Preparation is not cosmetic.
A buyer can forgive an imperfect system more easily than an unexplained one. The preparation work is to describe the current business honestly: its offer, customers, sources of demand, cost structure, people and the work that still depends on the founder. That creates a better conversation before it creates a better presentation.
Separate public context from protected evidence.
A short public-safe brief can explain the operating model and buyer fit without exposing the company identity or sensitive records. More detailed evidence belongs in a controlled sequence after the buyer has a clear reason to continue. Being discreet should not mean making the business impossible to understand.
Name the work that has to move.
Document recurring decisions, customer moments, supplier dependencies, access requirements and exceptions. The point is not to create paperwork for its own sake. It is to make the operating load visible so that a buyer can assess the transition instead of discovering it after interest has formed.
Decide what a useful next step looks like.
Preparation also means choosing the boundary for the first conversation: what you can say, what you need to learn about a buyer and what support might be possible. That gives the owner more control over pace, exposure and the shape of a future handover.
Opens a short form for non-confidential context. Please do not include documents, credentials or sensitive financial information.