EXIT PLANNING

We define ‘Exit Planning’ as the intentional process of preparing both the business and owner for an external sale of the business. For owners planning an internal transition/ buyout by key employees or next-generation family, see Succession Planning.

We are not a business broker nor an investment bank. Our work in planning an owner exit comes 2-5 years before discussion of a transactional sale. Our team consults on everything relevant to preparing for an eventual sale, including:

• Discussing structure of sale
• Growing your transferrable value
• Tax planning for sale
• Assessing business owner’s personal financial needs
• Developing clear/clean financial reporting
• Ensuring post-sale continuity for the business
• Understanding/mitigating market pressures and risks
• Incentivizing key management for retention throughout business transition/ sale process (see Key Employee Incentive Planning)
• Introducing a transactional team (if applicable) best suited to the situation

We will coordinate with your CPA, attorney, and other advisors to architect an ideal plan and set it into motion. Our team will drive the planning process for this “important but not urgent” work, allowing you to remain fully involved in the everyday operations of your business. Depending on where you are at in the process, the path of exit, the size/complexity of the business, and our scope of work, our fees for exit planning engagements typically fall between $10,000-$25,000. Visit Our Work to see the some of the projects we have completed.

Our goal is to help you work on your business, not in it. We will work with you to define and answer the questions:

• “How do I exit my business?”
• “What’s my number?”
• “What’s next?
• “How am I doing?” or “Where do I start?”

Contact us to set up a free in-person or phone consultation with one of our partners and get the conversation started.