What it looks like
- Decisions wait until you’re back.
- Your best customers call your cell, not the office.
- How the work gets done lives in your head.
- Only you and your bookkeeper can see the real numbers.
- You haven’t been fully unreachable for two weeks in years.
None of that means the business is badly run. It usually means the business grew faster than the structure underneath it.
Why a buyer cares
A buyer isn’t only buying what the business earned. They’re buying the odds it keeps earning it without you.
When too much depends on the owner, that risk tends to show up in the deal: a lower price, part of the price tied to future results, or a longer stretch where you stay on to hand it over.
A lot of owners are reaching this point at the same time. Some people call it the silver tsunami. Starting early gives you more choices.
Not ready to sell? Handing the business to a manager or family, or just stepping back, takes the same work. Either way, the business has to run without you.
What I do about it
- Start with the Founder Dependence Check. Seven questions, a few minutes, and you see where the business still depends on you.
- Map what runs through you: decisions, customers, knowledge and the numbers.
- Move it a level down. Clear roles, written standards the team actually uses, a weekly rhythm, and numbers people can see without asking you.
- Let it run that way long enough to prove it. A buyer wants to see the business work without you, not read a plan that says it could.
What it looks like from the inside
From a recent 30-day diagnostic
Five core jobs all sat with the owner: setting direction, handling every exception, managing people, owning the processes, and running the technology. No one person can hold all five and also step away.
The work that makes a business sellable is the same work that makes it easier to run today. Working with a broker or exit advisor? Here’s how I work with them.
Questions owners ask
When should I start getting ready to sell?
As early as you can. Structure takes time to hold, and a buyer will want to see it working, not just written down. If you’re one to three years out, now is a good time to start.
Do I have to step away from the business?
Only as far as you want to. The goal is a business that doesn’t need you for every decision. How involved you stay after that is your call.
How do I step back from my business without it falling apart?
Find out what still runs through you, then move it a level down one piece at a time: decisions, customers, how the work gets done, and the numbers. Let each piece run without you before you take the next one off your plate.
What does a buyer look at first?
It varies by buyer, but a big one is how much of the business depends on you. If customers, decisions and know-how all route through the owner, that shows up as risk in the deal.
Do you handle valuation or the sale itself?
No. I work on operations. Valuation, deal structure, tax and legal belong with your broker, CPA and attorney, and I’m glad to work alongside them. If you need a valuation, I can make an introduction to a valuation firm.
Start with a conversation.
Tell me what keeps not getting done. You’ll leave with at least one thing to act on, whether we work together or not.
Rather not book yet? Take a quick check or leave your details and I’ll reach out.