EXIT PLANNING FOR BUSINESS OWNERS
Build a business the next owner will want.
Selling, passing it to partners or employees, or keeping it in the family: the work that sets the price starts years before the deal. Axle is a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA).
For owners of privately held businesses in any industry.
What a CEPA does
The CEPA designation is awarded by the Exit Planning Institute. It trains advisors to help owners build business value and line up their personal, financial, and ownership goals for a successful exit. A CEPA acts as the quarterback and connector between you and the rest of your advisors.
A good exit stands on three legs
Business value
A company that is worth more, runs without you and is ready for a buyer, partner or the next generation.
Personal readiness
Enough wealth outside the business to fund the life you want, with your estate, tax and insurance plans in place.
Life after the business
A clear picture of what you will do next. Owners who skip this are the ones who back out of good deals.
Know your three gaps
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What you need to fund life after the business, compared with what you own outside it.
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What the business would earn if it ran like the best in its field, compared with what it earns now.
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What the business could be worth with that improvement, compared with what it is worth today.
Closing the gaps is the plan. We put numbers on each one so you can see the size of the job.
What buyers pay for
70%+ of most companies' valuations depend on intangible assets. Axle helps you build four kinds of intangible strength, which command a business value that the market will actually pay for:
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People
A team that can run the business without the owner.
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Customers
Relationships that repeat and are not tied to one person.
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Systems
Written processes, clean financials and strategy that others can follow.
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Culture
A reputation and way of working that a new owner can keep.
How the work runs
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[STEP 1]Assess
An independent look at your business value, your personal finances, and your goals.
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[STEP 2]Plan
A short, ranked list of the actions that matter most.
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[STEP 3]Build in 90-day sprints
A few priorities at a time, reviewed every 90 days so the plan keeps moving.
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[STEP 4]Decide
Keep growing or move toward an exit.
Your options, side by side
Inside transitions
Sale to partners or employees, a management buyout, an ESOP, or passing the business to family.
Outside transitions
Sale to a strategic or financial buyer, a recapitalization with an investor, or an orderly wind-down.
We compare cash, tax, control, and risk in plain numbers, so the choice is yours.
What we work on with you
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Accrual close, owner add-backs documented, earnings a buyer can trust.
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Margins, customer concentration, repeat work, and how much depends on you personally.
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Funding the next generation can afford.
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Who runs the business and the key relationships after you step back.
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The forecast and files a buyer's team will ask for, ready before diligence starts.
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The schedules a buyer's accountants will test, ready before the deal.
One part of your advisory team
We are the quarterback of the entire effort, not the whole team. We work alongside your M&A advisor or broker, attorney, valuation professional, wealth advisor, and tax advisor, and make sure everyone works from the same numbers and vision.
Start 3-5 years out
Owners who start early have time to build value, fix what a buyer would discount, and choose their path. Owners who start at the offer have one option. Whenever you start, we start there.
