Readiness Program
The flagship engagement. Sale-ready in 6–36 months.
Operator-installed systems that move founder-led $2M–$30M businesses from a 3× to a 5× multiple before sale. Diagnose, Build, Stay — with the live evidence buyers can verify in XLevLab.
Built by an operator who ships
Who it's for
Built for the owner who'd rather fix the discount than accept it.
Founder-led $2M–$30M businesses
Operationally complex enough that buyer discounts are real, small enough that the founder is still in most decisions.
12–36 months from a sale
Far enough out that operational change can compound. Close enough that every quarter of readiness moves the multiple.
Owners who'd rather build than sell down
You'd rather invest in the business that fixes the discount than accept a lower offer because the buyer will fix it themselves.
The Solution
We remove the reasons buyers discount your business.
Owner dependency reduction
We systematise the workflows, knowledge, and decisions that currently depend on you.
Operational visibility
We build the reporting and dashboards that give buyers confidence in how the business runs.
AI-powered systems
We automate the high-friction manual work that makes buyers nervous about scalability.
Buyer-grade evidence
We document, measure, and report the operational improvements — so buyers see proof, not promises.
XLev does not provide M&A advisory, legal, financial or valuation advice. We improve operational systems — the layer underneath the numbers.
The Process
From conversation to buyer-ready in months, not years.
Diagnose
We run a structured Operational Readiness Assessment across 8 dimensions. You get a scored report showing exactly where buyer risk sits — and what to fix first.
Build
We install AI-powered operating systems that reduce owner dependency, clean your data, systemise your workflows, and surface the reporting buyers need to see.
Evidence
Everything is tracked inside XLevLab — your client portal. Live metrics, before/after data, system performance, and operational improvement evidence.
Stay
We stay on retainer through the sale process. Supporting due diligence, maintaining systems, and making sure the operational story holds up under scrutiny.
What's included
Six things every Readiness engagement ships.
Two-week diagnostic
Operational Readiness Assessment across 8 dimensions. Scored Readiness Report. Discount-stack analysis. Prioritised 90-day roadmap.
Operator-led build
We install AI workflows, reporting, SOPs, dashboards and the systems that reduce owner dependency. Operators in the work, not above it.
XLevLab portal
Your live evidence layer. Buyers can verify the operational story in real time — momentum, ROI, wage savings, system health.
Quarterly readiness scoring
Board-ready scorecard against the same 8 dimensions. Every quarter, the same lens, so the trajectory is undeniable.
Stay-on through DD
Optional Stay retainer through letter of intent and due diligence. The operator who built the system defends it.
Team enablement
Your team is trained on every system we install — so the readiness compounds after we step back, not regresses.
What 'Build' actually looks like
These are real systems, already shipped.
When you commission a Readiness Program you're hiring an operator practice that has already shipped this calibre of work — for our own business and for clients.
Live · Public
Liftwize
Consumer fitness platform with personalised programs, AI coaching and gamification — shipped solo, live in 3 months.
Live · Internal
BTA Call Centre
Outbound call platform with AI voice agents staff practice against before talking to real parents.
Live · 6+ months
BTA Lead Gen
Embedded quote engine driving real-time personalised packages straight into the CRM with full conversion tracking.
Live · Internal
Operating System
Full management platform running 5 campuses and 80 staff every day — ops, comms, dashboards, multi-site.
Live · Multi-tenant
XLev Client Portal
Modular client OS — 18 modules across automation, analytics, finance, knowledge, forms and infrastructure.
Operator-built
XLev is built by an operator who still runs the business. The same systems we install for clients are the ones running 5 campuses and 80 staff every day — built in the open, shipped every week, and battle-tested before they ever touch a client.
Tom Downie
Founder & CEO, XLev · Co-Founder & CEO, Better Tuition Academy
FAQ
Common questions.
How long does the Readiness Program take?+
The full arc is typically 6–36 months. Diagnose is two weeks. Build is 6–12 months for most engagements. Stay is rolling — most owners keep us on retainer through the sale process. The right shape depends on your sale window and current state.
Do I have to commit to all three tiers up front?+
No. Most owners enter at Diagnose, decide whether to continue into Build based on the report, then add a Stay retainer once they're approaching the sale window. Each tier stands on its own.
What does it cost?+
Diagnose from $15k. Build from $80k. Stay from $6k/month. Final scope depends on business size, complexity, and the gap to sale-ready. See the Pricing page for the full breakdown.
Is XLev an M&A advisor?+
No. XLev does not provide M&A, legal, financial or valuation advice. We improve the operational layer underneath the numbers — the layer that determines what multiple buyers will actually pay.
How is this different from a management consultancy?+
Two things. First, we're operators, not advisors — our team is in the work, installing systems alongside yours. Second, we're priced against the eventual transaction, not the hour. Our success is measured in the multiple you sell at, not the deck we deliver.
What if I'm not selling?+
The same systems that move the multiple also reduce owner dependency, increase margin, and make the business more enjoyable to run. Many clients start the program intending to sell and decide to keep operating instead — by then they have a business worth keeping.
Do you sign NDAs?+
Yes — happy to sign yours, or use a short mutual NDA if you'd prefer. Confidentiality is the default regardless.
Start a conversation
Tell us where the business is today.
Most engagements start with a Diagnose. Send an enquiry and we'll come back within one business day to scope the right entry point.