Michael Sobota

Background

About Michael Sobota

Most MSP owners don’t lose money at exit because their business is weak.They lose money because buyers see risks they never quantified — and price them in during diligence.That’s where retrades happen.I buy MSP & IT Services businesses in AU/NZ ($1M–$20M AR), or help founders engineer exits that stand up to underwriting - clean contracts, disciplined cashflow, controlled client concentration, documented operations, and defensible margins.This isn’t about chasing headline multiples.It’s about building a business a serious buyer can defend at price.I’m an operator–investor, Certified Professional Business Broker (CPB), and Registered Business Valuer (RBV – pending). I’ve built, acquired, and sold MSPs myself. In the last 18 months: 11 MSP transactions across AU, ranging from $350K to $40.2M in sale value. Through our Family Office and private M&A activity, I focus on businesses that are structurally sound and operationally mature.If you’re unsure:• What a sophisticated buyer will actually pay• Where your valuation ceiling truly sits• What triggers discounts during diligence• How to remove retrade risk before going to marketThat’s the work.How I WorkAcquisition (Principal Capital)We acquire MSP & IT Services businesses in AU/NZ within the $1M–$20M AR range. Clear valuation logic. Clean process.Exit EngineeringFor founders planning to exit in 12–36 months. We assess Operational Maturity Level (OML), valuation ceiling, risk exposure, and deal structure — using buyer underwriting logic.Investor PartnershipsFor owners who want capital and operator discipline without a full exit.What Actually Drives ValuationBuyers pay for defensibility:• Contract enforceability• Revenue concentration discipline• Recurring revenue quality• Margin stability• Clean cash conversion• Reduced key-person dependency• Documented operations• Stack clarityProfit sets the band.Operational maturity determines where you land inside it.If you’re an MSP owner and want to understand how buyers underwrite your business before you go to market, send me a message.We’ll either structure it properly — or I’ll tell you what needs fixing first.No games. No theatre. No retrades.