RTO Advisory, short for "Return To Owner Advisory," is a fee-based mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and exit-planning firm located in Greensboro, North Carolina. It caters to owners of privately held businesses with revenues between $1 million and $100 million and EBITDA ranging from $1 million to $20 million throughout the United States. Founder Elliott J. Culp created RTO Advisory based on a straightforward premise: 75% of business owners lack a formal exit strategy, resulting in a collective loss of approximately $14 trillion in unrealized value over the next ten years. Most of this loss can be mitigated with three to five years of diligent preparation, as owners who plan ahead can secure about 30% more value when selling their businesses. The firm addresses six critical readiness gaps: quality of financial reporting, tax strategies and entity structures, succession and continuity planning, discrepancies between valuation realities and market multiples, operational dependence on the owner, and readiness regarding banking, coverage ratios, and collateral. Each unchecked gap can decrease multiples or jeopardize deals during due diligence. RTO Advisory operates on a fee basis rather than being commission-driven, meaning business owners pay for advice that aligns with their goals, which could include recommendations to delay, improve their business first, or refrain from selling. The firm does not take a percentage of transaction value, eliminating any incentive to advocate for a deal that isn't in the owner's best interest. Services offered include Exit Readiness Assessment, Strategic Value Optimization, Transaction Advisory and Management, and Succession Planning, with the firm providing assistance in both English and Spanish.