By Diwakar Sinha

Every founder has a version of the same thought:

“Let’s just wait and see what 2027 looks like.”

Maybe the market will be better. Maybe multiples will be higher. Maybe buyers will be more aggressive. Maybe the economy will stabilize.

But here’s the truth no one says out loud:

Waiting for the “perfect year” is how founders quietly leave millions on the table.

And in healthcare dentistry, plastics, derm, behavioral health, urgent care, orthopedics the cost of waiting compounds faster than you think.

Let’s talk about the three biggest mistakes founders make when they’re thinking about a sale.

1. The “Let’s Wait for 2027” Trap

Founders talk about 2027 like it’s some magical reset button.

But the market doesn’t care about your calendar. Buyers don’t suddenly pay more because the year changes. Multiples don’t jump because the economy “feels better.”

Here’s what actually happens when you wait:

Your patterns get baked in Your risks get baked in Your inconsistencies get baked in Your dependency gets baked in Your narrative gets baked in

And buyers underwrite what they see, not what you hope the business will look like in 2027.

Waiting rarely improves valuation. It usually just gives buyers more data to discount.

2. The “I’ll Just Sell Direct to a DSO/MSO” Shortcut

This one costs founders more money than anything else.

Selling direct feels simple:

One buyer One conversation One path One outcome

But here’s the problem:

One buyer means no competition. No competition means no leverage. No leverage means you’re taking whatever they offer.

DSOs, MSOs, and strategics are not charities. They’re sophisticated buyers with sophisticated models. They know exactly how to price risk, and exactly how to anchor you.

When you sell direct, you’re negotiating against a buyer who has bought 50–200 businesses… …while you’re selling yours for the first time.

That’s not a negotiation. That’s a valuation haircut.

3. The “Why Go to the Entire Market?” Miscalculation

Founders underestimate what a real market process actually does.

When you expose your business to the entire buyer universe:

You create competition You create tension You create urgency You create optionality You create leverage

And leverage is what drives valuation.

Not EBITDA. Not revenue. Not growth rate. Not your story.

Leverage.

When you limit your buyer pool, you limit your outcome. When you open the market, buyers compete , and your valuation moves.

The Real Question: Why Would You Leave Chips on the Table?

If you’re going to sell the business, you spent 10-20 years building…

Why would you:

Wait for a year that may not help you Sell direct to a buyer who benefits from your lack of leverage Limit your buyer pool to a handful of strategics Skip the competitive tension that drives multiples up Avoid the preparation that protects your valuation

Founders don’t lose money because their business is weak. They lose money because their process is weak.

The Founders Who Win Don’t Wait. They Prepare.

They don’t hope 2027 will be better. They make their business better now.

They don’t sell direct. They create competition.

They don’t limit their buyer pool. They open the entire market.

They don’t leave chips on the table. They take all of them.

Because they understand something most founders don’t:

You don’t get the valuation you deserve. You get the valuation you negotiate. And negotiation power comes from process; not timing.