Fortis Defined
Inspired by its Latin roots, Fortis Business Advisors exemplifies, embodies and defines our mission and values by strength, robustness, might, vigor, boldness, and courage. Much like the small businesses we serve, we strive to achieve success for our clients through perseverance and grit.​
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Fortis Business Advisors was founded with a single objective: to be the most innovative and creative small business advisory firm recognized for bold and effective solutions. We are passionate entrepreneurs and small business owners, marketers and day-to-day operators developing customized and unique strategies that meet the needs of our clients.
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Fortis Fortuna Adiuvat
“Fortis Fortuna Adiuvat” - Fortune Favors the Bold.
It defines the motivation shared by us and the clients we serve.
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THINKING LIKE A BUSINESS OWNER IS WHAT SETS UP APART
Fortis Business Advisors is more than just a small business advisory firm - we are a catalyst for transformation, empowering small business owners and their businesses to achieve their fullest potential. We understand the challenges and unique opportunities small businesses face, and we bring a level of expertise traditionally reserved for large companies, making it accessible, actionable, and affordable.
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Whether navigating growth, facing a restructuring, or planning a strategic exit, our experienced team partners with entrepreneurs and small business owners to develop and implement tailored solutions that deliver measurable results. We are committed to transparency, efficiency, and above all, maximizing value. At Fortis, helping small businesses succeed is our purpose.
Our Values
Our values inform our decision-making, shape our strategies, and guide how we interact with our clients and the communities we serve. We aim to embody and exemplify these values in everything we do, using them as the foundation for our long-term strategic thinking and day-to-day operations.
ONGOING VALUE CREATION
We endeavor to build enduring relationships with our clients by collaborating with their team and delivering value that consistently helps them thrive.​
OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE
Robust systems, procedures, and processes with tech-enabled efficiencies and uncompromising proactivity drive us to consistently deliver effective results.
OUR CLIENT'S BEST INTEREST FIRST
We are champions of small business bringing access to services normally considered too expensive for the clients and size businesses we serve.
CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT
Constant interation, rigorous testing and intellectual drive pervade our organization. In relentlessly pursuing marginal gains we continuously improve in all we do.
CREATIVE & INNOVATIVE THINKING
Our diversity of ownership experience is one of our greatest and most unique assets as we strive to foster unconventional, cross-disciplinary thinking.
INTEGRITY & PROFESSIONAL ETHICS
Upholding the highest standards of professional ethics and accountability, we strive to build relationships based on transparency and steadfast commitment.
Our Leadership
Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and operating nationally, we have access to some of the world's most talented advisors. By bringing together individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences to collaborate on complex challenges, our team's composition enables us to deliver impactful value to our client's initiatives in unique and imaginative ways.
Ben Nicholson
President
Bringing nearly 25 years of entrepreneurial, business ownership, and management experience, Ben Nicholson is a seasoned business strategist and turnaround expert with a diverse background spanning startups, operations, turnarounds, "dark" business management, and "Pop-Up" concept execution. Specializing in crafting tailored strategies and experience-based solutions for small businesses in healthy or distressed situations, Ben has represented small businesses, financial institutions, and professional service advisors across multiple industries, including retail/e-commerce, distribution, consumer products, restaurant and food service, manufacturing, construction, and trucking industries. His expertise extends to serving as a Chief Restructuring Officer in a Subchapter V bankruptcy case and pioneering "Pop-Up" Liquidation strategies in bankruptcy proceedings.
Ben has been a key stakeholder and launched startups across the retail, food service, publishing, and marketing sectors, with his first business being a highly reputable Manhattan-based gourmet cheese and food store utilized as a product launch pad for some of the most successful restaurants and bakeries in New York City, including Balthazar, Petrossian, Eli's Bread, Amy's Bread, and others. More recently, Ben orchestrated and launched a multi-store apparel "Pop-Up" operation in 3.5 months with an annualized revenue of $3.5mm.
Ben holds an MBA and a Bachelor of Arts degree and is a member of the Exit Planning Exchange, the Turnaround Management Association, the Secured Finance Network, and the American Bankruptcy Institute. He is the editor and publisher of The Fortis Advisor, and his insights have been published in the Journal of Corporate Renewal, The Secured Lender, ABL Advisor, Troubled Company Reporter, Coleman Report, Retail Dive, and Woman's World.