WHAT TO PREPARE
Bring clarity to projects, stock, and commitments.
Separate backlog from opportunities
Keep open quotes, accepted orders, releases, and shipped work in distinct reports. Include deposits, cancellation terms, expected delivery dates, and remaining supplier commitments. Explain how you update a project when the schedule changes.
Explain changes in material costs
Use consistent records to describe purchasing costs, quote validity, freight, and pricing changes. Note the periods affected by unusual supply conditions. Ask your accountant to help reconcile inventory and margin reports before drawing conclusions from them.
Keep product records connected to orders
Locate specifications, manufacturer certifications, inspection records, and the procedures your business uses to handle substitutions or returns. Identify customer-specific stock and items with unusual storage or handling requirements.
Your first-pass checklist
- Separate quote, backlog, and shipment reports
- Project deposits and open purchase commitments
- Inventory costs, aging, and count records
- Supplier terms and freight arrangements
- Specifications and supporting product records
Is the entire project backlog future revenue?
Explain what has been accepted, what remains conditional, and what can change or be cancelled. Include expected timing and supplier obligations. A dated backlog with clear assumptions is more useful than a single total without context.
Prepared by Old Growth, the acquisitions division of Deep Forest AI. These prompts help organize a discussion with your advisers. They are not a valuation, technical instruction, or an offer.
