Private equity is hitting a wall. The old tricks—cheap debt, financial engineering, flashy spreadsheets—aren’t cutting it anymore. With uncertainty surrounding the economy, interest rates, and tariffs, the cracks are showing. Capital is stuck. Hold periods are dragging. And funds are under pressure to deliver results with fewer wins to show.
The truth? Most firms aren’t built for this market. The traditional private equity playbook has become less reliable. Today investors demand more than financial gymnastics. They want evidence of operational improvements that drive long-term enterprise value.
Here’s the uncomfortable reality. Financial levers are tapped out. The only way forward is through operational grit. Bridging operational gaps starts with clarity—knowing what’s broken, what’s underperforming and what’s holding a business back. That means taking a hard look at each portfolio company and addressing gaps.
In recent work, we helped prepare a founder-led businesses for exit, integrate multi-site acquisitions, and stand up transformation efforts that drive execution at scale. These projects have uncovered $1–3 million in EBITDA upside, freed up more than $1.2 million in working capital, and cut delivery timelines by as much as 30%. The common thread? We help both operators and sponsors build systems, habits and decision-making muscle across the portfolio. We’re not here to create consultant dependence. We’re here to transfer capability, so you can trust that we will deliver value, not just hours.
It takes a fresh perspective to address operational gaps. Looking broadly, there are a number of value creation levers that we can pull to drive sustainable growth.
Revenue Acceleration
Driving revenue growth starts with a deep understanding of the customer and the market. PE firms can help portfolio companies unlock top-line potential by refining go-to-market strategies, optimizing pricing models, and leveraging data more effectively. Accelerating revenue isn’t about doing more of the same. It’s about doing the right things smarter and faster to penetrate new markets and strengthen the value proposition.
Margin Expansion
Margin improvement is often the quickest path to enhanced profitability and enterprise value. By streamlining operations, removing inefficiencies and renegotiating cost structures, PE-backed companies can widen margins without compromising on quality or growth. Targeted optimization efforts in procurement, supply chain and administration often yield high-impact results and set the stage for reinvestment in growth initiatives.
Technology Enablement
Digital transformation is a strategic imperative. Technology enablement focuses on modernizing core systems, integrating data platforms, and automating manual processes to drive speed, visibility and scalability. We have an opportunity to future-proof operations and unlock tech-driven efficiencies by investing in the right technology.
Talent Optimization
People are the key to driving operational efficiency. To optimize our talent, we must align leadership teams, address capability gaps and a winning organizational culture. By ensuring the right people are in the right seats, we can deliver a motivated workforce that understands the direction of the company and is empowered to deliver results.
Scalability Initiatives
To grow sustainably, we need to build repeatable processes and infrastructure that emphasize efficiency for portfolio companies. It starts with institutionalizing repeatable processes, strengthening governance and establishing scalable systems across all areas of the business. These initiatives enable companies to absorb growth—whether organic or through M&A—without sacrificing control, quality, or customer experience.
Operational excellence shouldn’t be episodic. Successful PE firms embed value creation into every stage of the investment lifecycle—from due diligence to exit planning.
Success is about creating a foundation for sustained growth and competitive advantage. At Sapere Advisors, we think like owners. We don’t just advise. We play an active role in your success. It’s an approach that maximizes value and ensures sustainable results, even when the market delivers challenges.