Regardless of your present plans or intentions, putting the proper cornerstones into place now - ahead of your exit - increases the odds of a successful and more profitable exit, whether your exit occurs according to your timetable or is prompted by unexpected circumstances. 

Examples
For example, certain exit results, which are addressed in the Transition Growth Planning process, require that actions be taken years ahead of your exit to be fully effective, such as the following (with pre-exit time estimates):
•  Elect Subchapter “S” tax status to avoid double tax on sale of business (10 years).
• Utilize credible, buyer-acceptable, reviewed/audited financial statements (3-5 years). 
• Bridge gap between exit “cash-in-pocket” retirement needs and your company’s exit value (5-10 + years).
•  Build a management leadership team depth chart (5-15 years).
•  Identify and develop specific capable successor(s) (5-10 years).
•  Acquire adequate financial gap contingency funding (such as life and disability insurance) while in good health and insurable (10-15 years).
•  Implement gifting program to reduce death taxes (10-20 years).
• Determine and implement key employee buy-in (5-10 years).
•  Determine and utilize key employee retention incentive (5-15 years).
•  Bring company up to industry level financial and business benchmarks to help attain desired exit pricing (5-10 years).
•  Implement pre-exit business entity restructuring (2-5 years).
•  Develop outside Board of Director members to help guide the company in the event of your unexpected death or disability (5-10 years).
•  Find acceptable outside buyer at right time in business and economic cycle (2-5 years).

The Next Step for Business Owners Transition Growth System will help you to take these actions now, when they matter the most.