Building Value Archives - Your ExitMap

Manufacturer Stuck in the “Neutral Zone”

John F. Dini — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 16:07:44 +0000

Here is how exit planning helped a business owner out of the Neutral Zone. This manufacturer reached out to an exit planning consultant after receiving a book on planning as a gift from a local professional. He was in no particular hurry to leave his business. In the preceding twenty years of ownership, he had grown it from a local vendor to home builders into a nationally known specialty house. The company provided him with a good living, generating roughly $700,000 a year in free cash flow for each of the previous five years. He wanted to continue for at least a few more years ... Read more

The post Manufacturer Stuck in the “Neutral Zone” appeared first on Your ExitMap.

How Much does the Big Picture Count?

John F. Dini — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 17:41:35 +0000

It is currently difficult to have a business conversation without discussing the Big Picture. The voracious 24-hour news cycle needs plenty of fodder to attract eyeballs. It almost seems like the media must pick and choose what will create the most concern. “Seventeen dead in drone attacks? Let’s put that sixth on the schedule.” Big Picture Issues Wars in Ukraine, Israel, and Sudan. Attacks on shipping. Russian hacker ransomware. The battle between the U.S. executive and judicial branches. Tariffs, sanctions, inflation, interest rates, boycotts. Will the price of raw materials go up? How much will transportation cost next week? Should I load up on inventory—or ... Read more

The post How Much does the Big Picture Count? appeared first on Your ExitMap.

The Exit Planning Fallacy – A Business Owner’s Perspective

John F. Dini — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 16:59:40 +0000

One of the most common sales pitches you might hear from someone claiming to help you “enhance value” goes something like this: “I’ve reviewed your company and believe it’s worth $4.2 million today. With the right planning, it could be worth $7.7 million. Would you rather exit with $4.2 million or $7.7 million?” That’s not really a question—it’s a setup. Of course, no business owner would willingly choose the smaller number. But the real issue isn’t which number you prefer. It’s what it actually takes to bridge that gap—and whether you’re being given a full picture. Are You Falling for the Planning Fallacy? There’s a ... Read more

The post The Exit Planning Fallacy – A Business Owner’s Perspective appeared first on Your ExitMap.

What is a Certified Business Valuation and When Do I Need One?

Pat Ennis — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 19:59:39 +0000

A Certified Business Valuation is a comprehensive assessment conducted by a qualified professional to determine the fair market value of a business. It involves a systematic analysis of various factors such as financial statements, industry trends, market conditions, company assets, intellectual property, customer base, and other relevant aspects to estimate the worth of a business. You may need a Certified Business Valuation in several situations, including: Selling or Buying a Business: When you’re involved in a business sale or acquisition, a valuation helps determine a fair asking price or offer, ensuring both parties understand the business’s value. Obtaining Financing: When seeking a loan or financing ... Read more

The post What is a Certified Business Valuation and When Do I Need One? appeared first on Your ExitMap.

Impressions of Value in Exit Planning

John F. Dini — Tue, 18 Apr 2023 13:24:16 +0000

Business owners, advisors, and buyers frequently have widely different impressions of value when it comes to a business. The Pepperdine Private Capital Markets Survey canvasses intermediaries who sell privately held Main Street and mid-market companies. One question is about the obstacles that prevented the sale of a business. The number one response is “Owners’ unreasonable expectations of value.” That may be self-serving or an excuse. Nonetheless, valuation is a sensitive subject. Many owners have worked in the business for 30 or 40 years. They assume it will fund their next 20 years of retirement. Their target price is set only by their desired lifestyle after ... Read more

The post Impressions of Value in Exit Planning appeared first on Your ExitMap.

“Work From Anywhere” Comes Full Circle

John F. Dini — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 15:00:41 +0000

Work from anywhere has been a necessity, an epithet, an obstacle, and an opportunity over the last 3 years. To paraphrase Aristotle’s axiom about Nature (“Horror Vacui”), business abhors a vacuum. Where one occurs, it is quickly filled. Work from anywhere started as a COVID-induced necessity. During the lockdowns of 2020-2021 (and longer in some places) we all had a crash course in video calling, VPNs, and virtual meetings. Employees quickly expanded the definition of anywhere. They tired of shunting the children off to a bedroom during conference calls, or using office-like backdrops to hide their kitchen cabinets. Soon they began changing their backgrounds to ... Read more

The post “Work From Anywhere” Comes Full Circle appeared first on Your ExitMap.

Contingency and Continuity Planning

John F. Dini — Sat, 30 Apr 2022 02:04:04 +0000

When business consultants talk about preparing for unforeseen problems, they frequently commingle the terms contingency and continuity. The terms are not synonymous, and there are important differences between them. Contingency Planning Contingency planning is generally accepted to mean how a business will respond in the event of a disaster. This could entail a building fire, severe weather, a strike of key service workers, civil unrest, or riots (depending on the audience.) Additionally, in the age of cybersecurity, ransomware or a denial of service attack, identity theft, and electronic fraud are all well qualified to be categorized as disasters. Generally speaking, these are all insurable events. ... Read more

The post Contingency and Continuity Planning appeared first on Your ExitMap.

Key Employees: Build and Protect Business Value

Pat Ennis — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 20:18:33 +0000

Key Employees You may have people working in key roles who are instrumental in growing and building the value of your business. These key people can be identified as having the following characteristics: Makes a substantial business contribution Possesses critical information or knowledge Maintains and nourishes key contacts and relationships Sellable Business In helping clients plan to build a sellable business, and then eventually exit on their terms and conditions, we emphasize that “key people are a key value driver” in realizing success in both of those strategic goals. And, we find it helpful for owners to have two categories in mind when considering key ... Read more

The post Key Employees: Build and Protect Business Value appeared first on Your ExitMap.

Non-Qualified Plans

John F. Dini — Fri, 24 Sep 2021 15:04:17 +0000

When I talk to business owners about “non-qualified plans,” their first reaction is often “Hold on there. I don’t want to get in trouble!” The term “Non-qualified” merely refers to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, more commonly known as ERISA. As the title indicates, it is the basic set of regulations for retirement plans. If your company offers a 401K or SEP IRA, it has a Qualified Plan. If you have an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), that is also an ERISA plan. Under the terms of ERISA, a plan must be made available to all employees. In return, the company can ... Read more

The post Non-Qualified Plans appeared first on Your ExitMap.

Internal Leaders Affect the Value of Your Business

John F. Dini — Fri, 12 Mar 2021 16:34:26 +0000

Internal leaders may not be obvious. They may not even have a “leadership” title. Make no mistake, however; internal leaders are critical to value and attractiveness when it comes to selling your business. In Super Bowl 55 we saw the impact of an internal leader. Tom Brady has the highest winning percentage of any single athlete in major professional sports. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have (or at least did up until this season,) the worst win/loss record over their entire existence of any major professional sports team. Yet one man changed the culture of the organization almost overnight. Remember, for all the accolades being heaped ... Read more

The post Internal Leaders Affect the Value of Your Business appeared first on Your ExitMap.

Exit Planning and Marathon Runners

Corby Megorden — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 20:28:19 +0000

“Eat well and exercise!” Just about everyone over 30 has heard this advice from someone interested in our health, usually a doctor. We all know that we should begin by doing SOMETHING, yet we wind up not really doing anything. We know deep inside that if we want to live long and prosper, taking a few painful steps will have long-term pay-offs, but all too often those first few steps never happen. What has this got to do with Exit planning? Business owners know they should be taking steps to plan for the future, but all too often they don’t seem to get around to ... Read more

The post Exit Planning and Marathon Runners appeared first on Your ExitMap.

Wealth Management for Business Owners

Pat Ennis — Tue, 01 Dec 2020 20:07:25 +0000

Wealth Management Considerations for Business Owners Small business owners are at times neglected by the wealth management community as the business is commonly (not always) the owner’s largest asset rather than a portfolio of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. You’d be well-advised as a business owner to engage a Financial Advisor who is proactive and experienced in factoring your future plans for the business, into your overall plan for managing your wealth. Key Elements of Exit Planning Impactful wealth management for you as a business owner would include at least these elements of exit planning: Clarifying what “exit” means to you. For example, do ... Read more

The post Wealth Management for Business Owners appeared first on Your ExitMap.