WHAT’S A BUSINESS WORTH?
Most business owners are counting on one thing to fund retirement, clear debt, or finally have a life: selling the business.
Here’s the problem. Most of them have no real idea what it’s worth — or whether it will sell at all.
At some point, you WILL exit. New venture, retirement, a change of scene, health, family — the reason doesn’t matter. What matters is that it happens when YOU decide, on YOUR terms. It should be the biggest payday of your life, not something that just happens to you.
The secret to getting there comes down to two words: PLAN and PREPARE.
Leave it too late and this is what happens
You can’t find a buyer. The business simply won’t sell.
You sell in a hurry and take whatever price you’re offered — not what it’s actually worth.
Worst case, you close the doors and walk away with nothing. Maybe even debt.
Even if selling isn’t on your mind right now, remember this: a business that’s ready for sale is well worth keeping.
Why “ready for sale” beats “have to sell”
My philosophy is simple. A business should always be ready for sale — because that’s what gives you, the owner, OPTIONS.
- Keep it and run it as an income stream, entirely on your terms.
- Hand it to a manager and step back, without losing the value you’ve built.
- Attract genuine buyers and sell on your terms, at your price, whenever you’re ready.
A business broker will want to sell your business at whatever price they can get — that’s how they earn their commission. Your accountant might have a view on value too, but they’ve never actually sold a business. I’ve done both. I’ve been a business owner who sold, and I’ve spent years as a broker seeing exactly what buyers pay for and what they walk away from.
That’s the difference. I’m not guessing at what your business is worth — I’ve sat on both sides of that table.