Not because they’re bad businesses. But because buyers don’t see what they’re looking for — or worse, they see red flags.
Most owners assume selling is like flipping a switch: “When I’m ready, I’ll just sell.” But being ready to exit and having a business that’s ready to sell are two very different things.
You might be bringing in $1M, $5M, or even $10M a year. That’s great. But buyers aren’t just looking at top-line numbers. They want to know if your business is transferable, stable, and low-risk.
And those qualities don’t show up on your sales report.
So how do you know if you’re actually ready?
Here are 3 big signs your business might not be exit-ready yet:
If you’re still the one everyone goes to for decisions, sales, or approvals — you’re not just the owner, you’re the operator. That scares buyers.
Buyers need to trust your profits. If your financials are unclear, emotional spending is mixed in, or your books aren’t updated — it’s a red flag.
If the business runs on what you know (instead of what’s written down), it’s hard for someone else to step in.
Open a new doc. Write this at the top:
“What I do that no one else knows how to do.”
List everything you can think of — big or small. This is your starting point for delegating, documenting, and removing yourself from the daily grind.
The more you remove you from the business, the more value your business has.
Download the free Exit Toolkit to uncover your gaps and start fixing them today.
