Exit Planning
A Written Plan for the Most Significant Transaction of Your Life​
Selling or transferring a business is something most owners do only once. The stakes are too high to improvise. We bring the process, the expertise, and the independence to help you get it right.
A Compelling Reality
75%
of business owners plan to exit within the next 10 years
48%
have no formal exit strategy
$14T
trillion in business wealth currently in transition
Source: Exit Planning Institute, 2023 State of Owner Readiness Report.
Our Deliverable
A Business Ownership Transition Guide
At the core of every EPS engagement is a written, comprehensive Business Ownership Transition Guide — a living document built entirely around your unique situation. It is not a template. It is your plan.
01
Customized
Every objective, every option, every recommendation is specific to your business, your goals, and your timeline. No two plans are alike.
02
Comprehensive
Tax, legal, banking, business consultants, and other advisors all offer valuable, often essential, input to a comprehensive plan. Directing a team of advisors to take coordinated action is critical to an effective planning process.
03
Outcome Agnostic
We build the plan around your goals — not a predetermined exit path. Internal, external, family, ESOP — the right answer is yours to choose.
04
Action Checklist Included
As your business and personal circumstances evolve, your plan evolves with them. We stay engaged through the full arc of the engagement.
“She saved us countless hours by giving us clear and straightforward guidance. Dyanne has our highest recommendation.”
President, Professional Services Firm
05
Independently Delivered
No products, no commissions, no hidden agenda. Our only obligation is to your best outcome — and the plan reflects that, completely.
What Exit Planning Is
More Than a Transaction — A Carefully Directed Process
Exit planning is the process of understanding your exit options, determining if they are realistic, and designing an intentional plan — well in advance of an anticipated departure in time or capital. Done well, it addresses your personal financial goals, your legacy, and your team, while maximizing the monetary reward for a lifetime of work.
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At Exit Planning Strategies, we work with owners who are 3 to 10 years from divestiture. That window is not too soon — it is exactly the right time. The earlier the planning begins, the more options you have, the more value you can create, and the more control you retain over the outcome.
“It is never too early to start planning an exit strategy. Once you determine how you want to transition your company, implementing the plan takes a lot of time — often more than you think.”
— Vice President, Heating & Air Conditioning Company
What a Written Plan Addresses
Your Personal Financial Objectives:
What do you need monetarily to enjoy financial independence? What do you want your legacy to be?
Business Value & the Gap:
What is your business valued at today, and what is needed to reach your financial independence number?
Key Employee Strategy:
Motivating and retaining the people who help make your business transferable – and valuable – is a critical component of every exit plan.
Exit Options & Transition Strategies:
Internal transfer, family succession, ESOP, outside buyer, partner buyout — each evaluated against your stated goals.
Contingency Planning:
Life has no guarantees. What happens if you die or become disabled before initiating your exit plan? Will the business survive? Do you have a current Buy-Sell Agreement? Will key personnel stay?
Advisory Team Coordination:
Legal, financial, and tax advisors aligned and directed under a comprehensive Action Checklist.