This article highlights the pivotal role of advisors in guiding business owners’ ventures and encourages them to advocate for entrepreneurs to adopt an investor-centric perspective. By encouraging business owners to view their ventures through the eyes of outside investors, advisors facilitate objectivity, long-term value creation and the identification of strengths and weaknesses. Access to capital (if desired), strategic alignment and accountability are also benefits, ultimately positioning businesses for sustained growth and resilience. Ready for Next's “See Your Business Through the Eyes of an Investor” assessment tool is a practical step for owners to gain insights into their ventures' investor appeal, underscoring the advisor's role in helping an owner succeed.

This is Sean Hutchinson’s personal chronicles the journey of receiving the CEPA designation in 2008, highlighting the challenges and triumphs faced by early adopters in the field of exit planning. Despite initial excitement, the concept of the "exit plan" faced resistance from business owners, prompting the development of innovative strategies like the Value Acceleration Methodology. Through perseverance and collaboration, the CEPA community has grown to 5000 members, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of this specialized profession.

Human capital is a crucial driver of business value. By advocating leadership and culture as pivotal contributors to transferable enterprise value, professionals can benefit their business owner clients. Understanding the impact of leadership and culture on business value is imperative in client discussions, where emphasizing the potential positive or negative influences on their business's worth is essential. Learn more in this article.

RFN provides a comprehensive roadmap for business owners navigating the complexities of transitioning their businesses. Our Academy has programs highlighting the importance of understanding the spectrum of business transition options. Business owners are advised to evaluate options based on fit, feasibility, likelihood and to seek professional assistance. We believe in further exploration and personalized guidance, empowering owners to approach their business transition with confidence and strategic foresight.

Experts emphasize the importance of living a “heart-heathy” lifestyle – regular exercise, good diet and stress-management practices – to reduce our risk of heart disease. The same basic idea applies to a business. One of the three ways to increase the value or “health” of a company is to reduce risk. This just so happens to come with the added benefit of reducing business owner stress in the long run.

Ready for Next contributor, Julie Keyes, CEPA, has published the second edition of Poised for Exit - A Woman Entrepreneur’s Guide to Business Transition. The materials and resources have been updated to help owners even more.

Learn more about Poised for Exit with this article.

A value gap is the difference between what your business is worth and what you will need to fund the next phase in your life. Understanding if you have one and what steps you can take to close or bridge the gap are important. How do I know if I have a value gap? If you are a business owner, the answer to this question is important to you. We are here to help.

If you have committed to building value in your business you need help. It is important to have people on your team and leadership in your business who are willing and able to support this endeavor.

How do I build a leadership team and a culture of value creation? If you are a business owner, the answer to this question is important to you.

Like many things in life, just because you decide it's time doesn't mean it can happen right away. Preparing for a large life event, like transitioning out of your business, can take time and attention.

How do I know how much time I need to transition from my business? If you are a business owner, the answer to this question is important to you.

There are several internal and external business transition options available to owners. Plus, business owners can be creative when achieving their transition outcomes with custom, hybrid options.

How do I understand the transition options available to me? If you are a business owner, the answer to this question is important to you.

Transition readiness is about owners leaving the business on their terms and with the highest value possible.

Your business is your income and your investment. You should understand if you are more owner or employee. This is especially critical as you begin to consider what transitioning from owning your business will look like for you.

How do I take the first steps to convert from a job to a business? If you are a business owner, the answer to this question is important to you.

Business owners often keep reinvesting their own capital into their business. However, sometimes it makes solid financial and business sense to use debt. How do I know when to use debt to grow?

If you are a business owner, the answer to this question is important to you.

Creating a value building culture requires several steps, including how to prioritize the value opportunity to focus on. There are things to consider. This is part 1 of How do I decide which value opportunity to prioritize?

If you are a business owner, the answer to this question is important to you.

This video picks up where part 1 left off. Sean and Bob dive deeper into how to determine which value opportunity to prioritize. Value opportunities each have pros and cons in terms of the best order to tackle them.

How do I decide which value opportunity to prioritize - part 2. If you are a business owner, the answer to this question is important to you.

The difference between price and value is an important distinction. It requires outside expertise and an owner taking a clear look at their business.

How do I understand the difference between value and price? No matter if you are just curious about the price or value of your business or thinking of selling it soon, the answer to this question is important to you.

Selling your business will be one of the largest events in your life. It is important to have the right people in your corner. Someone who has experience and will advocate for you while support you before and during the transaction.

How do I find help to sell my business? If you are a business owner, the answer to this question is important to you.

Owner dependence negatively impacts the value of your business. It is important to take steps to make sure your business can operate effectively when you aren't there. We often have owners ask us: "how do I make my business less dependent on me?"

If you are a business owner, the answer to this question is important to you.

Private equity is always looking for investments to help them grow their return on investment for their shareholders. Sometimes they reach out to private businesses to invest in. So, how do I deal with unsolicited contact from a private equity company?

Getting ready to sell your business sounds easy, but is actually an in depth process. There are many components and knowing where to begin may seem daunting. This video will offer a brief look into how to start getting ready to sell your business.

If you are a business owner, the answer to this question is important to you.