The Top-Secret Strategy

I love a puzzle. I love the cleverness that went into devising it. I love learning new things and creating new approaches. I love bringing others into the process because several brains are better than one. I love the intellectual challenge and sense of accomplishment when we solve the puzzle.

That is exactly how I feel about helping women position their businesses for their exit. Every situation is unique, every business owner is singular. It’s a puzzle that requires a customized approach, a solid plan, a specialized team, accounting for unpredictable variables, finesse, and courage.

Finesse? Courage? Yes, because the pivotal puzzle within this puzzle is balancing the secretive nature of positioning your business for exit and maintaining stability within the business.

Today’s Question:

How can you balance secrecy and stability while planning your exit?

But Here’s the Twist . . .

Becoming exit ready is not a one-time event when you’ve reached a certain revenue milestone or financial target.

Exit readiness is a strategic and ongoing process that involves setting the stage for a smooth transition, maximizing business value, and ensuring your legacy endures.

This foundational strategy is timeless and positioning your company for your exit will help you generate more revenue, streamline operations, and build real business value.

But an ongoing process means keeping a big secret over a long period of time – sometimes years. Change can be hard – and scary – especially for your staff and clients.

This is where finesse and courage come in.

Now What?

Confiding in a key staff member early in the process is a common mistake I see owners make.

I have no doubt that person is reliable and trustworthy – but they can’t possibly be objective. Their livelihood and position are on the line. Their stability is being rocked and they are not able to offer relevant advice.

Turning to a spouse or life partner for advice is equally destabilizing. They can’t offer knowledgeable advice and will have their own feelings about what’s happening.

Women who have successfully exited their business have shared with me that the most successful way forward was having a trusted, knowledgeable business advisor who could be objective and caring.

That’s the role I fill, helping the owner with the practical, emotional, confidential, and logistical puzzles that pop up in the process.

Those puzzles are often surprising and take calm, flexible thinking. Finesse is needed when we translate the solutions into messaging, to provide reassurance and stability.

Exit planning is both an art and a science. While the numbers and financial strategies are crucial, the pitfalls often lie in the intangibles—the aspects that transcend balance sheets and profit margins.

You're not just selling a company; you're transitioning a piece of your identity. Your business is an embodiment of your passion, hard work, and aspirations.

That’s why it’s crucial to have a dynamic roadmap to guide your exit, the means to manage the required secrecy, the skills to maintain business stability, and the courage to see your plans through.

The roadmap is the first step to an Elegant Exit™. Your exit can lead to wealth if you choose to sell your company, but what brought you here won’t get you there.

An Elegant Exit™ requires a new way of thinking, new skills, a simple and elegant design, and an advocate on your side. Contact me to learn more. 

Discover your Exit Readiness Index™ with this assessment: http://she-exits.com/

How can you balance secrecy and stability while planning your exit?

I'd love to hear what you think.  I read and respond to every email personally.