictability
-
Improve margins, systems, and execution cadence
3) Strategic M&A Execution (Months 6–24) (when bolt-ons are part of the plan)
​
-
Acquisition thesis + criteria/no-go rules that prevent deal chasing
-
Financeable deal structure options
-
Integration standards that protect value after close
4) Premium Exit Positioning (Months 18–24)
​
-
Buyer-ready narrative and diligence readiness
-
Deal-team coordination (CPA/CFO, attorney, wealth adviser)
-
A professional process so you negotiate from strength
It’s the approach I wish I’d had before my first exit.
The Owners I Built This For
Exit Authority is intentionally specialized.
​
Most clients are:
​
-
Baby Boomer or Gen X owners
-
Generating $1M–$20M in annual revenue
-
In manufacturing, construction/trades, industrial services, specialty distribution, or B2B services
-
2–5 years from a hoped-for exit (or deciding whether that window is realistic now)
-
Frustrated by disappointing multiples and the gap between what they’d like to net and what the business is currently worth
-
Open to bolt-ons as an accelerator when there’s a clear thesis, financeability, and integration capacity
They’re not looking for motivation.
They’re looking for a grown-up, numbers-driven plan that respects how hard they’ve worked.
What It’s Like to Work Together
Owners who work with me usually say a few things:
“You get what it feels like to carry this on your shoulders.”
We’re not having theoretical conversations. This is built on lived operator reality.
“You’re direct, but not pushy.”
No scare tactics, no inflated promises. Just clear tradeoffs and real sequencing.
“This doesn’t feel like a consulting project.”
We’re not building a binder. We’re deciding, prioritizing, and executing. With accountability.
I deliberately limit the number of active clients so I can stay close to each engagement and be responsive when things move quickly (which they often do in M&A).
How We Work Together
A typical engagement looks like this:
​
1) Readiness Call (30 minutes)
We clarify your timeline, value gap, likely buyer discounts, and whether bolt-ons are part of the plan.
2) Decision-grade plan (Sprint or Diagnostic)
You get a buyer-driven roadmap and priorities you can act on.
3) Value-building execution
We remove buyer discounts and build transferable value, often alongside your CPA/fractional CFO, attorney, and wealth adviser.
4) Acquisitions and/or exit positioning
If bolt-ons are part of the plan, we execute with criteria/no-go rules, financeability, and integration discipline. When you’re approaching market, we govern readiness and process so you negotiate from strength.
You don’t lose control of your business.
You gain a partner who helps you use the time before exit wisely, so you’re not hoping the market is kind at the end.