Maximize the Value of Your Business: Understanding the Why and the How

Whether you are focused on growing your company in the present or preparing for your eventual exit, your success on both fronts hinges on maximizing the value of your business. Every business owner will eventually exit – whether it’s planned or not. Savvy business owners recognize this truth and work towards closing the gap between …

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A Deeper Understanding of Your People – a Win-Win

We kicked off our most recent Peer Advisory Board meeting with a special presentation focused on four topics that can help business owners hone their most valuable asset: people. Our guest speakers, Scott Barth and Leeanne Super, shared their expertise about ways a multi-generational workforce, motivation, recognition, and ownership thinking play into the success of …

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Your #1 Value Driver – Your People

When a client chose a date ten years out for her expected exit, she asked about next steps for developing and working an exit strategy. We started by documenting foundational information about her company and her desire to sell to an outside third party. She had the value of her company assessed and determined what …

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Business Value is Foundational to Success

My first suggestion to business owners who want to start exit planning is to pick a target date for their exit. Their next question is, “Now what?” My advice – get an accurate determination of the current value of your business, forecast the amount needed to meet your financial objectives upon and after your exit, …

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Assessing and Managing Value Drivers

Exit planning is focused largely on optimizing the value of the business, which means you need an understanding and a focus on value drivers. Why is this necessary? The initial steps in an exit plan are straightforward: Choose an exit date. Document foundational information about the company and your exit objectives. Obtain a current valuation …

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Build a Solid Foundation for the New Year

A look back at this year brings to light three significant areas in which – as a result of their participation in the Exit Planning Peer Advisory Board (PAB) – our members saw positive differences in their companies and in their growth as business owners. Consider these elements as you build a solid foundation for …

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Is Value-Based Management a Good Choice for Your Business?

Maximizing the value of your business is the focus of a good exit strategy. It logically follows that a focus on value optimization should be built into your overall business strategy and how you run your business. Leading management consulting firm, McKinsey & Company, has developed a model for a comprehensive approach to value-based management (VBM). They assert …

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Exit Planning Peer Advisory Board – Top Three 2022 Takeaways

The Exit Planning Peer Advisory Board (PAB) provides a safe place for business owners to discuss their challenges and offer support and insights to their fellow members, not only as they relate to exit planning but to their businesses today. A look back at the past year brings to light three significant areas in which …

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Value Drivers Are Key to a Successful Exit – Wrapping Up the Top Ten

After completing assessments and documentation, choosing her exit date, and working with me to develop an exit strategy, one of my clients is now in the process of executing that strategy. Her primary focus at this stage is on evaluating and optimizing the performance of the value drivers that impact her business. Enhancing performance in …

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Assessing Value Drivers for a Successful Exit

My recent blog, Prioritizing Value Drivers in Your Exit Strategy, reviewed the general process of developing an exit plan and beginning to execute that strategy. The process involves optimizing your company’s value drivers – business systems that generate either recurring revenue or financial efficiencies from an established, growing customer base and those internally controlled activities, …

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