Frequently Asked Questions

 What is exit readiness?

Exit readiness means having a business that can successfully continue without depending on you for every decision, customer relationship, or daily task. A business that is exit-ready has strong systems, documented processes, capable people, healthy financials, and a plan for what happens when the owner eventually steps away.

What's the difference between the free Exit-Readiness Score and the paid Assessment?

The Score is a free, 5-minute self-check that gives you a rough read on where you stand. The Assessment is a real, one-on-one diagnostic — we go through your specific numbers together, and you walk away with a written report and a clear next step, not just a score.

Isn't this something my CPA or attorney already handles?

Not quite — and most owners are surprised by the difference. A CEPA or CPA typically leads the financial and legal side of a transition: valuation, deal structure, tax. I work on the operational side — making the business itself less dependent on you, better documented, and genuinely ready to hand off, before or alongside that financial and legal work. Think of it this way: they handle the transaction. I handle making sure there's something solid to transact.

A good question to ask is: Could your business operate successfully if you weren't there? Buyers typically want a business they can take over without everything depending on the previous owner. Your systems, financial performance, customer base, employees, key relationships, and level of owner dependency can all affect how ready your business is for a sale.

Profitability matters, but buyers look at more than the bottom line. Strong systems, documented processes, reliable employees, recurring or predictable revenue, a diverse customer base, transferable relationships, accurate financial records, and low owner dependency can all make a business more attractive to a potential buyer.

Ask yourself what would happen if you couldn't come to work for two weeks. Would employees know what to do? Could customers get what they need? Would important decisions still be made? The more your business relies on your personal knowledge, relationships, and daily involvement, the harder it may be to eventually sell or transfer.

Without a plan, an owner's unexpected death can create immediate uncertainty for employees, customers, vendors, and family members. Important knowledge, relationships, passwords, responsibilities, and decision-making authority may exist only with the owner. Preparing for the unexpected helps protect both the business and the people who depend on it.

Good systems make a business more consistent and less dependent on any one person. Documented processes show employees—and eventually a new owner—how important work gets done. Strong systems can improve efficiency, reduce mistakes, make training easier, and help demonstrate that the business can operate successfully without the current owner.

Ideally, preparation should begin several years before you plan to sell. Starting early gives you time to strengthen financial performance, document processes, develop employees, reduce owner dependency, address risks, and improve the factors that may affect the value and transferability of your business.

Five years before an anticipated exit is a great time to identify what could prevent the business from operating successfully without you. Start strengthening systems, documenting processes, developing your team, reviewing financial performance, reducing customer or vendor concentration, transferring key relationships, and addressing risks that could make the business harder to sell or pass on.

The goal isn't simply to prepare your business for the day you leave. It's to build a stronger business today that gives you more options tomorrow.

How do we get started?
We'll start by getting your free 5-minute Exit Readiness Score and follow up with a free conversation about your business, your challenges, and what you'd like to accomplish. From there, we'll determine how I can best help.