Category Archives: Exit Options

Exit Planning: Telling Secrets

Posted on January 8, 2017 by John F. Dini

Planning your exit from a business is a process of telling secrets. For many owners, it is the most terrifying part of selling. A rancher in South Texas once said to me, “I’m going to tell you a secret, and you … Continue Reading →

Posted in Customer Relations, Entrepreneurship, Exit Options, Exit Planning, Leadership, Selling a business, Strategy and Planning | Tagged Baby Boomers, Boomer Bust, business brokerage, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, Exit Options, Exit Planning, leadership, management, selling a business, small business, small business advice | Leave a comment

Business Buyers: The “Buy Now, Pay Later” Generation

Posted on October 16, 2016 by John F. Dini

If you are preparing to sell your business, your buyers will likely be members of the “buy now, pay later” generation. Generation X is the first demographic group to be raised in a culture that put little emphasis on savings. … Continue Reading →

Posted in Economic Trends, Exit Options, Exit Planning, Exit Strategies, Selling a business, Strategy and Planning | Tagged Baby Boomers, Boomer Bust, business, business brokerage, business ownership, business strategy, credit cards, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, Exit Planning, exit strategies, financial, hiring, leadership, management, new business, selling a business, small business, small business advice | 1 Comment

The Immortal Business Goes on Forever

Posted on August 7, 2016 by John F. Dini

Do you run an immortal business? I hope so. If you answered “no,” or even hesitated to be sure of your response, then you don’t think of your business as immortal. So when do you plan to shut it down? Most … Continue Reading →

Posted in Entrepreneurship, Exit Options, Exit Planning, Exit Strategies, Managing Employees, Selling a business, Strategy and Planning | Tagged Baby Boomers, Boomer Bust, business, business brokerage, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, exit planning, exit strategies, leadership, management, selling a business, small business, small business advice | 2 Comments

Selling Your Business: Money isn’t Everything

Posted on July 24, 2016 by John F. Dini

When I was a kid my mother said “Money isn’t everything” in response to every envious glance at another kid’s stuff. As I became successful enough to afford things for my children, I reversed the meaning. “Money isn’t everything” became … Continue Reading →

Posted in Entrepreneurship, Exit Options, Exit Planning, Life After, Selling a business, Strategy and Planning | Tagged Baby Boomers, Boomer Bust, business, business brokerage, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, exit planning, exit strategies, financial, leadership, management, selling a business, small business, small business advice | Leave a comment

Selling to Employees: Is Your Exit Strategy Right in Front of You?

Posted on July 10, 2016 by John F. Dini

When I interview a prospective client for exit planning assistance, we usually explore selling to employees. The first reaction is always “That won’t work. They don’t have any money.” If you have a company with reasonable cash flow, a talented … Continue Reading →

Posted in Building Value, Entrepreneurship, Exit Options, Exit Planning, Exit Strategies, Incentives, Leadership, Managing Employees, Selling a business, Strategy and Planning | Tagged Baby Boomers, Boomer Bust, Building Value, business, business brokerage, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, exit strategies, leadership, management, selling a business, small business, small business advice | 1 Comment

What’s in YOUR Nondisclosure Agreement?

Posted on June 26, 2016 by John F. Dini

A Nondisclosure Agreement (NDA) has become one of the basic standard documents in every company’s wallet. Between the rising swell of Baby Boomer owners entertaining exit planning, and greater caution surrounding the legal issues of strategic partnering, an NDA is … Continue Reading →

Posted in Entrepreneurship, Exit Options, Exit Planning, Managing Employees, Selling a business, Strategy and Planning | Tagged Baby Boomers, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, exit planning, exit strategies, leadership, management, selling a business, small business, small business advice | 5 Comments

Too Busy to Do Business

Posted on April 24, 2016 by John F. Dini

Another tax filing season has passed, and the entire US accounting profession comes up for air. Of course, thousands of businesses and individuals have filed for extensions, thereby postponing the pain of calculating their final numbers for anywhere from a … Continue Reading →

Posted in Exit Options, Exit Planning, Leadership, Life After, Politics and Regulation, Selling a business, Strategy and Planning | Tagged business, business brokerage, business ownership, business strategy, economy, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, financial, management, politics, selling a business, small business, small business advice | 4 Comments

What is the Right Price?

Posted on March 20, 2016 by John F. Dini

Of all the misconceptions by business owners, the ones surrounding their company’s value are both the most common and often wildly inaccurate. I’ve been working for the last couple of months on the training videos for advisors in our new product, The ExitMap®. … Continue Reading →

Posted in Building Value, Exit Options, Exit Planning, Exit Strategies, Selling a business, Strategy and Planning | Tagged Baby Boomers, Boomer Bust, business, business brokerage, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, exit planning, exit strategies, financial, management, sales, selling a business, small business, small business advice | Leave a comment

Is Your Business in the “Neutral Zone?”

Posted on November 22, 2015 by John F. Dini

As Baby Boomers business owners approach retirement (the youngest of them turned 50 this year) they face a unique challenge. The market for small businesses is increasingly a buyer’s smorgasbord A shrinking middle-aged population, corporate competition for talent and less interest … Continue Reading →

Posted in Building Value, Entrepreneurship, Exit Options, Exit Planning, Exit Strategies, Leadership, Selling a business, Strategy and Planning | Tagged Baby Boomers, Boomer Bust, business brokerage, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, economy, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, exit planning, exit strategies, leadership, selling a business, small business, small business advice | 2 Comments

Owners Live in Two Different Worlds

Posted on August 30, 2015 by John F. Dini

Business owners live in two different worlds. If you are a Baby Boomer, the title of this column might bring memories of any one of the many covers of the song by the same name. (Everyone from Nat King Cole to … Continue Reading →

Posted in Building Value, Economic Trends, Entrepreneurship, Exit Options, Exit Planning, Exit Strategies, Selling a business, Strategy and Planning, Top Blog Posts | Tagged Baby Boomers, Boomer Bust, business, business brokerage, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, economy, entrepreneurship, exit planning, exit strategies, leadership, management, selling a business, small business, small business advice | 1 Comment

Selling Your Business in a Buyer’s Market

Posted on June 7, 2015 by John F. Dini

For almost ten years I’ve been writing and speaking about the issues facing Baby Boomer business owners as they begin a flood of small business sales. This recent article was syndicated in 16 trade and professional magazines. I reprint it … Continue Reading →

Posted in Business Perspectives, Economic Trends, Entrepreneurship, Exit Options, Exit Planning, Selling a business, Strategy and Planning | Tagged Baby Boomers, Boomer Bust, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, exit planning, exit strategies, management, selling a business, small business, small business advice | 3 Comments

Money is Only Money

Posted on April 19, 2015 by John F. Dini

Last week I discussed the general parameters of the private equity market for small and midsized businesses. A rational look at the number of “funds” active in the market, measured against the number of legitimate candidates for investment or acquisition, … Continue Reading →

Posted in Building Value, Entrepreneurship, Exit Options, Exit Planning, Selling a business, Strategy and Planning | Tagged business ownership, business planning, business strategy, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, exit planning, exit strategies, small business, small business advice | Leave a comment