As an Exit Planner, most of my engagements involve assessing a management team. They may be the intended buyers of the company, or else they are key factors in the saleability of the business. The biggest and most frequent complaint … Continue reading → The post Is Google Making Us Stoopid? appeared first on Awake Read more about Is Google Making Us Stoopid?[…]

A few weeks ago I posted a comment in the Business Journals Leadership Trust Forum about a life lesson I learned regarding the difference between effort and outcomes. They reached out and asked if I could expand my comments a … Continue reading → The post Manage Activities; Lead for Results appeared first on Awake Read more about Manage Activities; Lead for Results[…]

One of the most useful concepts in business planning is that of “waterfalls.” The analogy is apt, if perhaps less than perfect. Think of any outcome anticipated in a contract that is based on an “if…then” situation. The post Using Waterfalls in Exit Planning appeared first on Awake at 2 o’clock?.

Selling to employees is one method of transition that is growing rapidly in popularity. Usually the  driving motivation is a desire to help the people who got you this far enjoy some of the benefits of ownership, but there is … Continue reading → The post Selling to Employees: Exit Planning for Small Business Part Read more about Selling to Employees: Exit Planning for Small Business Part 4[…]

It’s time to discuss family succession. In Part One of this series we looked at exit strategies that aren’t really available to small businesses, and in Part Two we discussed selling to a third party. Now let’s talk about the … Continue reading → The post Family Succession: Exiting a Small Business Part 3 appeared Read more about Family Succession: Exiting a Small Business Part 3[…]

“In our last episode,” (I’ve always wanted to say that) we discussed the exit paths that are not usually available when exiting a small busineses. Those are ESOP, Private Equity and Strategic Acquisition. Now let’s talk about what you can … Continue reading → The post Exiting a Small Business #2 – Selling to a Read more about Exiting a Small Business #2 – Selling to a Third Party[…]

Owners who are exiting a small business are often stymied by the range of choices in exit planning. Most literature on the topic discusses seven or eight avenues to exit. A sale to a third party can be to an … Continue reading → The post Exiting a Small Business Part 1 appeared first on Read more about Exiting a Small Business Part 1[…]

Why would you be exit planning in a  crisis? At the height of the economic expansion (a few months ago in late 2019) I was reviewing a company’s financial statements. Their sales were stagnant, and profits were minimal. The post Exit Planning in a Crisis appeared first on Awake at 2 o’clock?.

Quarterbacking is a popular term when exit planners are talking to clients. It’s supposed to invoke a vision of someone who is in control. Think about a Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers or Patrick Mahomes standing tall in the pocket, surveying … Continue reading → The post Quarterbacking is Not Exit Planning appeared first on Awake Read more about Quarterbacking is Not Exit Planning[…]

The beginning of a new year is a great time to review your Exit Planning Checklist. All business owners will stop being business owners at some point.  So, there is no better time to begin planning for the inevitable than … Continue reading → The post Exit Planning Checklist for 2020 appeared first on Awake Read more about Exit Planning Checklist for 2020[…]