business sale Archives - 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

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Goals and Resolutions

John F. Dini — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 16:20:26 +0000

There is a difference between goals and resolutions. Businesses set goals. These can be budgetary, operational, recruiting, sales or profit oriented. Individuals make resolutions. Business Goals Goals are focused on a particular outcome, and so should be specific. It’s worth the time to get into the details. If you intend to increase the company’s cash flow, how will that be done? If it’s by boosting sales, what has to change to make that happen? You could add a new product line or enter additional territory. It may require hiring and training new salespeople. You can also increase the cash flow by reducing your Cost of ... Read more

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Deal Momentum, Deal Fatigue, and Pre-Sale Diligence

Pat Ennis — Mon, 12 May 2025 15:38:04 +0000

With the help of her Exit Planning Advisor, Betty has decided that selling to a third-party buyer would best accomplish all of her goals (financial, values-based, legacy). Quantifying her business and personal resources with a financial gap analysis has been helpful to Betty in determining her departure date in six years. She now knows the current fair market value of her business and how much it will need to increase in value to attain her financial objectives at sale in six years. Betty now also understands (again with the help of her Exit Planning Advisor) the importance of maintaining “deal momentum” when she eventually enters ... Read more

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Main Street Business and Middle-Market

John F. Dini — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 21:05:10 +0000

A common area of confusion among both business owners and advisors is the difference between a “Main Street” business, a “Middle Market” business, and a “Mom and Pop” business. Main Street Businesses The International Business Brokers’ Association and other professional intermediary organizations define “Main Street” as any company with a Fair Market Value of less than $3,000,000. That is about the upper limit of a business that can be purchased by an individual using “normal” 20% down financing. He or she is acquiring for the purpose of earning a living. Main Street businesses typically calculate cash flow as Seller’s Discretionary Earnings (SDE). As discussed by ... Read more

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