When Melanie went through a recent training with the Exit Planning Institute, she learned a stat that has stuck with our team: 75% of owners say they regret selling within a year.
Not because they sold for too little. Not because the deal went bad.
Because they didn’t know what they were walking into on the other side of a sale. Most owners don’t think about, or plan for, that part.
If you’re like a lot of business owners, the business has consumed a tremendous amount of your time and thoughts. It’s where you form friendships, where you solve problems, and how you quantify success. That’s why selling a business is not just a financial transition. It’s a personal one.
If you’re thinking about selling in the next few years, hopefully you’re already doing the right things:
These things matter and will increase your value. But that’s only half the picture. Here’s what most owners miss: Building a life you actually want to step into. Because if you don’t, the business becomes your default identity.
We’ve seen both sides of this. One owner did everything right on paper. Strong business, good team, great earnings. Six months after closing, they said: “I didn’t realize how much of my day was spent solving problems. Now I wake up and no one really needs me.”
They didn’t regret the deal. They just weren’t prepared for the quiet.
Another owner started earlier. A few years before selling, they began asking questions like: What do I want my weeks to look like? What do I actually enjoy doing? Where do I want to spend my time?
They didn’t wait for the exit to figure it out. They tested it. They got involved in a board. Mentored. Stepped back from day-to-day operations. By the time the business sold, they already had a rhythm. This owner wasn’t just leaving something. They were moving into something.
On the business side, keep (or start) doing the things we mentioned above.
But start doing these things on the personal side too:
If you don’t have an answer yet, that’s OK, but now you have some homework to do.
If you’re ready to start thinking about exiting your business but don’t know where to start or how to plan for the future, let’s chat. Our team can help you work through what you want your future to look like, both financially and personally. You can schedule a call here.