SmartHelping / Acquisition & Valuation / Excel
Leveraged Buyout
Evaluate a business acquisition from purchase price and financing through operations and exit. Review cash requirements, debt service and investor returns over a forecast of up to 15 years.
Standard LBO
Core acquisition, debt and equity analysis with operating forecasts, working capital, sensitivities and investor returns.
Immediate download after purchase. By purchasing, you agree to the Terms of Service.
Advanced LBO
Adds seller retained equity, more financing sources, historical EBITDA adjustments, sources and uses, and exit sensitivity.
Immediate download after purchase. By purchasing, you agree to the Terms of Service.
Standard LBO walkthrough
See the Standard LBO Model in action.
Review the acquisition assumptions, operating forecast, financing structure and investment-return analysis in the $45 version.
Advanced LBO walkthrough
See the Advanced LBO Model in action.
Review the additional funding sources, historical financial inputs and expanded acquisition analysis in the $99 version.
Choose the version for your deal
Compare Standard and Advanced.
Each version has its own purchase. Choose Advanced when you need the additional financing, historical financial mapping and expanded transaction analysis.
| Feature | Standard LBO | Advanced LBO |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase price | $45, sold separately. | $99, sold separately. |
| Core forecast | Up to 15 years, monthly and annual financial statements, operating assumptions and investment analysis. | The core framework plus the Advanced additions described below. |
| Financing | Debt-versus-equity inputs, acquisition fees and debt terms. | Seller retained equity plus seller financing, two bank loans, a line of credit, new equity and a working capital loan. |
| Additional analysis | Purchase-price and leverage IRR sensitivity, DCF, equity returns and debt-service views. | Adds historical EBITDA mapping, sources and uses, an exit sensitivity schedule, detailed equity requirements and manual COGS inputs. |
| Bundle eligibility | Included in the Valuation bundle. | Included in the Industry-Specific and Super Smart bundles. Excluded from the Valuation bundle. |
Advanced LBO additions
Model a more detailed acquisition and funding structure.
The $99 Advanced version integrates these additions into the monthly and annual three-statement forecast.
Seller retained equity and funding sources
Define the percentage of equity the seller retains. Fund the remaining transaction using a seller financing loan, two traditional bank loans, a line of credit, an equity injection and a working capital loan.
Flexible debt schedules
Configure debt terms, payoffs and interest-only periods where needed across the Advanced financing schedules.
Up to 10 years of historical financials
Map historical financial inputs to adjusted acquisition EBITDA using either an indirect approach starting from net income or a direct approach using EBITDA components.
Sources and uses and exit sensitivity
Review a sources-and-uses summary on the Executive Summary and evaluate the added exit schedule sensitivity.
Detailed equity requirements
Separate equity needed for the purchase price from equity needed after operating burn, fees and other startup costs. Then review the final equity requirement after line-of-credit and working-capital financing.
Manual monthly COGS inputs
Use the COGS section at the bottom of the Fixed Costs tab to enter monthly costs directly, such as customer service salaries and hiring timing, alongside the revenue-percentage cost approach.
Core LBO framework
Connect the acquisition to operating cash flow and investor returns.
Use the operating assumptions and financing terms to evaluate the target company’s cash needs, debt service and potential exit outcome.
Up to 15 years of activity
Set the acquisition month, revenue start, operating expense timing and end month. Review monthly and annual financial statements and pro forma detail.
Flexible acquisition valuation
Value the target using revenue, EBITDA or seller’s discretionary earnings (SDE) multiples, or discounted future cash flows. Select one method, the average of the four methods, or your own purchase-price input.
Minimum equity requirement
Estimate the equity required for the purchase, capital expenditures, other initial costs and operating cash burn. The requirement updates as the assumptions change.
Purchase-price and leverage sensitivity
Review how purchase-price and leverage assumptions affect IRR, then compare financing and operating scenarios.
Project and investor return analysis
Review DCF, equity multiple, ROI and IRR for the project and inside versus outside equity, including a monthly-driven project IRR.
Debt-service and executive reporting
Use DSCR and EBITDA-versus-debt-service charts alongside the annual executive summary and other visualizations.
Four revenue forecasting methods
Choose how revenue changes over time.
Start from monthly revenue and select the growth method that fits the operating plan.
Monthly compounding toward annual growth
Set annual growth targets and let starting monthly revenue compound through the year to reach the selected annual growth.
Annual step changes
Increase starting monthly revenue once each year using the growth rate defined for that year.
Annual growth with seasonality
Apply growth annually and define what percentage of yearly revenue occurs in each month.
Custom monthly compounded growth
Enter monthly growth manually for the first 24 months, then use a separate monthly compounded-growth assumption for each later year.
Working capital and operating costs
Make cash timing part of the acquisition analysis.
Configure revenue collections, inventory purchasing and payment timing alongside variable and fixed costs.
Receivables and collection timing
Define the percentage of revenue sold on account and the percentage collected in each month after the sale. For example, collections could be split between months two and three.
9 variable cost categories
For each category, define the share of revenue to which the cost applies and the cost rate. This supports costs such as card fees that apply to only part of revenue.
Inventory purchasing frequency
Mark applicable variable cost categories as inventory using a 1. The Inventory tab then uses expected future demand and the purchasing frequency to determine purchases.
Payables over up to 6 months
For costs marked as inventory, define the percentage of each purchase paid in months one through six to reflect the supplier payment schedule.
Fixed costs and start months
Select when each fixed expense starts and enter its monthly cost amount for each forecast year.
Modeled tax-payment timing
The workbook uses a simplified quarterly tax-payment approach based on the prior three months of accrued taxes, with a three-month offset where applicable. Taxes payable appear on the balance sheet and payments flow through cash flow.
Purchase allocation, capital and exit
Account for the full investment from closing through sale.
Purchase allocation and initial financing
Set the acquisition’s debt/equity mix, fees and debt terms. Allocate the purchase between assets and goodwill, with useful-life assumptions for depreciable assets.
Capital expenditures and startup costs
Use the CAPEX tab for equipment, property and other depreciable purchases with timing and useful lives. Record legal fees, closing costs and other one-time items in startup costs when they are not captured elsewhere.
Inside and outside equity
Use the cap table to define contributions, ownership economics and profit shares for inside and outside investors. Review contributions, distributions and investor IRRs.
Terminal value and exit allocation
Review the components of exit value and the allocation of proceeds between capital assets and extraordinary income. The allocation input affects modeled taxable income in the exit month.
How to use the model
Turn the acquisition terms into a financial case.
Choose the purchase price and funding structure
Select a valuation method or enter your own price. Configure acquisition timing, fees and financing. Advanced also supports seller retained equity and the expanded funding sources.
Build the operating forecast
Select a revenue method and enter variable costs, fixed costs, collections, inventory purchasing and supplier payment timing.
Add capital needs and investor assumptions
Enter capital expenditures, initial costs and inside/outside equity participation, then review the minimum equity required.
Test debt service, exit value and returns
Review DSCR, cash flow, sensitivities and investor returns. Compare alternative operating plans, purchase prices and financing assumptions.
Who these models are for
For teams evaluating a debt-and-equity acquisition.
Acquisition buyers and investors
Evaluate how purchase price, leverage, working capital and the exit plan affect debt service, cash requirements and equity returns.
Advisors and operating teams
Compare operating improvements and financing scenarios using one acquisition-to-exit forecast with monthly and annual reporting.
Bundle eligibility by version
Choose a bundle that includes the version you need.
The Standard version is included in the Valuation bundle. The Advanced version is included in the Industry-Specific and Super Smart bundles and is not included in the Valuation bundle.
Valuation Models — Standard LBO
Includes the Standard LBO Model among the valuation templates. The Advanced version is excluded.
View the Valuation bundleIndustry-Specific — Advanced LBO
Includes the Advanced LBO Model alongside operating models for different industries.
View the Industry-Specific bundleSuper Smart Bundle — Advanced LBO
Includes the Advanced LBO Model within the complete public SmartHelping template collection.
View the Super Smart BundleQuestions before you buy
A few useful details.
Are Standard and Advanced sold separately?
Yes. Standard is $45 and Advanced is $99. Each purchase button corresponds to its own version.
Which version includes the additional financing sources?
Advanced adds seller retained equity, seller financing, two traditional bank loans, a line of credit, an equity injection and a working capital loan, with configurable debt terms, payoffs and interest-only periods.
Does Advanced include historical financial inputs?
Yes. Enter up to 10 years of historical financials and derive adjusted acquisition EBITDA using either net income adjustments or a direct component approach.
Which bundle includes the Advanced version?
Advanced is included in the Industry-Specific and Super Smart bundles. It is not included in the Valuation bundle, which includes the Standard version.
How long can the acquisition forecast run?
The LBO framework supports up to 15 years, with monthly and annual financial statements and adjustable acquisition, revenue, expense and end timing.
How is the equity requirement determined?
It reflects the acquisition equity, capital spending, initial costs and operating burn under the model assumptions. Advanced adds a clearer breakdown of purchase-price equity, broader cash needs and the final requirement after line-of-credit and working-capital funding.
Can I model inventory and sales on account?
Yes. Configure receivable collection timing, inventory purchasing frequency and payable timing for costs marked as inventory. Supplier payments can be allocated across up to six months.
Build the financial case behind the acquisition
Connect purchase terms to cash needs and equity returns.
Choose Standard LBO for $45 or Advanced LBO for $99 and evaluate the deal from acquisition through exit.
