Due diligence is verifying everything the seller claims before money moves, in four piles: financial, legal, operational, people. The goal is not to kill the deal; it is to price what you are actually buying.
Illustrative pattern from small-business deals. The money trail is always the first place to dig.
Records here are often informal, which does not mean the business is bad; it means verification leans harder on bank statements, supplier confirmations and observation. And ownership questions (land use rights, licence transferability, who is really on the enterprise certificate) deserve double attention before any deposit moves.
The organized verification of everything the seller claims: financials, legal standing, operations and people, done before money moves.
Revenue that cannot be traced to bank statements. If the money trail and the story disagree, believe the money trail.
Two to six weeks for a small business, depending on how organized the records are. Rushing it is how surprises get purchased.
Verification and valuation before your money moves. Free scoping call.
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