CExP Archives - Your ExitMap

What to Watch Out for When Getting Outside Advice

John F. Dini — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 16:05:40 +0000

When you bring in an outside advisor — whether it’s an accountant, attorney, consultant, or broker — you’re doing the right thing. You’re acknowledging there’s something you don’t know and going to find someone who does. That’s smart ownership. But there’s a trap hidden in that process that most business owners never see coming. Every Expert Has a Favorite Tool There’s an old saying: to a hammer, everything is a nail. Think about it this way. You go to your doctor and say, “My shoulder has been killing me — I need help.” The doctor genuinely wants to help you. But whether you walk out ... Read more

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Business Ownership Isn’t What It Used to Be

John F. Dini — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 15:29:39 +0000

If you’ve been a business owner for a long time, you’ve lived this shift firsthand. Many Baby Boomer owners started out alone—just an idea, a customer, and a willingness to take a risk. Hiring that first employee was a milestone. Now, years later, some of those same businesses employ dozens or even hundreds of people. And every one of those people comes with rights, protections, and obligations that ultimately land on you. As a business grows, so does the owner’s exposure—to legal risk, regulatory risk, financial risk, and reputational risk. Ownership doesn’t just mean opportunity anymore; it means responsibility layered on responsibility. Why Fewer People ... Read more

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Exiting Your Business Happily, Often Requires a Strong Personal Vision

Steven Zeller — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 17:57:37 +0000

Some surveys conducted among business owners, find that approximately 75% of owners who exit their business are unhappy with the decision one year after they do so. There are several reasons for this, and some owners struggle with it more than others, but the main reason for the unhappiness after a business exit is because of their lack of “personal vision.” What will their life entail after the exit? What will be their new higher purpose (beyond playing golf)? What will be their new areas for personal growth? If they thrive on working with a team towards a common cause in the organization, how will ... Read more

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Creating the Perfect Business Exit Timeline!

David Lupberger — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 16:05:51 +0000

When is a good time to start planning the eventual exit from your business? Simply, you will be leaving your business and hopefully, this will happen in a planned and deliberate fashion. This is something every business owner will address. Unfortunately, things do not always happen in a planned fashion. Those of you in the remodeling industry deal with project-driven plan and schedule changes on a weekly basis. This is nothing new to you! If we follow the advice from the book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, we want to implement Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind! We ... Read more

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The Inexperienced Advisor – An Exit Planning Horror Story for Business Owners

John F. Dini — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 15:08:53 +0000

This is a cautionary tale for business owners—one that’s “based on a true story.” The facts are real, although the exact sequence of events might raise questions if the IRS were to take a closer look. A small business owner received a $1,000,000 offer to sell his company. He had already been thinking about retirement, and the chance to cash out felt like a perfect opportunity. His original plan had been to sell the business to a long-time employee through a promissory note, but that changed when the cash offer came along. The business’s profits had always been modest, and the employee couldn’t match the ... Read more

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What Business Owners Should Know from the 5th Annual Exit Planners Survey

John F. Dini — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 16:55:45 +0000

Between February 1 and March 2, 2025, ExitMap conducted its 5th annual survey of professionals who help business owners plan successful exits. This is the only survey that gathers insight across multiple advisory specialties—offering a wide-angle view of the professionals supporting entrepreneurs like you during one of the most critical transitions of your life. The survey included 30 questions and was distributed to over 7,000 experienced advisors worldwide. These are professionals with recognized credentials in exit planning, active roles in professional organizations, or who publicly position themselves as specialists in business transition. We received 434 responses from advisors in eight disciplines, representing six countries and ... Read more

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Private Equity Reputation

John F. Dini — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 16:33:02 +0000

We began this series by saying that Private Equity reputation is as the Great Satan to some, and a savior to others, depending on the personal experience of the speakers. In fact, both reputations are well deserved, but neither can be universally applied.
The “Great Satan” Private Equity Reputation - PEGs buy companies for the express purpose of improving their performance. That often comes with considerable pain for employees.

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Private Equity Leverage

John F. Dini — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 17:23:44 +0000

Private equity leverage can dramatically increase ROI, but it can also be a trap. In our previous article, we discussed the general structure of Private Equity, how it works, and the types of Private Equity Groups (PEGs). They have grown rapidly as an alternative investment that produces far better returns than Treasury Bills or publicly traded equities.

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A Cash Balance Plan May be a Great Tax- Reducing Benefit to A Business Owner

Steven Zeller — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 14:00:00 +0000

Like most business owners, you’re likely exploring ways to strategically grow your revenue, increase profits, and minimize taxes. This is a common goal. As your cash flows increase, you may find yourself seeking ways to reduce your growing tax burden. Often, we explore sensible capital expenditures or business reinvestments that align with your strategic goals, which is a healthy exercise.

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