You'd be surprised how many people are too busy worrying about running their business to think about what happens when they decide to call it a day - maybe you're one of them!
Well, it's never too soon to start thinking about it. It's called "Exit Planning" or having an "Exit Strategy".
ExStrat's exit strategy specialists work with closely held companies that are considering ownership transfers. We have two distinct programs to help you achieve your exit strategy goals. The first is designed for the business owner who plans to sell, transfer or otherwise divest the business over a period of years.
The second program is designed for those of you who may not have planned to sell until later, but for various reasons, including health issues, find yourself needing to sell in less than one year.
Both strategies require the involvement of professionals who specialize in business ownership transfer. Your attorneys and accountants may have served you well in managing your business, but it is unlikely that they have the necessary experience to guide you through the complicated and unforgiving process of ownership transfer. Many will try to help you by calculating "rule of thumb" estimates of the value of your business. You may then be tempted to test the market with such a price.
WARNING: It is a fact that, of the 1.5 million businesses that become available for sale each year, only eighteen percent of them will actually complete the transfer of ownership.
There are several reasons for this:
- Businesses lack the "turn-key" potential that buyers seek
- No substantial competitive advantage
- Poor financial condition of business
- Improper marketing of the business by an intermediary
- Little or no access to financing
- Unrealistic expectations of sellers and buyers
According to a survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers:
- 65% of business owners do not know what their business is worth
- 75% of the owner's net worth is tied up in the business
- 85% have no exit strategy
The above statistics demonstrate that most companies could benefit from a comprehensive business evaluation and follow-on assistance in optimizing the value of the business regardless of the owner's intent to sell in the near term. What would it be worth to you to know that, with the proper exit stategy, your business could fetch twenty or thirty percent more by implementing some changes over the next fifteen to eighteen months?
As a gift to you, we have included an Emergency Financing Kit. Consider it to be as necessary as your company's Emergency First Aid Kit. Assemble its components and don't let the supplies expire. If and when financial emergencies develop you will be glad that you are prepared to provide lenders or investors with the paperwork they require.
When you get serious about maximizing the liquidity and minimizing the number of stumbling blocks along the road to your exit, please contact us. You only get one chance to make a first impression when you put your company on the market.
Don't be like the eighty-two percent of business owners who wait until they want out before they prepare for ownership transfer. The "work until you drop" strategy is the main reason for the high failure rate in business ownership transfer.
ExStrat is a member of the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA), the New England Business Brokers Association and we are proud to be a BizMACH affiliate member. We provide what we consider to be the most practical, realistic business valuation tools that are available. In addition to providing comprehensive growth and transition strategy reports, ExStrat utilizes a national lender database program that optimizes financing structure. We also spend a considerable amount of time recasting your financials; your target price cannot be justified without this essential step.
ExStrat exit strategy specialists guide you and your existing advisory team through the maze of essential steps along the road to your successful transition into a new life. We help you with the planning and execution of the marketing, negotiating, due diligence and closing plans.
When the initial phases are completed and your business is under agreement, that is when you'll appreciate ExStrat most. Lawyers, accountants, bankers, tax experts, buyers, sellers, and their partners and spouses all bring different skills, levels of experience, and egos to the table. We help to keep everyone focused on moving forward toward your exit goals.
Many deals die at this phase and unfortunately so, because at this stage both buyer and seller usually feel that they understand the agreement and are both willing and able to proceed. But the fact remains that only eighteen percent of these businesses complete the transfer.
Planning on passing the family business to your son or daughter? Succession planning is an area that requires a special set of skills and ExStrat is uniquely qualified to assist you. Seventy percent of inherited businesses fail.
Our specialists come from diverse backgrounds and possess degrees in various disciplines of business and science. But we all have one thing in common. We have been in business all of our lives or grew up in family owned businesses. We groom a transaction not as sales people, but as facilitators and we are proud to report that our success ratio is among the highest in our industry.
You spent a lot of time, energy and money building your business. When the time comes to sell it, put the same energy into what may be your largest single sale ever.
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