Most business owners don’t wake up and decide to sell overnight.
But the ones who walk away with the biggest checks?
They started thinking about the exit 1–3 years before it actually happened.

If you’re even considering selling someday — maybe five years from now, maybe one — now’s the time to start building a sale-ready business.

Not a perfect business.
Just one that a serious buyer can look at and say:

“This makes sense. I want it.”

Here’s how to get there.

Get Out of the Center of It All

If your business falls apart when you go on vacation, you’re not selling a company — you’re selling a job.
And most buyers don’t want to buy your job.

The more dependent your business is on you, the less it’s worth.

Start delegating. Document your systems. Build a team that can function without you. Buyers want operations that run, not just a founder who grinds.

Clean Up the Financials

This one’s non-negotiable.

• Ditch the shoebox accounting
• Get a solid bookkeeper (or fractional CFO)
• Stop mixing personal expenses into the business

Buyers will judge your company based on your trailing 12 months. Make them clean, consistent, and believable.

And yes — pay yourself market salary. Stop hiding profit in the margins. Real buyers don’t want to unravel a mess.

Know Your Numbers — and Drivers

If you don’t know what makes your business grow, you can’t convince anyone else it’s worth buying.

You should be able to answer:

• What’s your customer acquisition cost?
• What’s your gross margin per product/service?
• How much recurring revenue do you have (if any)?
• What would break if you doubled tomorrow?

Even if your business is small, having this clarity puts you miles ahead of 90% of owners.

Lock in Key Contracts or Recurring Revenue

The more revenue you can predict, the more valuable your business becomes.

Start thinking in terms of:

• Multi-year client contracts
• Service agreements or subscriptions
• Long-term vendor relationships
• Licensing deals

Buyers pay a premium for reliability.

Reduce Risk (Perceived or Real)

Every buyer’s brain runs on risk-reward logic.

You reduce risk by:

• Diversifying your customer base
• Having backup suppliers
• Replacing aging equipment
• Documenting SOPs (standard operating procedures)

Even small moves can shift how your business is perceived — and valued.

Show Growth Potential

You don’t need to be doubling revenue every year — but you do need a compelling story.

Buyers want to know:

• Where can this go next?
• What’s untapped?
• What marketing hasn’t been done yet?
• What does a scaled version of this look like?

If you can sketch a believable vision, you’re selling more than numbers — you’re selling opportunity.

Bottom Line

You don’t need to sell tomorrow to start thinking like a seller today.
Building a sale-ready business isn’t about perfection — it’s about positioning.

At Exits + Acquisitions, we help founders prep for an exit months or years in advance. That’s how real value is unlocked — and how legacies are protected.

Whether you’re a year out or five, we’re here to talk strategy. No pressure. No rush.

Whenever you’re ready, we’ll help you exit on your terms.