Kevin Mitchell spent nearly three decades as an M&A advisor, institutional private equity investor, and executive operator (including three CEO roles), completing over $2 billion in transactions. But what proved more defining than the successes were the deals that didn’t close.
In 2020, Kevin launched Mitchell Capital to acquire and operate private companies. After reviewing thousands of businesses, meeting dozens of management teams, and signing multiple LOIs, a clear pattern emerged: most companies simply failed due diligence and were not sellable. Every failed deal meant starting over from scratch. And sellers—often equally frustrated—were left with a dead deal and no roadmap for what to do next.
This wasn’t just bad luck. According to Forbes and Firm Gains, 70–80% of businesses listed for sale never sell. And many that do end up transacting for far less than the seller expected.
Kevin founded Exit Consultants to help business owners before they try to sell—when the company is still improvable, and the outcome still controllable.
For most owners, their business is their legacy—and the largest part of their net worth. A failed sale can be catastrophic. Yet most buyers don’t want to pay sellers for businesses they’ll have to fix. They don’t want to buy a job. They want clean operations, transferable systems, and investable assets.
The truth is, many businesses fail to sell not because they lack potential, but because:
1. They haven’t corrected key operational or financial issues,
2. They haven’t refined their narrative, and
3. They haven’t presented buyer-ready materials that address the real risks.
Exit Consultants exists to change that. We help owners create optionality, improve valuation, and ensure they’re ready when the time comes.
