Clarifying Your Motivation

IntroductionConsidering Partners and InvestorsCommon Inflection Points for ExitingWhat Questions to Ask

Evaluating Your Options

What is Your Business Worth?What Does the Market Look Like?How to Evaluate Your PositionCalculating Your NumberGoing Alone vs. With a AdvisorWhen to Tell Employees

Engaging with Buyers

How to Engage with BuyersWhen to Engage an AdvisorWhat to Share with BuyersWhen to Walk AwayWhen to Lean InHow to Keep Buyers WarmWhen to Engage a Lawyer

Navigating Offers

What to ExpectWhen to Engage a LawyerHow to Respond to an OfferHow to Negotiate Multiple OffersWhat to Do When Lawyers Get Too Aggressive

Surviving Due Diligence

Keeping the Business Running SmoothlyAvoiding Deal FatigueResponding to Retrades

Closing the Deal

Getting Through the Purchase AgreementTransferring Assets SmoothlyTransitioning WellHandling Issues Around Earnouts, Seller-Financing, and Equity

When Buyers Knock: Scale or Sale

A guide for entrepreneurs who are considering whether to sell or scale their business and how to maximize potential exit value.

This guide is a work in progress. If you see dummy text on a page, it means I'm still working on it. You can follow updates on Twitter @jonhainstock.

Sections

Clarifying Your Motivation

Begin by clarifying your personal and business goals. Why consider selling now? What are your aspirations post-sale?

Evaluating Your Options

Learn about the market of buyers for your business and how they will perceive value.

Engaging with Buyers

Learn how to run an effective process with buyers and increase the likelihood of getting multiple offers.

Navigating Offers

Learn how to negotiate offers to get the best deal possible.

Surviving Due Diligence

Learn how to survive due diligence while keeping the business strong.

Closing the Deal

Learn how to get over the finish line, transfer assets, and some common pitfalls and mistakes to avoid.