Before you buy into the opportunity, test what it rests on.
Franchises, businesses for sale, partnerships and other U.S. opportunities usually arrive with projections, figures and assumptions supplied by people who have an interest in the transaction closing.
PIACINI works for the person who has to make the decision.
We test the opportunity's key claims against independent evidence on the market, the competition, the economics and the real conditions for executing in the United States.
We don't sell the opportunity. We evaluate it.
On the decision-maker's side
The party presenting the opportunity is not necessarily on your side of the decision.
Brokers sell businesses.
Franchisors sell franchises.
Intermediaries bring parties together and structure transactions.
Each can play a legitimate and useful role. But their incentives are not necessarily those of the person putting up the capital, taking the risk and living with the consequences of the decision.
When engaged by the buyer or decision-maker, PIACINI sits in a different position: testing the opportunity's assumptions from the side of the person who has to decide.
Scope
What we can assess
U.S. franchises
We examine the commercial and market assumptions presented, so the decision-maker understands the opportunity better before committing.
Acquisitions of operating businesses
We test the opportunity's commercial narrative against external evidence on the market, competition, pricing and execution conditions.
Partnerships and joint ventures
We assess the market and business assumptions behind the proposal and identify the issues that matter for the decision.
Distribution and licensing
We investigate the market, competition, demand and commercial terms surrounding the opportunity presented.
New ventures
We test the main commercial hypotheses before significant capital is committed.
Other U.S. commercial opportunities
When the decision turns on the U.S. market, competition, economics or execution, we assess whether the case fits PIACINI's scope.
If the decision is about taking your own company into the United States, see the U.S. Market Entry Assessment.
Claims and evidence
A presentation is not a validation.
A projection can be mathematically correct and still depend on unlikely assumptions.
A market can be growing and still be unattractive for that particular business.
A competitor charging a certain price does not prove that a new operator can do the same.
A franchise can show historical results that do not necessarily reflect the location, operation or conditions you are evaluating.
That is why our work starts by separating what is being claimed from what the evidence can actually support.
Method
How we assess an opportunity
Claim → Evidence → Finding → Risk → Decision implication
Claim
What is the seller, promoter or counterparty asserting?
Evidence
What independent evidence can we find on that assumption?
Finding
How far does the evidence support what was presented?
Risk
What remains uncertain, rests on important assumptions or conflicts with the evidence?
Decision implication
What does that finding mean for the person who has to decide?
Dimensions
What we test
Market reality
Is there a relevant market for the opportunity under the conditions presented?
Competitive reality
Who does the business really compete with, and how are those alternatives positioned?
Commercial economics
Do the key assumptions on revenue, volume, pricing, commercial costs and unit economics hold up against the available evidence?
Pricing & demand
Do the pricing and demand assumptions find support in the market?
Execution conditions
What has to happen in practice for the thesis presented to work?
Assumptions & risks
Which assumptions are supported, which remain unvalidated and which face conflicting evidence?
Example
From claims to evidence.
During the assessment, material assumptions can be organized in an analysis matrix.
Claim presented
“There is strong demand for this service.”
Independent evidence
Market data, competitors, buyer behavior and other relevant sources.
Finding
What the evidence actually allows us to conclude.
Risk
What remains uncertain or depends on specific conditions.
Decision implication
What this means for the decision under review.
Not every assumption can be confirmed or rejected with the information available. Identifying what is still unknown is also part of a sound decision.
Deliverable
What you receive
The work results in an Independent Opportunity Assessment — Decision Brief. Depending on the opportunity and the agreed scope, it may include:
- Claims & assumptions matrix
- Independent market evidence
- Competitive findings
- Commercial economics observations
- Pricing and demand observations
- Execution conditions
- Risk map
- Information gaps
- Questions that still require validation
- Decision implications
- Points to refer to specialist professionals
The engagement closes with an Executive Review Meeting to present and discuss the main findings.
Scope limits
What this assessment does not replace
PIACINI provides business and market analysis. The Independent Opportunity Assessment is not:
- A formal valuation
- Legal due diligence
- An accounting audit
- Tax due diligence
- A regulatory opinion
- Immigration advice
- Investment or securities advice
- Brokerage
Depending on the opportunity, a complete decision may require review by attorneys, CPAs, valuation professionals, regulatory specialists or other licensed professionals. Our work helps identify where those reviews are needed — without representing that PIACINI has performed them.
Independence
Independence from the opportunity being assessed
When engaged to perform this assessment, PIACINI works for the client who has to make the decision.
We do not sell the business being assessed, and we are not compensated by the seller or promoter of that opportunity.
That separation matters because the engagement exists to test the assumptions presented, not to close the transaction.
Have you been presented with a U.S. opportunity?
You don't have to accept it because the presentation is convincing. You don't have to reject it on instinct either. You can test the assumptions.
Assessment Request
Request an assessment
Tell us briefly what you are evaluating. This helps us understand the context before we get in touch.
Request received
We have received your request.
PIACINI will review the information you sent to understand the context and how the assessment would be framed. If there is a fit with our scope, we will contact you to agree on next steps.
In the meantime, see how we think about U.S. market decisions.