Most business owners put off exit prep with the same quiet thought:

“I’m not ready yet.”

Not ready to let go.

Not ready to retire.

Not ready to hand over the reins.

Not ready to think about taxes, lawyers, or buyers.

But here’s the trap: by the time you feel ready, it’s often too late to maximize your outcome.

The Trap: Waiting Until It Feels Right

If you wait for readiness to feel comfortable… you’ll lose optionality, leverage, and time.

Many owners delay because of:

• Perfectionism (“I’ll prep after I fix [insert thing]”)
• Fear (“What will I do after I sell?”)
• Identity (“I am this business”)

So they wait…

And wait…

Until burnout hits. Or revenue dips. Or personal life demands a shift.

And then they’re forced to sell — rushed, reactive, and unprepared.

Exit Prep Takes Longer Than You Think

It takes 12–36 months to truly prep your business to sell well.

That’s not just legal and financial prep. That’s:

• Cleaning up books
• Removing owner dependency
• Documenting processes
• Building systems and leadership
• Smoothing revenue trends
• Structuring for tax efficiency

You can’t do this in a few frantic months. You shouldn’t. Deals done in a hurry often cost you millions.

Quick Gut Check: Are You Using “Not Ready” as an Excuse?

Ask yourself:

• Am I really not ready — or just uncomfortable thinking about change?
• If someone offered full asking price today… could I hand them the keys with confidence?
• Is delaying this helping me — or just avoiding the hard stuff?

One Small Action to Start Today

Start a folder or doc called “Exit Prep”.

Jot down:

• One thing you’d need to clean up (e.g., messy books)
• One thing only you know how to do
• One thing that would scare a buyer (e.g., top customer = 70% of revenue)

That’s your starting point.

Want to get ahead while you still have options?

Download the Free Exit Toolkit to uncover what buyers look for — and what could lower your offer without you knowing.