Fact Finding Templates

Templates are how you set the structure for Fact Finding. They give you a starting point for which questions are shown within each business factor, although they can also be fully customized to your unique process, the client's situation, or the business' industry and maturity.

Understanding Templates

A template is a repeatable set of questions and business factors used to guide your client intake.

We have three built-in templates, which include:

Holistic: A well-rounded starting point developed with exit planning advisors in mind.
Value Acceleration: Mirrors the methodology used in the CEPA framework.
Minimal: A lightweight option for quick engagements or early-stage conversations.

We'd also be happy to create a custom template to match your own process and load it to your organization's account. Reach out to hello@exitwithella.io if you'd like to discuss a custom template.

Using Templates

Creating a Fact Finding Session from a Template

Open a client workspace.
From the Overview or Fact Finding section, select "Choose a template".
Pick the template you want to use.

ELLA will generate a structured set of questions and business factors organized into categories like Finances, Operations, and Ownership.

Start answering questions, adding notes, or uploading documents.

Customizing Templates

Once a template is selected, you can tailor it to your workflow. From within Fact Finding, select the "Manage Business Factors" button to add or remove business factors and questions.

Coming soon

User-editable templates: Create, fork, and manage templates directly inside ELLA.
Extensible templates: Mix-and-match questions from multiple templates to create a new one, even after you've started fact-finding with a client.

Best Practices

Choose the template that fits the engagement — comprehensive for valuation work, minimal for scoping conversations.
Don’t over-collect; focus on what you’ll act on.
Encourage your clients to add detail in their own words. It leads to better insights later.