You Built Something Worth Selling.
Let's Make Sure You Can.

Most $1M-$5M businesses that go to market never sell. Not because they aren't profitable -- because they aren't ready. Owner dependency, messy financials, and operational chaos kill deals in due diligence every day.

Stella and Main fixes those problems before a buyer ever sees them -- so you can sell with confidence, at a number that reflects what you've actually built.

See If We're a Fit Free  ·  5 minutes  ·  No pitch
The Problem

Most Businesses Don't Fail to Sell.
They Fail to Be Ready.

Most businesses listed for sale never close. Buyers aren't walking away because they don't want the business. They're walking away because they can't trust it.

Owner-Led

Owner Dependency

If you're the hub of every decision and relationship, a buyer isn't buying a business — they're buying a job. Reducing owner dependency before exit is one of the highest-leverage moves a seller can make — owner-dependent businesses routinely sell at a steep discount compared to transferable ones, if they sell at all.

Messy Books

Financial Uncertainty

Financial issues are consistently among the top reasons deals fall apart. Mixed personal and business expenses, books that don't match tax returns, revenue that can't be verified — every gap is a discount or a dealbreaker. Diligence preparation starts long before a buyer asks for documents.

Most buyers in this range finance their purchase with an SBA 7(a) loan. If your books don't meet SBA standards, you're limited to cash buyers — who know it, and price accordingly.

No SOPs

Operational Chaos

No documented processes. Key knowledge living in one person's head. If a buyer can't picture running this business without you, they won't pay full price for it.

"The same business at $300K SDE: messy ops = $600K sale. Clean and transferable = $1.2M. That $600K gap is the cost of not being ready."

Operational Sale-Readiness

Straightforward Process. Hands-On Work.

This isn't coaching from the sidelines. I work inside your business alongside you — driving value acceleration through operational readiness, building what needs to be built, and making sure the systems stay running after I'm gone.

01
Free - 5 Minutes

The Fit Form

A short form to understand where your business stands. No pitch -- just an honest read on fit.

02
Free - 15-20 Minutes

A Brief Conversation

If the form looks like a match, I'll reach out. You leave with a clearer picture regardless of what you decide.

03
$2,500 - Credited Forward

Operational Readiness Assessment

A paid diagnostic that maps your business against what buyers actually look for — and gives you a clear roadmap of what would cost you at the table. The $2,500 fee is credited in full toward your first month if you move forward.

04
Custom-scoped after assessment

The Engagement

Done-with-you execution on the pillars that move the needle most for your specific deal — scoped to your gaps after the assessment.

05
Ongoing Retainer

Broker Selection & Ongoing Support

Two retainer options to keep momentum after the sprint — and when you're ready to sell, both include hands-on broker support: helping you interview candidates, get your docs together, and go to market with confidence.

$200/month

Monthly one-hour meeting and business review.

$500/month

Weekly meetings for active support through go-to-market.

See Full Details and Pricing
Capacity note: I work with a maximum of 2 clients at a time. When both spots are full, the waitlist opens.
Who It's For

This Work Is Right for You If...

  • Your business does $1M-$5M in annual revenue
  • You have 5-30 employees and you're the center of gravity
  • You're planning to sell in the next 6-24 months
  • You know the business has real value -- but you know it's not ready
  • You want someone in it with you, not advising from a distance

What They're Saying to Themselves

"Everything still runs through me."

"I want to sell, but I know we're not ready."

"We don't really have documented processes."

"My team isn't as accountable as it should be."

"I don't fully trust the numbers."

Who this is NOT for: solo practitioners, one-person operations, or owners who aren't ready to make real changes. This work requires actual operations to fix — and an owner who's committed to fixing them.
Rachel Lugo, Founder of Stella and Main
At a Glance
  • 30+ years as an operator inside founder-led businesses
  • Scaled a company from startup to ~$5M in annual revenue
  • Walked away from an acquisition mid-due-diligence as the buyer
  • 10 years of bookkeeping — reads financials the way a buyer does
  • Trained life and business coach
  • Maximum 2 clients at a time — always
About Rachel

30 Years Building the Kind of Business a Buyer Can Trust.

Rachel Lugo has spent three decades inside founder-led businesses — not advising from the outside, but building the systems, processes, and team structures that make operations actually run. She's scaled companies, rebuilt broken workflows, and created the kind of operational infrastructure that holds up when someone looks under the hood.

She's also been the buyer who walked away. That perspective — knowing exactly what ends deals from the other side of the table — shapes everything inside a Stella and Main engagement. The goal isn't a better-looking business. It's a transferable one.

My Full Story
Ready to Find Out Where You Stand?

Two spots. Serious sellers only.

If you're thinking about selling in the next 6-24 months, the best time to start is now.

See If We're a Fit

Free - 5 minutes - No pitch