Learning Center

Build & Beware: What it might cost you to sell your business 

You Just Sold Your Business for Millions – So Why Isn’t That in Your Bank Account?  The papers are signed. The deal is closed. After years of hard work, you’re ready to celebrate your big payday.  But as you finalize accounts and tie up loose ends, you realize the...
Exit your business

Eight Ways to Exit Your Business 

When it comes to exiting a business, most people assume there is only one way out: sale. But actually, there are 8 distinct ways to exit a business.   Before considering your next move, it’s crucial that you understand each of these options to determine which is best...
navigate the complexities of payroll taxes and avoid potential business-threatening pitfalls.

Navigating Payroll Taxes 

Tax deadlines are creeping up, demanding your attention and time. You’re still busy making sure things run smoothly day-to-day; filing business taxes can feel like the last complication you want to deal with.

the significance of cashflow

Cashflow: Why you need it, and how to have money in the bank for your next busy season 

Gain insights from industry experiences and expert guidance to optimize your financial strategies.

If you Don’t Have a Leadership Transition Plan, Your Exit Could Fail

If You Don’t Have a Leadership Transition Plan, Your Exit Could Fail 

If you Don’t Have a Leadership Transition Plan, Your Exit Could Fail

What’s at Stake Without an Exit Plan?

As a business owner, you’ve spent years building your company from the ground up. It’s not just a source of income—it’s your legacy, your life’s work, and a vital part of your family’s future. But what happens when it’s time to step away? Most business owners don’t...

The Cost of Waiting: Why Most Business Owners Miss Their Ideal Exit Window

You have plenty of years ahead of you, and exiting your business seems distant. Should you delay planning until your successor is ready?  Absolutely not. Should you postpone the actual exit until the time you retire? Definitely not. Delaying your exit plan may feel...

How Long Does It Really Take to Prepare for a Successful Exit?

Most business owners dream of a successful exit—one that rewards decades of hard work with financial security, personal fulfillment, and a lasting legacy. But here’s the hard truth: achieving that kind of exit doesn’t happen overnight. In fact, it often takes 3–5...

How Referral Partners Can Maximize Value Through Exit Planning

As a trusted advisor—whether you’re an attorney, accountant, banker, or financial planner—you’re uniquely positioned to help your clients secure their financial futures. But when it comes to their largest asset—their business—many owners overlook a critical factor:...

The Biggest Myths About Exit Planning

For many business owners, exit planning is something to think about "later." But delaying planning based on common misconceptions can lead to missed opportunities, lost value, and ultimately, an exit that falls short of expectations. Let’s debunk some of the biggest...

Avoiding Growth Mistakes: Why Scaling Too Fast Can Cost You Everything

You started your business with a vision—freedom, impact, and the kind of growth that rewards years of hard work. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: not all growth is good growth. In fact, one of the most common reasons businesses stall or collapse isn’t because they...

If You Can Build a Company—Surely You Can Prepare It to Run or Exit… Right?

Most business owners & executive leaders assume that when the time comes to transition, scale, or sell—they’ll know what to do. And on the surface, that makes sense. You’ve built a company from the ground up. Navigated market downturns, led through uncertainty,...

Growth Isn’t the Goal—Transferable Value Is.

“We’re growing, but something still feels off.” It’s one of the most common things I hear from owners. Sales are up. Headcount is growing. The office is buzzing. And yet, margins are tighter, cash flow is erratic, and decisions feel harder, not easier. That’s not...

Personal Readiness: Align Your Life, Then Your Deal

Many owners aren’t ready for the emotional impact of closing their business. The personal side often feels “less relevant” or too vague, so it gets postponed. That’s costly. Personal readiness covers your health, family, friendships, community, identity, and time use...

Financial Readiness: Will Your Number Hold Up?

Most owners have the bulk of their wealth tied up in one asset, the company, about 80–90%, per the Exit Planning Institute (EPI).  Yet many don’t know what it’s truly worth, and fewer still take deliberate steps to grow and protect that value before a deal shows up....

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Topics

Business Value

Learn proven strategies to increase your company’s value, overcome growth barriers, and position it for a profitable exit.

Finance Strategy

Practical advice to optimize cash flow, manage financial risks, and ensure your business stays on a path to sustained growth and profitability.

Exit Planning

Practical insights to accelerate growth, strengthen operations, and build transferable value for any future transition.

Determining the Value of a Business

Determining the Value of a Business

How do you determine the value of a business? We discuss four methods for determining value, along with the variables and complexities that valuation professionals must factor in. You can address some of these factors ahead of time to set yourself up for the best result.

The Formula for an Effective Exit Plan 

The Formula for an Effective Exit Plan 

Ask a business owner over the age of 50 when they plan to transition or exit their business, and you’ll get one of two answers:
– a blank stare, or
– “I’ll work another 5-10 years and call it quits.”(And if you ask this person again in another 5-10 years, you’ll likely get the same answer!)

The bottom line is the same – most business owners lack a plan for leaving their business. Read the article to learn what goes into an exit plan.

The Benefits of Planning for Life Outside of Work 

The Benefits of Planning for Life Outside of Work 

How long has it been since you did something just for the fun of it? What is on your list of “Things I’ll Do Someday When I Have Time”? You may think that you need to wait to start checking things off that list, but that’s a mistake.

There’s more to life than work, and it’s the things you enjoy in your leisure time that make you a well-rounded and happy human being. In this article, we invite you to start exploring and experimenting to find enjoyable and fulfilling activities outside of work and give some practical suggestions for how to do it.

One of the Biggest Barriers to a Successful Exit: YOU

One of the Biggest Barriers to a Successful Exit: YOU

It can be a self-perpetuating cycle: a business owner tells me she knows she needs to delegate so she can create bandwidth to plan ahead. But she can’t hand anything off because she hasn’t documented her processes which would allow someone else to follow the same steps and get similar results. Why hasn’t this happened? Because she doesn’t have time because she has so much on her plate.

Read the article to learn how to break this cycle and get out of your own way.

Common Barriers to a Successful Business Exit

Common Barriers to a Successful Business Exit

Before we begin our deep dive into successful exit planning, we pause to look at the bigger picture. A successful exit will require you to overcome multiple barriers, all of which are interconnected. The good news is we know what the most common barriers are, and by doing this work, you will also build a stronger business.

Introduction To Exit Planning

Introduction To Exit Planning

What if we told you that thinking about your exit in the future actually helps you solve the problems you’re facing today in your business much more effectively? It’s true, and it’s why we’re so passionate about exit planning for business owners. This month we published the first of many articles on what exit planning is, why it’s so important, and when to start. If you need one reason to read, make it this:

80% of businesses put up for sale do not sell, and of the 20% that actually sell, only 14% achieve the desired sale price.

Want to be one of the <3% of business owners who realize the benefits of business ownership? Read the article to learn how.