Discovering Purpose Beyond Business: Lessons from My Own Exit

As a business owner, your company is more than just a livelihood—it becomes an extension of your identity, a vessel for your dreams, and often the center of your world. For nearly two decades, Solly’s Bagelry was my life. Co-founding and growing it into a cherished Vancouver institution brought immeasurable pride and purpose. But when I exited the business, I faced a challenge I hadn’t fully anticipated: finding my footing in a world where I was no longer "Joe from Solly’s."

The transition was daunting. My business wasn’t just something I owned—it was part of who I was. When I left, I experienced what many former owners do: an overwhelming sense of loss. Suddenly, the purpose and identity that fueled my days were gone. Like 75% of former business owners, I felt regret and uncertainty within the first year of my exit. Despite my successful financial transaction, I was left with a void that took me years to fill.

It took me five long years to rebuild my sense of identity and rediscover a purpose that matched the passion I had for Solly’s. This journey led me to a profound realization: I wasn’t alone in this struggle. Many business owners, after years of dedicating their lives to their companies, find themselves unprepared for the emotional and existential shift that follows an exit.

This epiphany became my calling. I became a Certified Exit Planner, dedicating my career to helping business owners navigate the complexities of not just their business transitions, but the personal transitions that follow. My role is to ensure that owners don’t just survive their exit but thrive afterward, finding a renewed sense of purpose that propels them forward.

Today, I work with ENNIS Legacy Partners to offer a unique workshop series designed to help former business owners discover their ikigai—a Japanese concept meaning "reason for being." This program is a transformative journey, helping owners reconnect with what they love, what they’re good at, what the world needs, and what can bring them fulfillment and reward.

The workshop isn’t just about avoiding the pitfalls of regret and isolation—it’s about reigniting the fire in your belly, so you wake up every morning excited about what’s next. Whether it’s mentoring young entrepreneurs, pursuing a passion project, or creating a new legacy, the program helps business owners craft a future that inspires them.

My own experience has shown me that life after business can be just as meaningful as life during it—but only if you prepare for it. That preparation goes beyond financial planning; it’s about envisioning a life that aligns with your core values, passions, and aspirations.

If you’re contemplating an exit, I encourage you to start planning your next act now. Don’t wait until you’ve handed over the keys to think about what comes next. With the right guidance and a clear roadmap, you can turn what feels like an ending into an exciting new beginning.

Joseph (Joe) Markovitch is a Certified Exit Planner, Senior Business Advisor and former Owner of Solly’s Bagelry Ltd, a Vancouver institution. Joe helps owners worth $5 or more maximize their exit payout while reducing tax so they can have more time with family and live life on their terms. Let’s work together to ensure that your life after business is the chapter you’re most proud of. For more info: joe@joeco.ca or email@ennislp.com.

How Can A Cash Balance Plan Help With My Exit Goals?

If your goal is to exit your business at some point in the next ten years, you should answer these questions as soon as possible:

• When in the next 10 years do I want to leave or exit?

• How much $$$$ will I need (net of taxes) to do everything I want to do after the business?

• To whom do I want to sell the business…third-party, insiders, children/family, ESOP?

• Is my business sellable? For how much?

• What is my plan for life after the business? (Most owners are miserable within two years of exit because they didn’t have a post-exit life plan).

You may decide to head down one of the following paths once you thoroughly answer these questions and others like them:

• Over the next ten years you decide to work hard to maximize the sellable value of your business (having a goal of selling for top dollar in the next 10 years), while at the same time accumulate as much $$$$ outside of the business as possible — in order to maximize your exit route options.

• After learning that you would need to invest much more time and money for your company to be sellable, and decide that you don’t have the energy for that, you might also decide that simply “closing the doors” and liquidating for asset value in 5 years will be your exit strategy — but in the meantime you will , “sock away” as much $$$$ as you can in savings and investments outside of the business.

• Maybe you have a professional practice (i.e, Attorney, Dentist, M.D., etc.) with neither a clear successor option or potential buyer, and you definitely want to exit within the next 5 years.

In all of these scenarios and others like them, where the owner wants to maximize savings outside of the business, a Cash Balance Retirement Plan could be an effective tool, if certain parameters are met, in accomplishing that objective.

A Cash Balance Plan is an IRS Qualified Retirement Plan that affords participants the ability to accumulate money for retirement in amounts well beyond the 401k and Profit Sharing contributions. If your comprehensive plan for exit includes maximum asset accumulation outside of the business, you should consider the pros and cons of a Cash Balance Plan and how it might serve in accomplishing your goals. If you need help contact us. You can also access further information by listening to Episode 29 of our ExitReadiness® PODCAST with guests Financial Advisor Erik Fromm and Retirement Specialist Les Risell of Janney Montgomery Scott.

Invest 15 minutes and take our exit readiness questionnaire. We do not ask for confidential information and you will receive a 12-page report scoring you in four key planning areas.

Aligning Exit and Life After The Business Goals with Business Growth Goals

Sarah thought she had a great sell strategy in place until it all blew up at the deal table. She was willing to stay on for a year or two and “earn-out” a percentage of the sale price, but she was not willing to play the role of a lender in the self-financing part of the deal, and she absolutely expected an offer of a higher sale price.

In building her business, Sarah was open to the idea of delegating core responsibilities to others but instead remained central to sales and operations. She was also much more focused on reducing her personal income taxes each year rather than improving the financial performance that would be stated on business financials. Sarah’s learning now that those goals didn’t align with maximizing a sale price or sourcing the types of buyers who wouldn’t require self-financing. When she gave any thought to life after the business, she pictured an immediate exit and drinking umbrella drinks on a beach in the Caribbean. But Sarah now knows that she and her business are not positioned to realize her dreams. At least not now when she was hoping to leave. Her goals for building were not aligned with goals for exit and life after the business.

• Life after the business goals can include things like financial security, time with the family, travel, health, and wellness, launching a new enterprise, or retirement on a beach in the Caribbean.

• Exit goals can include maximizing sale value, minimizing taxes, gratitude for employees, family harmony, or a successful transfer to children.

• Business goals can include growth and profitability, freedom, control, high income, building wealth and value, influence, or social impact.

To ensure success in your eventual exit it’s critical to continually examine your goals in each of these categories making sure they are aligned. It’s not unusual for an owner to be very disciplined and systematic in establishing and executing business goals, only to learn when it’s too late that those goals didn’t produce the exit they were hoping for. Whenever you set new goals for the business, ask yourself this question, “How do these goals for business growth align with my goals for exit and life after the business???”

In an effort to help business owners like Sarah be disciplined and systematic in doing this, we created our STRATEGY RENOVATION® Value Advisor engagement.

Consider investing 12-15 minutes in the FREE ExitMap® Assessment. You will get a 12-page report scoring you in four key exit planning areas: Finance, Planning, Revenue/Profit, and Operations.

"I Don't Even Know Where The Life Insurance Policy Is!"

The spouse of a small business owner confided to my wife, “I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to my (business owner) husband.  I don’t even know where the life insurance policy is.”  That business owner has no business plan, and more importantly, no written exit plan - and his spouse knows it.

Sadly, this situation is all too common.  Most of us avoid thinking about the possibility of disability or even death.  The “tyranny of the urgent” – customer calls, product problems, financial pressures or a thousand other things – can crowd out genuine intentions for long term planning.  When the unexpected happens, as it all too often does, everyone suffers if proper safeguards are not in place.

Effective business planning allows for the unexpected.  It details how the business is organized, what and where the documentation is, and who should fill the owner’s position if he or she is unable to continue, even temporarily.  Exit planning goes several steps further.  Effective exit planning outlines how and when the business ownership will be transferred, or sold, to someone else.  It provides for appropriate business, tax, legal, financial, and estate planning.  Effective planning means everyone involved with the business knows what will happen next.

The experience of one client emphasizes why planning is critical.  (Names have been changed for privacy).  Tom, the owner, had built a successful multi-million-dollar business.  Lenore, his wife, had long expected that she would take over running the business if anything ever happened to Tom.  It was suggested that Lenore do a trial run.  She agreed to work full time, assisting Tom, for six months.  It wasn’t long before Lenore realized that not only did she not want to work at the business, she did not want to run it – ever! 

That was valuable information for Tom and Lenore.  They knew then that the Owner’s exit plan would not be for his spouse to ultimately own and run the business.

Not long after, Tom was unexpectedly hospitalized with a critical medical condition.  Because of his foresight and effective planning, Lenore only had to be concerned about her husband’s health.  The contingencies they had carefully planned for were covered.  Lenore did not find herself trying to run a business while caring for her husband at the same time.  Their financial needs were covered, and their children, employees, and customers were protected.

A Business Enterprise Institute survey revealed that only 38 percent of business owners think they have identified all the steps necessary to exit their business, and only eight percent had put those plans in writing.

Some questions every business owner should ask are, Would my spouse know what to do next if something happened to me tomorrow?  Do they know where the important documents are?  Would my family be financially protected?  Would my customers and employees be properly cared for? Would my business continue uninterrupted? Would I want it to and would my family need it to?

The demands on any business owner can be overwhelming, but putting off effective long-term planning can be disastrous.  Take steps now to cover tomorrow’s challenges.  The time will come when you will be glad you did.

Contact us today for an exploratory conversation about our STRATEGY RENOVATION® Exit Advisor engagement. Contact information: 301-859-0860 | email@ennislp.com.         

A Succession Plan or an Exit Plan? Savvy Business Owners Need Both!

One of the questions we often hear from business owners is, “What is the difference between Succession Planning and Exit Planning?  Aren’t they the same thing?”  Surprisingly, they are not.  The next question usually is, “Which one do I need?” The answer is simple.  Whether the business is small or large, family-owned or not, astute business owners always need both.

Nearly $10 trillion dollars in business assets will be transferred globally in the next decade, according to Forbes Magazine.  Baby Boomers selling privately owned businesses or transferring them to family members will comprise much of that $10 trillion dollar transfer.  As the market becomes crowded with owners ready to sell, the advantage will go to those owners who have done their due diligence, considered all of their options, and planned for unexpected contingencies.

Succession Planning

Succession Planning focuses solely on transferring leadership inside the business from one generation to the next.  Succession plans identify key individuals within the organization who can be trained and mentored to someday take over as the existing business leaders exit.  Succession Planning is just one necessary aspect of a more comprehensive exit plan.

Exit Planning

Exit Planning incorporates succession planning with strategies for building transferrable value, reducing tax liability, preparing for unexpected contingencies, minimizing family stresses, and increasing the likelihood of a successful business transfer.  Exit plans also incorporate the personal and financial goals of the business owner, their spouse, and their family.  A prudent exit plan starts and ends with the long term business and personal objectives of the owner.

Plan Ahead for A Successful Exit

Succession plans and exit plans so share an important characteristic – neither should wait.  Business owners who eventually want to sell for top dollar with the least amount of trouble must start the planning process early enough to give it the thought and consideration it requires.   With the proper plans in place, you, the business owner, gains the ability to make critical long-term decisions that will significantly increase the likelihood of selling or transferring the business when you want, to whom you want, and for the price you want.

Take our FREE 15-Minute ExitMap® Assessment and find out how ready you are to exit successfully.

Get 15% off of our ExitReadiness® ACADEMY online exit roadmap course with videos and planning template using code BLOG10.

Adopt A Scientific Approach To Planning Your Business Exit

In his book, “Think Again, The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know,” New York Times bestselling author Adam Grant makes a compelling case for “the critical art of rethinking: learning to question your opinions and open other people’s minds, which can position you for excellence at work and wisdom in life.”

In Part One: Individual Rethinking, Grant explains how we often assume the roles of Preacher, Prosecutor, or Politician rather than Scientist in a key decision-making process and how that is often detrimental. Grant describes the following cycles while recommending the RETHINKING CYCLE as a scientific approach:

THE OVERCONFIDENCE CYCLE: Pride > Conviction > Confirmation & Desirability Biases > Validation

THE RETHINKING CYCLE: Humility > Doubt > Curiosity > Discovery

We have found that owners planning for exit who adopt a scientific or “rethinking cycle” approach are much more likely to experience a successful transition out of their business. They indeed humbly realize and proclaim that “they don’t know what they don’t know” and engage help in discovering what they should do and how they should do it. They understand what’s at stake and have intentionally questioned or doubted their convictions and biases, and, with humility and curiosity, they seek knowledge and wisdom from others who can challenge their current thinking. As a result, the chances for a successful exit and the owner’s peace of mind are greatly increased. The opposite almost always proves true on some level for an owner who moves forward adopting “the overconfidence cycle”.

One of Grant’s recommended “Actions for Impact” is to “Build a challenge network, not just a support network.” For an owner planning their exit, this could include business owner peers who have already walked the exit walk, as well as an expert advisor team (those who know that the owner doesn’t) who could serve in challenging the owner’s assumptions, convictions, biases, while providing needed knowledge and insight.

In planning for the most significant event as a business owner, your inevitable exit from the business, you would be well-served in reading Mr. Grant’s book and adopting his proposed RETHINKING CYCLE. Please consider contacting us about playing a role on your “Challenge Network.”

Invest 12-15 minutes in the FREE ExitMap® Assessment and get a 12-page report scoring you in four key exit planning areas: Finance, Planning, Revenue/Profit, and Operations.

The Emotional Aspects of Your Eventual Business Exit

“The emotional aspect of an exit and transition is what’s hardest (paraphrased)”. This was a statement made by one client to another at a recent charity golf event. While listening to the conversation I was freshly reminded about what’s at stake when and how an owner leaves their business, that perhaps took them decades to build.

The client making the statements described in some detail how the “emotional piece” resulted in inertia and procrastination around creating a plan for his eventual exit. He knew he needed to put a strategy in place, but was simply having a difficult time facing tough transitional realities. Emotional realities included his brother (partner) who helped him build the business transitioning out now, and in a few years exiting the business completely himself while transferring ownership to his two children. That was a lot of “emotional stuff to work through” and he was having a hard time getting his mind around it all. What they learned during our planning process was that the practical or technical elements of their exit plan were “the easy part” compared to the emotional challenges of leaving a business that had become “a big part of who they were.”

He went on to say how essential our ongoing conversations were that clarified his dreams and desires while helping to navigate the emotional “roller coaster”. Having an objective third party to help him and his brother think through all aspects of the different transitions and conduct the “emotional conversations” was essential for their respective goals for exit to be accomplished. For quite some time they had talked about doing something but it wasn’t until they engaged in third-party coaching and assistance that they were able to move the ball down the field toward the goal line.

The moral of the story is to expect that there will be significant emotional considerations that can be the source of inertia in creating a plan for one of the most significant and impactful events of your life. You will be wise in getting the skilled planning assistance required to help you move forward emotionally and practically in accomplishing your exit dreams and goals.

For assistance, you can reach us at email@ennislp.com or 301-859-0860.

What Role Will You Be Willing To Play Post-Sale?

A key element for an exiting successfully on your own terms and conditions is realizing the role(s) that you’re willing to play post-sale or transfer.

John sold to a strategic buyer and an earn-out with John working as an employee for 3 years as part of the deal. He had not planned in a way to avoid this, and after 2 years decided to forfeit the balance of his payout and leave because he was finding it too difficult to work for the new management.

Due to the small size of her business, Susan’s only option for a third-party sale was someone interested in “buying a job”. Susan did the deal and was forced to self-finance the deal and be a lender. After three years into the deal, the new owner was no longer able to make loan payments due to the weak performance of the business.

Bob planned for and was able to sell a majority stake in his business (that had very strong revenue, cash flow, and growth potential) to a financial buyer. In creating and implementing his comprehensive exit plan, Bob had decided he would be willing to be a partner in order to have a chance at “a second bite of the apple” years later.

In completing her sale to a key employee group, Sarah was willing to continue involvement as a consultant and her agreement is for 3 years.

It’s important to understand these roles and decide which of them you’d be willing to assume when selling or transferring your business. Each role is common to transactions of small businesses and at times unavoidable. However, with the right long-term planning, you might be able to avoid a role or roles you’d rather not play. For example, if you have built a business with significant revenue, a proven next-level management team, and a credible plan for future growth, you may avoid an earn-out. So, understand what roles you would be willing to play, and get started today planning for your exit because the more time you have the greater chance you will be in control when you leave.

Invest 12-15 minutes in the FREE ExitMap® Assessment and get a 12-page report scoring you in four key exit planning areas: Finance, Planning, Revenue/Profit, and Operations.

Will You Be As Responsible Exiting Your Business As You Have Been Building It?

One of our clients had built a thriving service business over 20 plus years and was able to exit successfully a couple of years ago.  When we first met to discuss his desire to exit about 5 years ago, we discussed his time frame and financial needs, but also his outside interests such as his basketball outreach to a local underprivileged neighborhood.  Many years ago, very discreetly, he began renting a gym weekly for teenage and college-aged kids in a low-income neighborhood and faithfully ran it at his own expense for years.  He lived life "others-focused" in both his personal and business life and we find that to be true for most successful owners.

Like other successful business owners, our client worked hard for decades withstanding downturns in the economy and persevering through other tough times while managing to build a profitable business.  A business that many people had come to depend on including employees, customers, vendors, suppliers, his family, as well as charities he supported. He had been deeply committed to his responsibility as a business owner, and now realizing all that was at stake, he wanted to be as responsible in how he left the business as he had been in building the business. And, he understood that it would require time and planning if he were to experience the same level of success.

Will you be as responsible in planning your exit as you have been in building the business?  In our client’s case, the business has been sold to insiders and has realized continued prosperity serving all stakeholders, while our client is flourishing in his well-planned and meaningful “life after the business”.

Plan now so that you are as responsible and successful exiting your business as you've been in building it. You can get started today with our free exit assessment. We do not request any confidential information, it requires 15 minutes of your time, and you will receive a 12-page report scoring you in four key planning areas.

email@ennislp.com | 301-859-0860

Understandable Reasons for Owner Exit Plan Procrastination

There have been not a few surveys of small business owners conducted that revealed a majority of the owners polled believed they needed a strategic plan for their eventual exit. Over 75% indicated they wanted to sell in the next 10 years, 90+% knew they needed a plan, while only about 20% had a written plan for what is inevitable…their eventual exit from their business.

So, why the procrastination? Well, we’ve observed the following reasons for putting it off, or not planning at all. And frankly, the reasons are understandable.

• The owner’s current advisors may not be raising the issue. So an owner understandably questions how important it is to plan, or as a result, they don’t know who to talk to.

• There are common misperceptions about an owner’s business and exit including:

  • Their business being attractive and worth more than it is, and easily sold.

  • The assumption is that sale proceeds will be enough for what’s next after the business. Often not adequately taking into consideration tax ramifications.

  • Business cash flow will be sufficient for supporting any future sale transaction.

  • The successor (s) are ready and willing to take over the business and that it will be a simple process to make that happen.

  • How long it would actually take to design and execute a plan for a successful exit.

• Uncertainty or fear:

  • Exposing and facing reality about the value and transferability of the business.

  • A needed change in the role of the owner. Delegating to others.

  • Life after the business. What will I do next? The business is a big part of my personal identity.

  • Fear of not being able to find a willing buyer or successor.

  • Fear of making a bad exit decision.

• The time and financial investment required to design and create a plan.

  • I need to focus on building and growing the business today! (NOTE: this is actually a core focus in a successful exit plan.)

So, in that there are many understandable reasons, including these and others, not to plan or to put it off, an owner needs to decide if the benefits and return on the investments of time and money would outweigh their reasons for procrastination. They need to think through what would be at stake in their particular situation.

Such as:

• Life after the business…

  • Financial security? Time with the family? Travel? Personal goals? Health and wellness? Launch a new business/enterprise? Social impact? Other?

• As the owner exits…

  • Maximizing value and minimizing taxes? Leaving on your own terms? A tangible expression of care and gratitude for employees? Family harmony? Social impact? Other?

• Life in the business…

  • Freedom and control? Income and/or building wealth? Influence? Social impact? Other?

If you conclude that you will plan, but not right now, then be aware also of the age old problem of “not knowing what you don’t know” as it pertains to the time it takes to design and implement a plan that will successfully and comprehensively accomplish your goals. The following quote by John Brown in his book EXIT PLANNING: THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE supports the exhortation to begin planning now:

“I can almost guarantee that it will take far longer to prepare and implement your successful exit strategy than you expect.  Only a few businesses (I calculate 200,000 out of 7,000,000) are capable of being transferred today in a manner that achieves the Owner’s goals and objectives.” 

If you are uncertain about the need for planning, we will begin with helping you decide if what’s at stake outweighs your reasons for not planning. This is important because it will help you strengthen your conviction one way (plan) or the other (not plan).

Contact us today if we can help you in deciding if planning is right for you.

Invest 12-15 minutes in the FREE ExitMap® Assessment and get a 12-page report scoring you in four key exit planning areas: Finance, Planning, Revenue/Profit, and Operations.

Salary (Wage) Continuation or Deferred Compensation?

Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation (NQDC) often plays a role when structuring either a sale to insiders or a transfer of the business to children in the business. It is a type of retirement plan that allows highly compensated employees (in this case the exiting owner) to realize tax advantages by deferring a percentage of their compensation (and current income taxes) beyond what is permitted by the IRS in a qualified retirement plan (i.e., 401K). In essence, it is paying out INCOME EARNED at some point in the future, with a primary goal of minimizing income taxes.

A Salary, or Wage, Continuation Plan, however, is used to ensure personal financial stability for an owner, or key employee, during a triggering event such as death, disability, or retirement. It is a plan for continuing income NOT YET EARNED after the trigger event having the following goals:

• Ensuring salary for a set period of time (typically 60 days to 12 months) when unable to work

• Bridge the gap until insurance benefits begin

• Protect from personal/family financial loss

The following are pertinent questions in deciding whether a Salary Continuation Plan should be considered:

• What are the short-term gaps in your personal insurance/benefits package?

• If you die or become disabled, is it important for your spouse/family to continue to receive your salary for some period of time? For how long?

• Would the company be able to continue your salary if you are not working? For how long?

• Are you relying on your co-owners verbal commitment to provide ongoing payments?

If you think a Salary Continuation Plan could be helpful in your situation, your Business Attorney, Employee Benefits Advisor, or Insurance Advisor, could be of assistance in the analysis and execution of a plan. And, as always, please contact us if we can be of assistance.

Take our FREE ExitMap® Assessment and get a 12-page report scoring you in four key planning areas: Finance, Planning, Profit/Revenue, Operations. It will take about 15 minutes and we do not ask for confidential information.

ennislp.com | email@ennislp.com | 301-859-0860

Focus On Net Proceeds And Not Just Sale Price When Selling Your Business

John was excited as “today is the day!” Twenty-five years ago this month he had started his home remodeling business with a truck and a tool belt, and today at 3pm he was going to the deal table to sell his business to a much larger remodeling company. It would be a strategic purchase for the buyer who was willing to pay a premium with a goal of expansion in the region. With the check received today, John knew he could now do everything he and Kim had thought about doing for years — travel, more time with the family and for hobby’s and other interests they both enjoyed.

The amount received actually exceeded John’s “number”, and hence, he and Kim spontaneously pulled together a celebration dinner with family and a few close friends at their favorite restaurant. John had done a great job through the years building a “sellable business” focusing on a strong management team, strong financial performance, a plan for growth, up-to-date systems and processes and other value drivers which and now he was reaping the rewards. There was indeed much to celebrate!

Fast forward, six months later: John has come to realize that his number needed to be quite a bit larger than what he had originally calculated. In whatever way he had performed his calculations, he failed to consider to the extent needed, or at all, the following important factors in the equation:

• Of the $10 million in proceeds, he was going to net approximately $6 million after these charges/expenses:

  • Transaction and professional fees.

  • An asset sale was negotiated and there was income tax on some asset depreciation recapture.

  • $1 million in business debt needed to be repaid.

  • Capital gains and affordable care act taxes.

  • Miscellaneous expenses including “stay bonuses” for two key employees.

John was in a small percentage of small business owners who have built a sellable business and actually sold it for their “number”. For that, he is to be commended and congratulated. At the same time, John was now experiencing much regret and was actually concerned about his financial ability to do everything he and Kim had planned on. What could have John done differently when planning for this most significant event? Worked with his exit, financial, transaction, and tax advisors well in advance of the sale in calculating the real number… net sale proceeds…and whether or not he and Kim could do all they wanted with that number.

If you need help contact us at 301-859-0860 or email@ennislp.com. Invest 12-15 minutes in the FREE ExitMap® Assessment and get a 12-page report scoring you in four key exit planning areas: Finance, Planning, Revenue/Profit, and Operations.

Cash Flow Projection and a Successful Exit

A small business owner named Simon understands how the cash flow of the business drives his current income, and as well how it would eventually impact the valuation and sale price. However, Simon lacked awareness of elements of potential exit routes that demand cash flow. For example:

• When considering an ESOP, his business met all the basic parameters EXCEPT having the adequate cash flow to service the debt needed to fund the ESOP.

• When running a “sanity check” as to whether key employees could finance an insider purchase with a bank loan, the bank would only finance a small amount…due to projected cash flow.

• In considering a third-party sale, and as a result of Simon’s exit planner’s financial gap analysis, there was a need to invest in updated systems, new hires (next-level management), and incentive plans for key employees in order to increase the value of the business…cash flow was needed to make it happen.

Simon has said that “he’s ready to exit”, but after analyzing his business’ readiness for an exit, and projecting future cash flow, Simon will not be able to exit the way he wants to for at least five years — there’s just too much to get done to realize the value he needs. So, the moral of the story is to have a ten-year cash flow projection and keep it current for planning both growth and your eventual exit. The stronger the cash flow and its management, the greater chance of building a transferable business and having multiple options for exit.

And, begin planning today…it will take longer than you think.

Invest 12-15 minutes in the FREE ExitMap® Assessment and get a 12-page report scoring you in four key exit planning areas: Finance, Planning, Revenue/Profit, and Operations.

'''What You Don't Know Won't Hurt You!"

Have you ever heard the old saying, “What you don’t know won’t hurt you”?  Not sure why, or who it was in my life at the time would say it, but I remember hearing it a lot when I was a kid.  Through the years I’ve found this saying, through personal experience and observation, severely misleading at best.  I wonder if the person who originated the phrase had only “current hurt” in mind.  For example, I might be unaware that my car has no engine oil and that the engine is going to die exactly a week from today – but today, because I don’t know it, it doesn’t hurt.  However, in a week when the car blows up and catches on fire, there is a lot that’s going to hurt.  So, what you don’t know, can absolutely hurt you, and often does…it simply may not be immediate.

If you’re a successful business owner, your business may be your biggest asset, and play a key role in whatever represents success for you in the future (i.e., financial, values-based, or legacy goals).  You may understand there are things you need to know about how ready you are, and how ready your business is for you to leave on your own terms and conditions. But you’ve chosen not to know, as it will surely result in additional work, time, and/or financial investment…and because “what you don’t know, currently isn’t hurting you.”  It may not hurt now, but the hurt that comes later could be devastating when you eventually leave your business if you then learn that your financial, values-based, and legacy goals are not going to be realized. 

Take steps now to expose reality and get the knowledge you need then act on it.  And get help…because you don't know what you don't know.  

Invest 12-15 minutes in the FREE ExitMap® Assessment and get a 12-page report scoring you in four key exit planning areas: Finance, Planning, Revenue/Profit, and Operations.

"Five Years...That's When I'm Planning to Leave..."

We refer to it in the exit planning trade as the "perpetual five-year exit plan".  When asking a business owner when they plan to exit their business, the following is a fairly common response:  "Not sure but probably about five years from now..."  And it’s not unusual to get the same response year after year from the same owner.  There can be numerous and varied reasons for the response, but a lack of planning is often primary. 

The problem is that if you don't begin planning now, you and your business may not be ready for you to exit in five years, and it could end up being necessary for you to plan and wait for another five years in order to attain your goals.

In our effort to help you avoid the perpetual five-year plan, the following is our "2021 Exit Planning To-Do List" we posted at the end of last year to help you get started. 

DECIDE WHERE YOU WANT TO GO.  Establish Clear Goals and Objectives for Exit and Your Life After Exit.

• When do you want to leave the business? Whom do you wish to transfer/sell the business to?

• What are your values-based and legacy exit goals?

• What is your post-exit "life plan"? Business owners can often regret leaving when lacking a plan for life that replaces the sense of purpose and meaning they experienced in building their business.

• Update your Personal Financial Plan. Find out how much $$$$ you will need post-exit to do all you want to do. Is there a gap?

ASSESS WHERE YOU ARE.  Without Accurate Data All Planning Becomes Meaningless.

• Get an accurate Business Valuation. If the business is your largest asset shouldn't you know what it really is worth to potential buyers?

• Assess your business Value-Drivers and areas of Risk.

• Review your Business Continuity Plan for life transitions and unexpected death or disability. Co-Owners would include a review of their Buy-Sell Agreement to ensure alignment with current goals of all owners.

• Review Estate Plan to ensure alignment with exit goals.

DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT A PLAN.  Build Transferable Value and Enjoy a Future Exit On Your Own Terms and Conditions.

• Which Exit Route will best accomplish your goals? Sale to Third-Party | Sale to Insiders | Transfer to Family Members | Sale to ESOP | Absentee Owner.

• Focus on growth and profitability today. At the core of tomorrow's successful exit plan is today's profitability and plan for growth.

• Strengthen business value drivers.

• Update strategic financial plan for the business.

• Do you have the right Team of Experienced Advisors for plan design and implementation?

• Who will Manage the Exit Planning Project?

Following are some easy next steps:

Invest 12-15 minutes in the FREE ExitMap® Assessment and get a 12-page report scoring you in four key exit planning areas: Finance, Planning, Revenue/Profit, and Operations.

Contact us for an exploratory conversation if you need help in designing or implementing your plan for a successful exit.

Adopt A Scientific Approach To Planning Your Business Exit

In his book, “Think Again, The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know,” New York Times bestselling author Adam Grant makes a compelling case for “the critical art of rethinking: learning to question your opinions and open other people’s minds, which can position you for excellence at work and wisdom in life.”

In Part One: Individual Rethinking, Grant explains how we often assume the roles of Preacher, Prosecutor, or Politician rather than Scientist in a key decision-making process and how that is often detrimental. Grant describes the following cycles while recommending the RETHINKING CYCLE as a scientific approach:

THE OVERCONFIDENCE CYCLE: Pride > Conviction > Confirmation & Desirability Biases > Validation

THE RETHINKING CYCLE: Humility > Doubt > Curiosity > Discovery

We have found that owners planning for exit who adopt a scientific or “rethinking cycle” approach are much more likely to experience a successful transition out of their business. They indeed humbly realize and proclaim that “they don’t know what they don’t know” and engage help in discovering what they should do and how they should do it. They understand what’s at stake and have intentionally questioned or doubted their convictions and biases, and, with humility and curiosity, they seek knowledge and wisdom from others who can challenge their current thinking. As a result, the chances for a successful exit and the owner’s peace of mind are greatly increased. The opposite almost always proves true on some level for an owner who moves forward adopting “the overconfidence cycle”.

One of Grant’s recommended “Actions for Impact” is to “Build a challenge network, not just a support network.” For an owner planning their exit, this could include business owner peers who have already walked the exit walk, as well as an expert advisor team (those who know that the owner doesn’t) who could serve in challenging the owner’s assumptions, convictions, biases, while providing needed knowledge and insight.

In planning for the most significant event as a business owner, your inevitable exit from the business, you would be well-served in reading Mr. Grant’s book and adopting his proposed RETHINKING CYCLE. Please consider contacting us about playing a role on your “Challenge Network.”

Invest 12-15 minutes in the FREE ExitMap® Assessment and get a 12-page report scoring you in four key exit planning areas: Finance, Planning, Revenue/Profit, and Operations.

Exit Plan Critical Element: An Accurate Financial Gap Analysis

A critical and foundational element of your successful exit plan will be the calculation of any gap you might have in the value of your current assets (business and personal) and how much money you will need when you leave the business. This is your financial gap analysis.

The reasons for ensuring an accurate Financial Gap Analysis include:  

• Provides you with a starting point and an endpoint needed for achieving your goals.

• Serves as motivation for you to design and implement a plan to "close the gap" and increase the value of the business.

• Where there is not an asset gap, you're afforded opportunities to increase goals, or possibly leave sooner than you were originally planning to.

• An accurate Financial Gap Analysis provides a more realistic view of your situation and how much still needs to happen, or doesn't need to happen, for you to accomplish your goals.

Take these steps to make it happen:

• Clarify your owner-based post-exit goals and objectives.

• Arrange for an accurate and objective Estimate of Business Value.

• Arrange for Financial Needs Analysis, based on your goals and objectives and using current and accurate quantitative data (business and personal resources).

• If there is an asset gap, conduct a thorough assessment of your business value drivers, and create a plan to close the gap.

For example, let's say that your current personal financial plan, which includes all of your future goals, indicates you will need $5,000,000 to do all you want to do after you leave the business.  If the current accurate value of your business is $2,500,000 and the value of all other assets is $1,000,000, then you have an "asset gap" of $1,500,000 ($5 mill - $3.5 mill = $1.5 mill).  

You may be surprised to hear that typically the most challenging, time-consuming, yet rewarding aspect of performing a Financial GAP Analysis is establishing your post-exit goals and objectives. Contact us today for assistance with establishing your goals and performing a financial gap analysis.

Invest 12-15 minutes in the FREE ExitMap® Assessment and get a 12-page report scoring you in four key exit planning areas: Finance, Planning, Revenue/Profit, and Operations.

2021 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 the present.  The earlier you begin planning, the more options you will have for a successful exit.

However, like any strategic plan, it can be difficult to know how and where to begin.  As we wrap up 2020, it's also an ideal time for us to publish a basic "To-Do List" that will serve you in considering that most significant event as a business owner...your future exit. 

DECIDE WHERE YOU WANT TO GO.  Establish Clear Goals and Objectives for Exit and Your Life After Exit.

• When do you want to leave the business? Whom do you wish to transfer/sell the business to?

• What are your values-based and legacy exit goals?

• What is your post-exit "life-plan"? Business owners can often regret leaving when lacking a plan for life that replaces the sense of purpose and meaning they experienced in building their business.

• Update your Personal Financial Plan. Find out how much $$$$ you will need post-exit to do all you want to do. Is there a gap?

ASSESS WHERE YOU ARE.  Without Accurate Data All Planning Becomes Meaningless.

• Get an accurate Business Valuation. If the business is your largest asset shouldn't you know what it really is worth to potential buyers?

• Assess your business Value-Drivers and areas of Risk.

• Review your Business Continuity Plan for life transitions and unexpected death or disability. Co-Owners would include a review of their Buy-Sell Agreement to ensure alignment with the current goals of all owners.

• Review your Estate Plan to ensure alignment with exit goals.

DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT A PLAN.  Build Transferable Value and Enjoy a Future Exit On Your Own Terms and Conditions.

• Which Exit Route will best accomplish your goals? Sale to Third-Party | Sale to Insiders | Transfer to Family Members | Sale to ESOP | Absentee Owner.

• Focus on growth and profitability today. At the core of tomorrow's successful exit plan is today's profitability and plan for growth.

• Strengthen business value drivers. An owner with a sellable business will have more freedom in life and options for exit.

• Update a strategic financial plan for business growth.

• Do you have the right Team of Experienced Advisors in place for your plan design and implementation?

• Who will Manage the Exit Planning Project? You, a current Advisor, or an experienced Exit Planner?

The most important thing you could do in 2021 would be to GET STARTED AND GET HELP if you have yet to do so.  If you wait until you're ready to exit to begin planning, you won't be ready and neither will your business.  Keep in mind, that "You don't know what you don't know" and, like in all other areas of life, that could end up being disastrous. 

There is much at stake during this most significant event in your life as a business owner.  Take steps in 2021 to be as successful in planning your eventual exit as you have been in running your business. 

Following are some Easy Next Steps:

Contact Us Today for a No-Obligation Exit Planning Exploratory Meeting.  Take our Free ExitMap Readiness Assessment and get Online Learning and Resources at exitreadiness.com.

Wealth Management for Small Business Owners

Small business owners are at times neglected by the wealth management community as the business is commonly (not always) the owner’s largest asset rather than a portfolio of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. You’d be well-advised as a business owner to engage a Financial Advisor who is proactive and experienced in factoring your future plans for the business into your overall plan for managing your wealth.

Impactful wealth management for you as a business owner would include at least these elements of exit planning:

• Clarifying what “exit” means to you. For example, do you want to leave entirely at some point, or gradually over time?

• Clarifying your financial, values-based, legacy goals, and what role the business needs to play in attaining your goals.

• A financial needs and gap analysis with an accurate valuation (not back of the envelope - meaningful planning requires accurate data) of the business. How much $$$$ will you need to do everything you want to do after the business? Is there a financial gap? Will that gap need to be closed by increasing the value of the business?

• Personal risk management including asset protection, insurance planning, tax planning.

• A current estate plan — a business owner cannot do exit planning without doing estate planning.

• A plan to preserve the value of the business (typically a small business owner’s largest asset), and a plan for it to survive during unexpected events of your permanent disability or death.

• An appropriate plan for managing financial assets resulting from the successful sale or transfer of your business.

Exit planning is wealth management for business owners that requires assessing, preserving, and building the value of your largest and most complex asset…your business.

Contact us at email@ennislp.com for assistance in building sellable business value or planning your eventual exit. Please also consider investing 15 minutes in completing our FREE Exit Readiness Assessment. We do not ask for confidential information.

Know The Value Of Your Business

The business is often the largest asset in a small business owner’s overall investment portfolio. And, as a result, they typically see the future value of the business as playing a key role in retirement or whatever they decide to do next after the business. A critical and foundational element to designing and creating an effective exit plan would be what we refer to as an “accurate financial gap analysis”. Simply put, this is a calculation subtracting the value of all current assets (including the business) from the amount needed for financial security or post-exit goals. If there is a significant “financial gap”, then it will usually need to be filled by increasing the value of the largest asset, the business.

The “fair market value” of a business is the amount agreed upon by a willing buyer and a willing seller, neither of which is under any compulsion to buy or sell, with both parties having knowledge of the relevant facts. And, so as a business owner, you may have the thought or question as to why even bother trying to value the business until a buyer comes along. Why not just wait and see what they offer? The following are some quick responses to that understandable question:

• In planning for the future and how much you will need, you need to know the value of current assets to perform the calculation. The point here is to obtain the best estimate based on financial analysis of the business and current market conditions for a meaningful gap analysis.

• If in performing a financial gap analysis, you learn that there is indeed a gap to be made up by increasing the value of the business, it will be important for you to know the real value now and what you will need to do in order to maximize sellable value to attain your goals.

• If you receive an offer at the deal table and have not obtained a prior estimate of value from a valuation specialist, you will not be in your strongest position for negotiations. As a result, you may experience doubts during the negotiation, and regrets if the deal actually goes through.

These are just a few reasons to know the value of your business. There are others. We like to say, “Don’t wait until you feel pressure to begin planning”. If you wait until you’re ready to exit to obtain an objective analysis of the value of your business and perform an accurate financial gap analysis, you may find that you’re nowhere near ready to leave.

Don’t wait until you feel pressure to leave your business to begin planning. Get started today in completing our 15-minute exit readiness assessment, and receive a 12-page report with scores in 4 key planning areas. We do not ask for confidential information.