Business, Systems & Exit Consulting

You built something real.
Dont let it disappear.

Thousands of small business owners shut down every year, not because the business failed, but because no one showed them another way. Dont Shut Down intercepts that moment.

Service business owner
6M
Businesses transitioning by 2035
$10T
Enterprise value at stake
<15%
Have a formal exit plan
Small business owner reviewing paperwork
The Problem

Most owners don't know
they have options.

The largest ownership transition in American history is underway. Over 6 million small and midsize businesses will change hands by 2035. Most won't sell. They'll simply close, leaving behind wealth they built, employees who lose jobs, and customers who lose their provider. Less than 15% of owners have a formal exit plan.

6M
Small and midsize businesses facing
ownership transitions by 2035
$10T
Cumulative enterprise value owned
by boomer business owners
<15%
Of owners have a formal, documented
exit plan. Most will simply close.

No succession plan

They've built something profitable over decades but haven't thought past next season, let alone the next owner.

Owner-dependent operations

The business lives in the owner's head. No documented systems, no process handoff, which kills valuation and scares off buyers.

Informal financials

Strong cash flow, informal books. Without clean financials, lenders won't underwrite a deal and buyers won't make an offer.

No awareness of value

They don't know their business is worth hundreds of thousands, or more. Awareness of options is the first thing we install.

What We Do

We show up before
the panic sets in.

We work directly with owners to assess current operations, close the gaps that reduce value, install the systems that reduce owner dependency, and build the story that makes a business attractive to qualified buyers.

01

Exit Readiness Assessment

A diagnostic through a buyer's lens. Financials, operations, systems, digital presence, scored and reported with a clear action plan.

See pricing & details →

02

Operations & Exit Optimization

Ongoing advisory to improve operations, reduce owner dependency, and build toward exit. Monthly retainer, measurable deliverables.

See pricing & details →

03

Systems Implementation

Fixed-scope projects to build specific operational infrastructure: scheduling, CRM, SOP documentation, financial reporting.

See pricing & details →
Who We Serve

Owner-operated service businesses
across the Midwest and beyond.

We work with businesses doing $1M to $10M in annual revenue where the owner is the key person, and where the right preparation can dramatically improve both profitability and exit value.

Plumbing & HVAC Electrical Septic & Water Services Landscaping & Lawn Care Waste & Environmental Pest Control Pool & Pressure Washing Specialty Trades

"Every day in America, a small business owner closes the doors on something they spent decades building. Not because the business failed, because nobody told them there was another way."

HVAC service van at residential home
Business deal handshake

Find out what your business is actually worth.

Start with a no-cost discovery conversation. We'll listen first.

Owner working
About Dont Shut Down

Built by an operator.
For operators.

Mark Kreuz isn't a traditional management consultant. He spent a decade on job sites, managing vendors, building systems, and solving complex problems under pressure. He knows what real operations look like, and he knows exactly what buyers look for, because he is one.

Mark Kreuz, Founder of Dont Shut Down
The Mission

This business exists because
of what I watched happen.

Growing up, I worked weekends in a family manufacturing business. For decades it was a real, thriving operation. Then forces converged, international competition, the 2008 recession, the near-collapse of the U.S. auto industry. The business didn't survive.

"Small businesses are the core of this country. Built by real people, over real decades, through real sacrifice. Too many owners simply don't know what options exist when it's time to move on. Dont Shut Down exists to close that gap."

What makes Dont Shut Down different isn't just the consulting background. It's that I am actively engaged in the business acquisition ecosystem. I know what buyers look for, what lenders require, and what makes a business fundable, because I'm looking at businesses with intent to buy them. Every recommendation I make is grounded in that practical, current reality, not a framework from a textbook.

Background

A decade building systems at scale, in the field.

Trades crew working in the field
  • 2014 – 2022

    Installation Service Operations, ALDI Inc.

    Managed over 1,200 IT installations across new store openings, remodels, and training centers. It meant being on-site, walking job sites, holding vendors accountable, and resolving problems in real time across seven U.S. divisions. The same challenges a plumbing or HVAC owner faces every day: vendors, job sites, scheduling, accountability, systems that don't scale. I lived it.

  • 2022 – 2024

    Enterprise Systems Deployment, ALDI National IT

    Led IT cutovers and hypercare for major technology deployments including SAP S/4HANA Finance and retail platform migrations affecting seven U.S. divisions. Built RACI frameworks, cutover timelines, and multi-stream coordination plans. Coordinated multi-stream review sessions across US and international teams, managed escalations, and built reusable cutover playbooks. This is exactly the kind of infrastructure most owner-operators are missing, and exactly what I build for clients.

  • Now

    Dont Shut Down, Founder & Principal Advisor

    Launched to address the gap nobody else is filling: affordable, hands-on, trades-aware advisory for the $1M–$10M owner-operator. Working directly with owners to build value, reduce dependency, and reach the best possible outcome at exit.

Project Management Professional (PMP), PMI, Active
ITIL Foundation, AXELOS, Active
Why It Matters

We sit in a gap no one
else is filling.

Not a brokerage

Brokers want to list ready businesses. We prepare them first, which means we bring brokers better listings and owners better outcomes.

Not a big exit firm

Exit planners target businesses above $5M with professional management. We serve the owner running a $1M–$5M service operation who needs real, affordable help.

Not a generalist consultant

Trades business owners are skeptical of consultants who've never been on a job site. Mark has. That credibility can't be faked with a certification.

An active buyer

Our advisory is grounded in current acquisition market knowledge, not theory. We know what lenders underwrite and what buyers actually look for right now.

Service crew working

Ready to find out what your business could be worth?

A no-cost conversation. We listen first, then tell you exactly where you stand.

Work crew
Services

Practical help for owners
who want a better outcome.

We don't sell frameworks. We show up, assess what's actually happening, and build toward the result you want. Every engagement is scoped, documented, and delivered against real milestones.

01
Exit Readiness Assessment
A buyer's-lens diagnostic with a written report and action plan. One-time engagement.
02
Operations & Exit Optimization Retainer
Active partnership to improve your business and build toward the best possible exit.
03
Systems Implementation Project
Hands-on buildout of the systems, SOPs, and documentation a buyer expects to see.
Core Services

Three ways to work together.

Business, systems, and exit advisory, each designed to meet owners at different stages of readiness. Engage independently or in sequence.

Exit Readiness Assessment

A diagnostic engagement that reviews your business through a buyer's lens. We evaluate financials, operations, owner dependency, digital presence, and documentation, then deliver a written report that scores the business on key acquisition criteria with a clear action plan for improvement. Pricing varies by business size and complexity.

$1,500 – $3,000
One-time · 1–2 week engagement
  • Financial review and normalization assessment
  • Operations and owner dependency scoring
  • Documentation and systems audit
  • Digital presence and brand evaluation
  • Written report with acquisition-ready scoring
  • Prioritized action plan with clear next steps

Operations & Exit Optimization Retainer

Active partnership to improve your business and build toward the best possible exit. Engagement level depends on how much hands-on work your business needs and how fast you want to move.

Advisory

$2,500/mo

Monthly strategy sessions, progress reporting, and action planning. A dedicated advisor who knows your business, reviews your numbers, and keeps you moving in the right direction.

  • Monthly check-in and progress review
  • Priority action planning each month
  • On-call guidance between sessions
  • Exit positioning and buyer narrative development

Active Partnership

$4,500/mo

Weekly touchpoints, hands-on implementation, and deliverable-driven engagement. Not just advising, building alongside you.

  • Everything in Advisory, plus:
  • Weekly working sessions
  • SOP development and documentation
  • Financial reporting and book cleanup
  • Owner dependency reduction strategy

Full Engagement

$7,500/mo

High-intensity transformation across multiple workstreams. For owners with a defined exit timeline who need to move fast and close significant operational gaps.

  • Everything in Active Partnership, plus:
  • Multi-workstream program management
  • Accelerated SOP and documentation build-out
  • Vendor and technology coordination
  • Weekly executive-level advisory
  • Accelerated exit readiness timeline

Systems implementation projects identified during engagement are scoped and priced separately.

Typical engagement is 3-6 months. Month-to-month after that. Complex or custom engagements are scoped and priced individually. Contact us to discuss your situation.

Systems Implementation Project

A fixed-scope project to design and build a specific operational system. Job scheduling software, CRM implementation, financial reporting infrastructure, SOP documentation library, or similar. Defined deliverable, defined timeline, fixed fee. We build it once. You operate with confidence going forward.

Scoped individually
Quoted based on scope, complexity, and timeline
  • Scoped discovery and requirements definition
  • System selection and vendor coordination
  • Build, test, and implementation
  • Staff training and change management
  • Documentation and handoff package
  • 30-day post-launch support included

Scope and price defined together before any work begins. Complex or large-scale projects are scoped and priced individually.

How We Work

Every engagement follows
the same clear process.

01

Discovery

30–45 minute conversation at no cost. We listen to understand the business, your goals, and your timeline.

02

Assessment

We show up in person. Walk the operation, ask the real questions, document what we see.

03

Proposal

Written scope, defined deliverables, clear fees. No surprises after you sign.

04

Execution

We deliver against the milestones. Regular check-ins, progress reporting, adjustments as needed.

05

Outcome

Better operations, higher valuation, a business that can run without you, and a clear path to exit.

Additional Services

When the time comes to sell.

Once a client is ready to go to market, Dont Shut Down facilitates introductions to qualified business brokers and earns a referral fee for bringing a prepared, optimized, sale-ready business to the transaction.

Broker Referrals

We connect you with the right broker for your business type, size, and geography. You show up prepared, which means better positioning, stronger offers, and a faster transaction.

Success Fee Structure

For clients actively preparing for exit, we offer an alternative engagement structure worth considering carefully: a reduced base fee paired with a success fee on the transaction.

Here is why it often makes more sense than a standard retainer: loading significant consulting expenses onto a business in the 12-24 months before a sale reduces profitability in the years most heavily weighted by buyers and lenders. That directly impacts your valuation and what a buyer can finance. A reduced base fee keeps your financials clean. We participate in the upside we help create: a percentage of the increase in transaction value above an agreed baseline. You net more at closing. We earn more for delivering real results.

Structure is negotiated individually based on your situation and timeline. We only win when you win.

Business deal

Not sure which service fits?

Start with a conversation. We'll tell you honestly what makes sense.

Handshake
Start the Conversation

No pitch. No pressure.
Just a conversation.

Tell us where you are and where you want to go. The first call is always on us: 30 minutes to understand your business, your goals, and whether we're the right fit for each other.

Send a message

Fill out the form and we'll be in touch within one business day.

Prefer to call?

Mark picks up. If he's on a job, he'll call back same day. No gatekeepers, no intake forms.

What to expect on the first call

  • 30–45 minutes, no prep needed on your end
  • We ask about the business, your goals, and your timeline
  • Honest feedback on where you stand and what makes sense
  • No obligation, if it's not the right fit, we'll tell you
  • If it is a fit, we'll outline next steps clearly before we hang up