• Mergers and Acquisitions/Exit Planning - QuickRead Top Story

    Options for Business Owners Exploring Exit Opportunities

    April 8, 2026

    Looking to Reduce Risk, and Increase Liquidity Business owners have a myriad of business exit options. In this article, the author posits that selling the business may not be the best option, and discusses the options business owners may want to consider to suit their goals. The Moment You Start Thinking About an Exit It usually starts quietly. A colleague hangs up the proverbial hat and heads somewhere warm after you bought their book of business in a take-it-or-leave-it deal because you thought it would give you the boost to meet your financial goals. You watch a competitor get acquired…

  • Mergers and Acquisitions/Exit Planning - QuickRead Top Story

    Exit Planning

    November 5, 2025

    Examining Available Sale Options and Steps to Maximize the Financial Outcome (Part II of II) Effective exit planning is essential for business owners to maximize financial outcomes when selling or transferring their business. This second part of the comprehensive guide explores the strategic options available, the timing required for preparation, and key value drivers to enhance sale success. Read Part I here. Effective exit planning is essential for business owners to maximize financial outcomes when selling or transferring their business. This comprehensive guide explores the strategic options available, the timing required for preparation, and key value drivers to enhance sale…

  • Mergers and Acquisitions/Exit Planning - QuickRead Top Story

    Exit Planning

    October 29, 2025

    Examining Available Sale Options and Steps to Maximize the Financial Outcome (Part I of II) Effective exit planning is essential for business owners to maximize financial outcomes when selling or transferring their business. This two-part comprehensive guide explores the strategic options available, the timing required for preparation, and key value drivers to enhance sale success. Effective exit planning is essential for business owners to maximize financial outcomes when selling or transferring their business. This comprehensive guide explores the strategic options available, the timing required for preparation, and key value drivers to enhance sale success. I have been involved in buying…

  • Mergers and Acquisitions/Exit Planning - QuickRead Top Story

    Practice Interruption, Exit Planning

    March 20, 2024

    and Contingency Recommendations This article is authored by two Litigation Forensics Board members who have also created a survey to help practitioners with the process of exit planning. Have you thought about what will happen when you exit your current position or consider selling your practice? Here are some questions to ask yourself: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LFBSurvey. Now that awareness has been created, let’s discuss what you need to begin the process. Considerations Cost: depends on what you need and supply yourself. Case file records: all documentation and access to records, computers, etc., and all details so you can continue business to contact…

  • Mergers and Acquisitions/Exit Planning - QuickRead Top Story

    Adding Success Fees to Starting the Exit Planning Conversation

    March 4, 2024

    NACVA/CTI BVFLS Conference Presentation Summary This article is a review of a session involving exit planning that was covered in a highly interactive, standing-room-only session from the NACVA/CTI BVFLS Conference in Fort Lauderdale, FL on December 14, 2023. This article is a review of the topics covered in the highly interactive, standing-room-only session from the NACVA/CTI BVFLS Conference in Fort Lauderdale, FL this past December 14, 2023. John Leonetti and Erin O’Leary from the International Exit Planning Association were invited to speak at the December NACVA/CTI BVFLS Conference. The topic of the presentation was ‘From Success Fees to Starting the…

  • Mergers and Acquisitions/Exit Planning - QuickRead Top Story

    Business Owner Exit Planning Engagement Tools

    September 27, 2023

    More Than Just a Conversation What tools are available to assess an owner’s readiness to exit a business? What process exists to enable professionals to assist an owner with exit planning? This article is based on three tools presented and discussed at NACVA and the CTI’s July 2023 Business Valuation and Financial Litigation Super Conference. Those three tools are the Business Exit Readiness Index (BERI), the Owners Dependence Index (ODI), and the Growth Planning Index (GPI). These three owner survey tools deliver actionable information for the advisor(s) and the business owner client. These tools are useful at different points of…

  • Mergers and Acquisitions/Exit Planning - QuickRead Top Story

    How Selling a Business is Like Running a Half Marathon

    May 25, 2022

    Getting to the Finish Line is Exhausting In this article, the author analogizes the sale of a business to how one prepares and runs a half marathon. Many business owners may treat an exit as a half marathon, but that is a mistake. Business owners need professional consultants to assist them with their exit plan and negotiations. The author shares his views on the negotiation process and stresses that business owners must prepare and expect changes to successfully conclude a sale. 2021 was a record year for business sale/exit transactions in the lower-middle market (businesses with valuations between $10 million…

  • Mergers and Acquisitions/Exit Planning - QuickRead Top Story

    Outrunning Inflation to Achieve a Successful Exit in 2022

    April 6, 2022

    Rising Levels of High Mental Readiness for an Exit Business owners often-times see exit planning as a complicated, overwhelming, and emotional process. Accordingly, few owners adequately prepare for this significant event. However, an exit plan is essential to help business owners manage the illiquid wealth in their businesses, particularly in turbulent times such as these marked by strife that is present in local and global economies, national and international politics, and market disruption. The International Exit Planning Association sees the present challenges as an opportunity to provide advice to these owners considering an exit. This article discusses the dynamics of…

  • Mergers and Acquisitions/Exit Planning - QuickRead Top Story

    To Exit a Business for Millions, Begin with the End in Mind

    September 15, 2021

    Get Acquired for Millions—A Roadmap for Technology Services Providers to Maximize Company Value What should a technology service professional know to sell his or her company for millions. In this book review, Michael Pakter discusses Linda Rose’s Get Acquired for Millions—A Roadmap for Technology Services Providers to Maximize Company Value. Entrepreneurs aspiring to end up selling their businesses for millions should make business valuation their primary strategic imperative from start to finish. To quote Steven Covey, “Begin with the end in mind.” Those who begin to ask themselves “what is my business worth?” only when the time to sell arrives…

  • Mergers and Acquisitions/Exit Planning - QuickRead Top Story

    The Ticking Clock

    August 18, 2021

    The Future of Main Street Business Succession In 2001, veteran investment banker, Peter Christman, first identified the need for a holistic approach to preparing owners of midmarket businesses for sale and/or exit. He set about writing a book to address this. At the time, the first Baby Boomer was 56 years of age. Those Baby Boomers are now not so young. In this article, the author shares his impression of the challenges Main Street business owners and business succession advisors face developing a plan and executing the exit plan. A Brief History Depending on how you mark the start date,…

  • QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    Book Review

    January 13, 2021

    The Art of Business Valuation: Accurately Valuing a Small Business This is a book review of The Art of Busines Valuation: Accurately Valuing a Small Business. This book is a guide and desk reference for valuing businesses under $10 million in revenues. The primary question answered in the book is: How do we as business valuators, business brokers, accountants, lawyers, owners, and other interested parties prepare, review, evaluate, or use an accurate business valuation for small and very small businesses in a difficult environment? A business valuation is not just a matter of applying techniques, it has to make sense.…

  • Mergers and Acquisitions/Exit Planning - QuickRead Top Story

    Adding Growth to Exit Planning

    February 26, 2020

    Observations of Needs of Boomer Owners as the Exit Tsunami Begins Readers serving as advisors to privately held business owners stand in the position of being the authority when it comes to topics such as growth and exit planning. This QuickRead article is written to share the research on the privately held business owner market and mindset, which points to important considerations for business owners who are considering and/or executing upon a plan to grow and/or exit their privately held business. The article covers five important issues that will enable advisors to understand the opportunity in this market, an opportunity…

  • Mergers and Acquisitions/Exit Planning - QuickRead Top Story

    Emotional Considerations for Transitions

    November 15, 2017

    Time to Check-in and Frankly Address those Emotional Issues Seller’s remorse is real and not being emotionally prepared to transition the business is as dangerous as the value and financial matters. The emotional component of the sale/transition is worth considerably more than the money you will receive for the business. In this article, Edwin Mysogland shares the importance of addressing the emotional issues that arise when small business owners transition out of the business.

  • QuickPress

    A Visual Recap of Global PE Activity in 2Q 2017

    September 6, 2017

    With the second quarter of 2017 in the books, we ran the numbers and sifted through the data to recap all the key info on global PE activity during 2Q.  Powered by the PitchBook Platform, our quarter-end datagraphic looks at fundraising (which had a huge quarter), deal and exit activity, top investors and more. To read the full article in PitchBook, click: A Visual Recap of Global PE Activity in 2Q 2017.

  • QuickPress

    How to Talk to Your Clients About Selling a Business

    June 7, 2017

    Whether it be retiring, shift in life path, or just moving in a different direction, Financial Planning presents a video on what to discuss with your clients and their all-important decision to sell. To read the full article in Financial Planning, click: How to Talk to Your Clients About Selling a Business.

  • QuickPress

    Avoid These Mistakes When Planning an Exit

    July 27, 2016

    Why Valuation isn’t the Only Thing that Matters During an Exit A big mistake that some startup businesses make is doing whatever it takes to maximize their valuation when they exit, writes Michael Morgan, CFO of Tegile Systems.  A single-minded focus on valuation can backfire if the market enters a downturn, he writes. To read the full article in CFO, click: Avoid These Mistakes When Planning an Exit.

  • QuickPress

    Key Questions to Ask the Family Business Owner who Plans to Sell

    May 25, 2016

    Advising Your Business-Owner Clients on Transitions As baby boomer entrepreneurs move toward retirement, their advisers should ask a series of questions about their financial and emotional states to help them plan their exit strategies.  Patricia M. Annino, JD, suggests, among other things, advisers should ask about how quickly clients want to sell, how the sale will affect their families, and whether they want to keep working in the business after the deal is finalized. To read the full article in the Journal of Accountancy, click: Key Questions to Ask the Family Business Owner who Plans to Sell.

  • Mergers and Acquisitions/Exit Planning - QuickRead Top Story

    Factors Affecting Succession/Exit Planning in the Veterinary Industry

    December 10, 2014

    Revenues in veterinary practices continue to climb, but profitability has fallen. The supply-demand currently favoring sellers is about to change, and that is expected to impact sellers. These practices have options—other than selling to a consolidator—and will remain attractive to associates; however, vet practices will need to be proactive to control costs to command a better price.