Direct Answer
Screen targets in the same order every time: fit, source confidence, debt service, cash flow, owner dependency, concentration risk, and the next question worth asking.
The first screen should save time
A first screen is not a valuation memo. It is a disciplined way to decide whether the next hour is worth spending. The output should be a clear action: pursue, ask, watch, value, or pass.
A practical target screen
- Confirm the target fits your sector, geography, and size range.
- Separate sourced facts from broker claims and buyer assumptions.
- Normalize revenue, seller earnings, purchase price, and working-capital clues.
- Run a rough debt-service and cash-flow check before deep diligence.
- Identify owner roles that may not transfer cleanly.
- Flag concentration across customers, vendors, channels, or employees.
- Write the one question that would change what you do next.
- Record the pass trigger before you call the broker.
What SearcherSignal adds
SearcherSignal keeps the first screen in one place: key facts, source links, missing support, screening estimates, and the broker question that changes the next call.
Advisor Review Boundary
Use this page to prepare better screening questions, not to make a final deal decision. Legal, tax, lending, valuation, safety, healthcare, environmental, platform-policy, and deal-document issues should be verified with qualified advisors.
Review status: Review-gated educational screening page. Specialist gate: operator review.