Strategic Advisory Group

What Strategic Advisory Group does

Strategic Advisory Group, Inc. is a privately held corporate finance and investment banking advisory firm founded in 1992 and headquartered in Sag Harbor, New York. The firm serves the small and mid-size private company market, with particular depth in the franchising vertical, providing a full spectrum of advisory services from fundamental bookkeeping and forecasting up through sophisticated capital raising and merger and acquisition transactions.

The firm's offerings are organized into three service pillars: Operating Services (consulting or acting CFO basis — including bookkeeping, accounts management, forecasting, business modeling, and senior debt placement with bank documentation support); Strategic Services (consulting basis — including senior and mezzanine debt placement such as SBA, company valuation and asset assessments, and franchise financial development with expert witness services); and Capital Services (agency basis — including management buyout structuring, reorganization and recapitalization, and private equity placement). The firm also provides standalone M&A advisory and private equity placement services, and supports venture capital and private investor portfolio investments in franchisers.

Strategic Advisory Group generates revenue through professional services fees (consulting and acting CFO engagements) and transaction fees (capital placement, M&A, and agency mandates). The go-to-market motion is sales-led and relationship-based, with no digital marketing channels identified; new business is generated through personal outreach, professional network referrals, and industry speaking engagements at venues such as the International Franchise Association conventions and the Restaurant Finance and Development Conference. The firm is founder-owned, led by Co-founder and Managing Director Pierce W. Hance, with a 1-10 employee headcount, and operates a curated network of domestic capital sources specifically directed at small and middle market investments.

Name

Strategic Advisory Group

Legal name

Strategic Advisory Group, Inc.

Website

https://strategicadvisorygroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Strategic Advisory Group is a privately held corporate finance and investment banking advisory firm founded in 1992, serving small and mid-size private companies—particularly franchisers—with bookkeeping, acting CFO, valuation, capital placement, and M&A services on a relationship-driven basis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Finance and Investment Banking Advisory

NAICS

Investment Banking and Securities Intermediation (523150), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Finance & Capital Advisory (BPAHADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

M&A Advisory (Buy-Side & Sell-Side) (BPAHAOAA), Debt Advisory & Financing Advisory (FSAEAGAD), Strategy & Corporate Development Consulting (BPAHACAA)

Keywords

• Corporate finance advisory
• Investment banking services
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Private equity placement
• Middle market banking

Headquarters

HQ city

Sag Harbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Corporate Finance Advisory: Professional services fees for corporate finance and investment banking advisory including bookkeeping, forecasting, business modeling, and financial strategy consulting. Provided on a consulting or acting CFO basis.
2. Capital Placement Services: Agency-based fees for capital raising activities including senior and mezzanine debt placements, private equity placements, and management buyout structuring.
3. M&A Advisory Services: Fees for merger and acquisition services, company valuation, asset assessments, and reorganization/recapitalization advisory.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Strategic Advisory Group provides corporate finance and investment banking advisory services to small and mid-size private companies in the United States. Its offerings span Operating Services (bookkeeping, forecasting, senior debt placements, acting CFO), Strategic Services (mezzanine and SBA debt placement, company valuation, franchise financial development, expert witness work), and Capital Services (management buyouts, reorganization and recapitalization, private equity placement), supplemented by merger and acquisition advisory. Engagements are delivered on a consulting, acting CFO, or agency basis.

Product overview

Strategic Advisory Group operates as a unified corporate finance and investment banking advisory platform serving small and mid-size private companies. The firm's offerings span three interconnected service pillars: Operating Services (bookkeeping, forecasting, debt placements, and acting CFO), Strategic Services (company valuation, franchise finance, expert witness), and Capital Services (management buyouts, recapitalization, private equity placement). Additional capabilities include M&A advisory. Services are delivered through consulting engagements, acting executive roles, or agency arrangements depending on client needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Operating Services
• Strategic Services Consulting-based strategic financial services including placement of senior and mezzanine debt (SBA and other sources), company valuation and asset assessments, and franchise financial development with expert witness services. Aimed at small and mid-size private companies and franchisers requiring more sophisticated strategic finance work.
• Capital Services Agency-based capital market services including structuring of management buyouts, reorganization and recapitalization, and private equity placement for small and middle market companies. Delivered on an agency basis with access to the firm's domestic capital source network.
• Merger and Acquisition Services Advisory and agent services for merger and acquisition transactions, including acting as lead advisor for deal structuring and execution. Targeted at small and mid-size private companies pursuing buy-side, sell-side, or consolidation transactions.
• Private Equity Placement Placement of private equity capital for growing companies requiring sophisticated financial strategies. Leverages the firm's network of domestic capital sources, venture capital firms, and other private investors active in small and middle market investments.
• Acting CFO Services Interim chief financial officer services provided to clients needing executive-level financial oversight and leadership, often as part of the Operating Services pillar. Delivered on a consulting or acting CFO basis for companies without a full-time CFO.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Direct peers

• Carl Marks Advisory Group: Middle-market advisory firm providing M&A, restructuring, valuation, and capital placement services to private companies. Closely comparable to SAG in target client (small/mid-size private companies), service mix, and relationship-driven GTM.
• BDO Capital Advisors: Middle-market investment banking arm of BDO USA, providing M&A advisory, capital raising, and valuation services to private and family-owned businesses. Direct competitor in the same small/mid-size private-company advisory segment SAG serves.
• Brown Gibbons Lang & Company: Independent middle-market investment bank focused on M&A, capital raising, and financial advisory for private and family-controlled businesses. Comparable in scale, client profile, and full-service corporate finance offerings.
• Livingstone Partners: Global mid-market M&A and debt advisory firm serving private business owners and corporates. Direct peer on middle-market M&A advisory, debt placement, and recapitalization mandates.
• Plante Moran: Large accounting and advisory firm with a middle-market corporate finance practice covering M&A, valuation, and CFO advisory. Comparable in target client (mid-size private companies) and the integrated operating-to-strategic advisory model SAG offers.
• Imperial Capital: Middle-market focused investment bank providing M&A, restructuring, and capital markets services to small and mid-cap companies. Comparable client profile and advisory service mix.
• Cornerstone Capital Group: Independent middle-market investment bank providing M&A advisory and private capital placement to lower middle-market companies. Directly comparable on size, client focus, and transaction services.
• Stout Risius Ross: Global advisory firm specializing in valuation, M&A, and corporate finance advice for middle-market companies and their stakeholders. Comparable advisory offerings and middle-market client base.

Broad incumbents

• Houlihan Lokey: Large global investment bank with a deep middle-market M&A and capital markets practice. Serves the same small/mid-size private-company client segment but at significantly greater scale and geographic reach than SAG.
• B. Riley Financial: Diversified financial services platform with a middle-market investment banking practice spanning M&A, capital raising, and restructuring. Operates broadly in the same corporate finance advisory space as SAG.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Strategic Advisory Group