entrepreneur 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

The post What to Watch Out for When Getting Outside Advice appeared first on 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.

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.

Decisions Made from Fear

John F. Dini — Mon, 25 Aug 2025 15:56:03 +0000

“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

The post Decisions Made from Fear appeared first on Your ExitMap.

Missed Opportunities

John F. Dini — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 16:02:54 +0000

Your business is doing pretty well. You’re adding to your personal savings every month and are more focused on tax strategies than making payroll. But how do you know if you’re leaving opportunities on the table? Some indicators are obvious. Others, less so. One of the easiest to spot is stagnation. Businesses are like living organisms—they either grow or they shrink. Flat or declining sales are a warning sign. Stagnation limits opportunities for your top employees and makes it easier for competitors to lure away your customers with newer, more innovative solutions. How does your growth rate compare to your industry or market? If others ... Read more

The post Missed Opportunities appeared first on Your ExitMap.

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

The post Deal Momentum, Deal Fatigue, and Pre-Sale Diligence appeared first on Your ExitMap.

The Power Of Strategic Exit Planning

Kerry Boulton — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 13:22:56 +0000

In today’s business landscape, having a strategic exit plan is not just a luxury—it’s essential. Effective exit planning involves setting clear goals, understanding your business’s value, and creating a detailed roadmap to achieve a smooth transition. Starting early with your exit plan allows you to set precise objectives and assess your business’s value well in advance. This proactive approach provides the flexibility to adapt to changing market conditions and business performance, ensuring that your exit strategy remains relevant and achievable.

The post The Power Of Strategic Exit Planning appeared first on Your ExitMap.

What is “Holistic” Planning?

John F. Dini — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 16:54:30 +0000

Financial planners use the term “holistic planning” frequently. It’s meant to indicate that they consider the client’s short- and long-term life goals and the future they visualize. According to Fidelity Investments Holistic Wealth Planning is continuous and considers two dozen aspects of client wealth objectives. The Valuation Reality Gap - Only one of those aspects is ownership of a business.

The post What is “Holistic” Planning? appeared first on Your ExitMap.

Top 3 Tips for Small Business Buyers

Mark Ahern — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 17:57:20 +0000

We review over a hundred small business transactions each year. Buying a business can be a complicated process, especially for a first-time business owner. Entrepreneurship through acquisition “ETA” has become increasingly popular, but we wanted to share some insights to assist buyers in negotiating a fair price. 1. Add-backs - Seller add-backs for personal or discretionary spending is a murky area. An an appraiser, some add backs make sense and others do not.

The post Top 3 Tips for Small Business Buyers appeared first on Your ExitMap.

Cash Flow Normalization

John F. Dini — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 17:16:00 +0000

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.

The post Cash Flow Normalization appeared first on Your ExitMap.

5 Keys to Finish Your Year with a BANG and not a Whimper….

Jay McDowell — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 15:34:50 +0000

5 Keys to Finish Your Year with a BANG and not a Whimper…. This time of year, your kids are back in school, you still have hot weather, the holidays are ahead, several family holidays to celebrate. All these interruptions seem to break the concentration of your Team and seem to break their rhythm for the fourth quarter. Don’t fall into that fourth quarter trap of coasting to the finish line. Step up, review your business, get your team together and get them all energized and motivated to finish the year.

The post 5 Keys to Finish Your Year with a BANG and not a Whimper…. appeared first on Your ExitMap.

Is your business too dependent on you?

Michael Jones — Thu, 30 May 2024 18:24:00 +0000

By definition, a small business depends on you, its owner. Especially if you are its original founder. After all, the business would never have existed without the leap you took to start it in the first place. It wouldn’t have survived it’s early years without the sweat, tears and sacrifices, financial and otherwise, that were made.

The post Is your business too dependent on you? appeared first on Your ExitMap.