I am reminded that it helps to know what you want from life. Here in the Northeast last week was winter school vacation week. We took the opportunity to tour a handful of states looking at prospective colleges with my son, who like many 16 year olds has little notion of what he may want in a college or what lies ahead for him. We toured urban and rural schools, large universities and small quaint colleges, academically rigorous schools and school that were not so competitive, as everyone needs a back-up plan. Surprisingly by the end of a rather demanding travel week, even my son began to formulate opinions about what he liked and didn’t like. The trip will pay dividends next fall when he ultimately decides where to apply to college.
Many business owners seeking to exit their business remind me of my son. They are not sure what they want. Each owner has read or heard of industry friends who may have sold their business to an unrelated third party at high multiples, or transferred the business to their children, or sold the company to their employees through an ESOP structure or to members of their management team, or perhaps they sold a portion of the company to a private equity group and decided to stay on building the company further with an additional capital infusion. The right path forward to exiting a business is unique to each owner, their company and circumstances. What options best fit the company’s circumstances and also matches the desires of the owner, considering his personal situation. Are there options for the company at a price that would work for the owner to move on? Does the owner wish to retire immediately or do they wish to continue to work in some capacity for years to come? Are there other family considerations?
Business exit planning demands thought, planning, and knowing what you want as the owner. Like many things in life, it helps to know what is important to you. If you are contemplating a business exit contact a Corporate Finance Associates representative, who would be happy to discuss the various options with you.
Posted by Pete Ventre.