We're not for everyone. Here's who we're for.

We do our best work for a specific kind of owner. If that isn't you, we'll tell you.

You've been buying advice one piece at a time

A tax person, an investment person, someone for the documents. None of them sees what the others are doing.

The partners don't agree and everyone can feel it

Different goals, different ideas about where the money should go, and everyone feels the drift. We get the disagreement into the open and the decisions made.

You want the business plan and the family plan built together

What you take out, what you leave in, what it's worth when you stop, and what happens to it after. Same conversation. Almost nobody treats it that way.

Who it's for

Built for owners who want more from their advisors than a clean set of books.

Profitable owners, usually $1M to $20M in revenue, who want to grow on purpose
Entrepreneurs juggling several businesses who need one clear picture across all of them
Leaders preparing for an acquisition, a key hire, a new location, or an exit
Owners whose CPA, financial advisor, and attorney have never compared notes

In their words

What clients tell us

Construction

We walked out of our meeting and said, 'We will never even consider another business decision without sitting down with Jacob and having a talk like that.'

Derek & Suzanne Gillespie Shoreline Construction
Coaching

In 20 minutes he was able to breakdown some really complex issues that I wasn't sure about for weeks... show me exactly what I need to do and what changes I needed to make to save me thousands of dollars.

Arel Moodie
Supply

Highly recommend Ascend's services and always brag to my small business owner friends about them. They are very professional and knowledgeable.

Weatherbeard Supply Co

Client stories

Three businesses, three different problems

Different industries and different owners, and the same starting point: a business that works, and no single plan for where it goes next.

Skilled trades

A paving company growing fast, with the next generation coming in

The owner was working hard and getting no closer to his goals. Nothing was broken. It just was not pointed in one direction.

What the work covers
- The founder stepped back from the day-to-day to lead growth and acquisitions
- Two of the next generation brought into ownership
- A trucking business acquired and a second company launched
$6.5M to $9.6M

Business value, one year apart
Manufacturing

A metal roofing maker, father and son, planning the handover

Revenue had quadrupled in two years, but its costs ran well above the industry's, and the son was set to take over.

What the work covers
- A full diagnostic: what the business is worth, and what is holding it back
- A compensation structure and a monthly leadership meeting
- A succession plan that moves the business to the son
$2.96M to $6.42M

What it is worth today, and what it could be
Hospitality

A coffee roaster with three owners and three different goals

The founder wants to step back but keep a stake. One partner wants it to stay family owned. Another wants more time at home. Every decision is made by consensus.

What the work covers
- An exit plan that keeps the founder's stake, estate side included
- Backfilling the roles the founder covers today
- Growth through wholesale and new stores, with tariffs and staffing priced in
Stays family owned

The brief: the founder steps back, keeps a stake, and no private equity

Who we're not for

Distressed businesses, pre-revenue startups, and owners who just want the books kept. This kind of work only pays off when there's a real business to build on.

If you're paying yourself a reasonable salary and still need distributions to live on, that's a lifestyle problem, and we'll say so on the first call.