Why Exit Strategy Matters
Every business has an exit. You either build institutional permanence, plan strategic sale, or watch it decline. The exit you envision determines business structure, team building, profit allocation, governance, and growth strategy.
Three Exit Paths
Institutional Exit: Build for permanence, professional management, multi-generational holding. Strategic Exit: Build to attractive acquisition target, optimize for buyer requirements, plan sale timing. Founder Exit: Maximize cash in next 5-10 years, extract everything possible, accept post-exit decline.
Building for Your Exit
If institutional exit, build documented systems, professional team, clean financials, governance structure. If strategic exit, build for buyer preferences (recurring revenue, growth, margins). If founder exit, optimize quarterly profitability.
Choose your exit before you build. Every decision flows from this fundamental choice.