Faster, cheaper, better right to the very end updated: January 2007 | view prior episode

Exit Strategies - Liquidity Models We start with a dream, then work hard; yet few of us will plan our exit, and we'll forfeit real dollars. Wake-up Call: Throughout our work cycle, we compete with about 3800 big businesses (over 5000 employees) and about 8000 mid-sized companies (over 500 employees). We compete for capital, for customers, for respect... virtually for everthing. Most of us do OK competing with the bigger ones in our industries or we don't survive. We are usually faster, cheaper and better. But when it comes to an exit strategy and succession planning, we fall on our face and fail to capitalize most fully on our life's work. For that final step, we prepared this episode to help each other maximize the value of our 25 million small businesses throughout the USA. Business Valuation: We all often ask, "What's my business worth? How do I get my money out? Can I sell it? Can I retire? What am I going to do with the rest of my life?" So, let's look at exit strategies ways people get their equity out but leave the essential values in. Four categories, eight options, if we've missed any, please let us know! Prior homepage On Broadband? more... Small Business 2000 Index 1. Sustainable Businesses on Small Business School 2. Good Businesses are invited to register at Small Business School 3. Businesses with Deep Integrity, all part of the Small Business School mission 4. Principles for a lifetime and beyond 5. The Diversity of Small Business Your dream should include your exit strategy. Key Ideas of this episode Introduction: Think Now About Later 1. Walk Away - Usually "liquidate" 2. Give It Away - You have enough! 3. Sell To Someone Close To You 4. Sell To Someone Like You 5. Sell To a Publicly-traded company 6. Sell To Your Employees 7. Sell Using A Direct Public Offering 8. Sell to Private Equity Capital Business is VALUE CREATION. What is value? ...in Business? ...in Life? The people you meet in each episode of the show create value. They've worked through Step 5 they hired employees and then through Step 6, they had solid growth and began seeing how the business could be sustained beyond them. In Step 7 they realized that the employees and managers did better when they weren't around. Now we'll review how they have completed Step 8; they've exited at the top. To learn more, study the case study guide and work through Paths & Steps. Each picture above links to an earlier episode of the show with a case study guide, transcript and video to go even deeper. more... Our common future » Become a Producer Club member » $400M: Help Keep your Station Alive » $9B: Help Keep your Business Alive » Search the site: · By Business, Industry, Owner, State · By Diversity, Families, and Women » Go to the next episode!

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