Search funds · SBA · SMB acquisition
Quality of Earnings for search funds
Searchers and SBA buyers get the same diligence question: are the earnings real? Verning answers it with a CPA-reviewed QoE Lite — $2,500 flat, 4-day median — instead of a $25,000-plus engagement that outlasts your exclusivity window.
$2,500
flat per QoE Lite
6 days
CIM to finished QoE Lite
14
source documents per engagement
100%
of outputs CPA-reviewed
The problem
Traditional QoE pricing wasn't built for searchers
A self-funded searcher buying a $1M–$5M EBITDA business faces the same $25,000 to $50,000 QoE quote as a private equity fund — except it comes out of personal savings, and the 4-to-8-week timeline burns the exclusivity period. Many searchers skip the QoE entirely and find the problems after closing.
Verning was built for exactly this deal size. Automation does the mechanical tie-out; a licensed CPA reviews every output; you get a lender-ready databook in days for a price that fits a searcher's budget — on every deal, not just the one you hope closes.
How it works
CIM to databook in under a week
01
Screen the CIM
Drop the CIM for a free pre-LOI read: red flags, seller questions, and a buy-box verdict before you spend anything.
02
Collect documents
The seller gets a private, tokenized upload link. Fourteen documents — P&L through debt schedule — in any order.
03
Automated tie-out
Every bank statement line, GL entry, and P&L figure is read and reconciled automatically. Variances get flagged, investigated, and explained.
04
CPA review and delivery
A licensed CPA reviews every output, then you get an Excel-native databook with proof of cash, tested add-backs, and an NWC peg. Median: 6 days from CIM to finished QoE Lite.
Deciding between scopes? Compare QoE Lite vs full QoE — most search-fund deals under $10M revenue are fully served by the Lite.
FAQ