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Build a business you can leave on your terms.

Exit planning starts with when you’d like to step away and what you want from it. SMB works backward to the few things worth doing now.

Work on three things, not everything.

Most exits come down to the same few things. Start here.

  1. A business that runs without you

    Buyers and successors pay for a business that keeps going when the owner steps back. First step: hand off one job you do every week.

  2. Revenue that comes back

    Repeat customers and work that renews are the steadiest income you have. First step: remind past customers who are due for a visit.

  3. Records a buyer can trust

    Three years of tax returns and clean books shorten every conversation. First step: find any missing return and keep everything in one place.

More than one way to leave.

Selling is one path. Each one raises its own questions about money, control and timing to take to your advisors.

  1. Sell to a new owner

    A good fit when you’re ready to hand it to a buyer and move on. Ask: after the price, fees and taxes, what would I keep?

    Get ready to sell
  2. Pass it to someone you know

    A family member, partner or key employee, when someone inside is ready, or nearly. Ask: should it be a sale, a gift or both?

  3. Bring in employee owners

    The people who work here become owners. Ask a specialist: could it work at our size, and what would it cost?

  4. Hand over the day-to-day

    Keep owning it and work less. Ask: can the business pay a manager and still pay me enough?

  5. Close the business

    Wind it down on purpose when no one can take it on. Ask: what can I sell, what do I owe and what would be left?

Questions about exit planning.

What is an exit plan for a small business?

It’s a plan for how and when you’ll leave your business, and what you want from it. It covers what the business is worth today, who could take over and the few things to fix first.

When should I start planning my exit?

Years before you want to leave, if you can. More time means more choices. You can fix records, hand off work and compare paths before you pick one, and you’re covered if you need to leave sooner.

Why is my Bestimate lower than my goal?

Your Bestimate is what the business looks worth today, from your books. Your goal is what you want. The gap often comes from how much the business depends on you, missing records or income that doesn’t repeat. That gap is where the work is.

How your Bestimate works

Who should help with my exit plan?

Usually your accountant, plus an attorney for the paperwork. A business broker helps if you sell, and a lender if someone needs a loan to buy you out. When a step needs one of them, share the files it needs and ask.

Find help near you

Will SMB send anything without asking me?

No. SMB drafts reminders, reports and questions for your advisors. They go out only after you say yes.

Start with the end you want.

SMB asks about your timeline, what you want and how the business runs today, then builds the plan with you.

Succession planning