The 1,000 day exit plan

At Axial, we speak with hundreds of business owners each month who are exploring the sale of their businesses. 

One of the patterns we’ve seen: business owners think it can happen more expediently than it actually does. 

Our research indicates that a business owner should start the exit planning process about 1,000 days prior to their intended sale date – which equates to just under three years. 

Starting the planning and preparation process years in advance of the targeted exit date will allow ample time to:

• Have the right conversations with family members, teammates and peers
• Make the business more attractive to potential buyers
• Engage in a deliberate wealth and succession planning process
• Hire the right service providers to support you in the process
• Avoid feeling rushed to make the biggest decision of your life
• And much more…

Below is a suggested business exit timeline, broken out into stages, with focus areas for business owners at each stage.

Business Exit Timeline

Below, we’ve compiled a variety of educational resources associated with each stage of the business exit timeline. Also included are select Axial offerings that can further assist business owners as they navigate through the entire business transition process.