business strategy Archives - Your ExitMap https://yourexitmap.com/tag/business-strategy/ Free Exit Planning Tools for Business Owners Mon, 25 Aug 2025 15:56:03 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://yourexitmap.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/cropped-Site-Icon-YEM-2-32x32.png business strategy Archives - Your ExitMap https://yourexitmap.com/tag/business-strategy/ 32 32 122889523 Decisions Made from Fear https://yourexitmap.com/decisions-made-from-fear/ https://yourexitmap.com/decisions-made-from-fear/#respond Mon, 25 Aug 2025 15:56:03 +0000 https://yourexitmap.com/?p=10377  “I’m taking the logos off my trucks. It just makes them a target for personal injury lawyers.” “I don’t want to put our newest product innovations on our website. The competitors just copy them.” “We’re creating a human resources LLC so that employees are separated from the rest of our business. That way we’re safer from spurious claims.” “We pay all of our employees to bring their vehicles back to the yard every night. We don’t want to be responsible for what they do on their own time.” “We were thinking of opening a new location, but the news says the economy might dip.” “I ... Read more

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]]> https://yourexitmap.com/decisions-made-from-fear/feed/ 0 10377 Goals and Resolutions https://yourexitmap.com/goals-and-resolutions/ https://yourexitmap.com/goals-and-resolutions/#respond Tue, 17 Jun 2025 16:20:26 +0000 https://yourexitmap.com/?p=10241  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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]]> https://yourexitmap.com/goals-and-resolutions/feed/ 0 10241 Cash Flow Normalization https://yourexitmap.com/cash-flow-normalization/ https://yourexitmap.com/cash-flow-normalization/#respond Thu, 20 Feb 2025 17:16:00 +0000 https://yourexitmap.com/?p=9587 Cash flow normalization is done with the intention of identifying Earnings Before Interest Taxes Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) or Seller’s Discretionary Earnings (SDE). These differing measures are not interchangeable, but are used by different classes of buyers for different categories of acquisition.

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]]> https://yourexitmap.com/cash-flow-normalization/feed/ 0 9587 Purpose – Life After the Sale Part 3 https://yourexitmap.com/purpose-life-after-the-sale-part-3/ https://yourexitmap.com/purpose-life-after-the-sale-part-3/#respond Fri, 03 Jan 2025 15:03:10 +0000 https://yourexitmap.com/?p=9766 The third component of life after the sale is Purpose – “Having as one’s intention or objective.” Many exit planning advisors discuss the three legs of the exit planning stool – business readiness, financial readiness, and personal readiness. In our previous two articles, we focused on two of the “big three” components of a successful life after the sale, activity and identity. The third is purpose.

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]]> https://yourexitmap.com/purpose-life-after-the-sale-part-3/feed/ 0 9766 Private Equity and Privately Held Businesses https://yourexitmap.com/private-equity-and-privately-held-businesses/ https://yourexitmap.com/private-equity-and-privately-held-businesses/#respond Mon, 28 Oct 2024 15:22:17 +0000 https://yourexitmap.com/?p=9563 Depending on who you are talking to, Private Equity is either the Great Satan or the savior of small and mid-market companies in the United States. The stories depend a lot on the personal experience of the speakers.

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]]> https://yourexitmap.com/private-equity-and-privately-held-businesses/feed/ 0 9563 My Interview with Jerry West on Management https://yourexitmap.com/my-interview-with-jerry-west-on-management/ https://yourexitmap.com/my-interview-with-jerry-west-on-management/#comments Thu, 29 Aug 2024 13:20:16 +0000 https://yourexitmap.com/?p=9329 I once had the thrill of interviewing Jerry West on management. He was “The Logo” for the NBA, although back then they didn’t advertise him as such. Only the Laker followers knew for sure.

Jerry WestIn 1989 the “Showtime” Lakers were coming off back-to-back championships. Pat Riley was a year away from his first of three Coach of the Year awards. Jerry was the GM. Many people don’t know this, but starting when Jerry West was drafted in 1960 until he stepped out of the GM role in 2002, the Lakers only missed the playoffs twice. Those seasons (74-75 and 75-76) were the only two seasons out of 42 that West was not on the Laker payroll.

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]]> https://yourexitmap.com/my-interview-with-jerry-west-on-management/feed/ 1 9329 Are You Financially Ready to Exit Your Business Even if it Happened Tomorrow? https://yourexitmap.com/are-you-financially-ready-to-exit-your-business-even-if-it-happened-tomorrow/ https://yourexitmap.com/are-you-financially-ready-to-exit-your-business-even-if-it-happened-tomorrow/#respond Tue, 23 Jul 2024 16:09:50 +0000 https://yourexitmap.com/?p=9216 Exiting a business is a significant decision that requires careful consideration, particularly regarding financial readiness. Whether you’re considering retirement, pursuing new ventures, or simply ready to move on, being financially prepared is crucial for a smooth transition.

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]]> https://yourexitmap.com/are-you-financially-ready-to-exit-your-business-even-if-it-happened-tomorrow/feed/ 0 9216 The House of Gucci Succession Plan https://yourexitmap.com/the-house-of-gucci-succession-plan/ https://yourexitmap.com/the-house-of-gucci-succession-plan/#respond Thu, 04 Apr 2024 17:14:47 +0000 https://yourexitmap.com/?p=8872 The Gucci brand started with two brothers who own the family business equally. Each brother had a son, and each son was to inherit the empire. One of the sons was a ne’er-do-well, who always attracted and found trouble. Despite nobody ever giving him a chance, the viewer could tell his successor ownership was doomed. The other son married the woman who was played by Lady Gaga. The story progresses through time as one of the fathers die and the other goes to jail while the wife rises to power and greed. To complicate the succession plan, lavish lifestyles, poor business decisions, children and divorce ensue.

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]]> https://yourexitmap.com/the-house-of-gucci-succession-plan/feed/ 0 8872 Why You Can’t Sell Your Business Overnight https://yourexitmap.com/why-you-cant-sell-your-business-overnight/ https://yourexitmap.com/why-you-cant-sell-your-business-overnight/#comments Wed, 20 Mar 2024 14:00:53 +0000 https://yourexitmap.com/?p=8857 Business owners are often told they need to get ready to sell their business, why can’t they just up and sell it? The short answer is that they are unlikely to sell it. Listing the business may be easy, getting someone to buy it, that’s the hard part. According to the Exit Planning Institute, only some 20-30% of businesses sell today.

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]]> https://yourexitmap.com/why-you-cant-sell-your-business-overnight/feed/ 1 8857 How to Add Millions to The Value of Your Business – Using EBITDA Adjustments https://yourexitmap.com/how-to-add-millions-to-the-value-of-your-business-using-ebitda-adjustments/ https://yourexitmap.com/how-to-add-millions-to-the-value-of-your-business-using-ebitda-adjustments/#respond Wed, 13 Dec 2023 16:43:01 +0000 https://yourexitmap.com/?p=8591 As a 5-time entrepreneur who has helped several businesses increase their value, I know what it takes to run a successful business. If you’re trying to figure out what your business might be worth, it’s helpful to consider what acquirers are paying for companies like yours these days. According to Oberlo, the number of small businesses increased from 32.5 million in 2021 to 33.2 million in 2022. This trend shows no signs of slowing down as more and more people are taking their first steps into becoming an entrepreneur. In addition to new businesses, many boomer business owners will be heading into retirement within the ... Read more

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]]> https://yourexitmap.com/how-to-add-millions-to-the-value-of-your-business-using-ebitda-adjustments/feed/ 0 8591 Is there an AI role in Exit Planning? https://yourexitmap.com/is-there-an-ai-role-in-exit-planning/ https://yourexitmap.com/is-there-an-ai-role-in-exit-planning/#respond Fri, 25 Aug 2023 13:51:13 +0000 https://yourexitmap.com/?p=8189   The media is packed with stories about Artificial Intelligence. According to the stories, because a smart search engine (which is essentially what a Learning Language Model [LLM] is) can pass a Bar exam, it threatens all kinds of white-collar careers. And in case you were wondering, no – I’m not writing this on ChapGPT. That “surprise” trope has been so overdone on every local television station that I hope I never see it again. Also, if you thought this column would be about how to write letters, proposals, and social media posts using AI, you’ll have to look elsewhere. At ExitMap® we launched our ... Read more

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]]> https://yourexitmap.com/is-there-an-ai-role-in-exit-planning/feed/ 0 8189 The Role of a Coach in Exit Planning https://yourexitmap.com/the-role-of-a-coach-in-exit-planning/ https://yourexitmap.com/the-role-of-a-coach-in-exit-planning/#respond Tue, 23 May 2023 15:55:34 +0000 https://yourexitmap.com/?p=7976 Defining the role of a coach on your exit planning team doesn’t just happen. Like any other aspect of working with consultants, you need to set expectations upfront. Many advisors like to characterize themselves as the “quarterback” of a transition planning team. I’ve always objected to that. We regard the business owner as the quarterback of the planning process. After all, the coach never gets sacked by a 300-pound defensive lineman. The advisor may want to win every bit as much as the business owner, but it’s the owner who actually has skin in the game. A Coach’s Responsibilities It’s one thing to say that ... Read more

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