Exit Planning Solutions

Ensuring a Satisfying Exit Transition Experience

The success or failure of the business owner’s exit transition experience is directly related to how well the owner’s personal, business, financial, legal, and tax issues are understood and handled. Missing one step in the Exit Plan could be critical to the successful completion of a business sale, merger or acquisition, potentially leaving millions of dollars at risk or on the table, and may ultimately lead to premature or delayed retirement.

Transitioning a business to the next owner is one of the most important events in a business owner’s life and may include selling to:

A family member
A partner
Management
Employees
An outside party via an acquisition
Another company via a merger

Ironically, most business owners spend more time planning a vacation than they spend planning the critically important exit from their businesses.

Strategizing with a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA)

The Certified Exit Planning Advisors at Lyons Solutions are uniquely qualified to provide strategic exit planning services and have helped more than 100 company owners successfully prepare for an exit event. Our goal is to guide clients in a logical, rational and methodical manner in order to deliver the best results possible.

Identifying the Core Goals and Outcomes of the Exit Event

At the core of the exit plan is goal identification. Lyons Solutions works with company owners and other key stakeholders as appropriate to help them formulate their personal, retirement, business, financial, family, charitable giving and legacy goals. These goals are then integrated into each part of the exit plan. They provide a directional framework against which the relevance of all exit planning action steps are measured. We work on a collaborative basis with each client’s other advisors to develop a list of specific recommendations and solutions that address their exit planning goals.

Specific exit planning outcomes include:

Identifying the best time to transition the business via sale, merger or acquisition
Evaluating the pros and cons of different exit options
Estimating the current fair market value of the business
Delineating options for enhancing the value of the business prior to the exit event
Planning how to minimize the tax consequences of a business exit event
Determining how to eliminate costly or deal-breaking mistakes during due diligence

Assessing a Business to Maximize Its Value

As part of the exit planning process, our seasoned advisors analyze over 50 individual value drivers allowing us to present a detailed action plan for maximizing the value of our client’s company prior to sale or merger.

Some businesses require only a few adjustments; others may require several years of fine-tuning in order to maximize the valuation needed to sustain the company owner’s lifestyle goals during retirement. Lyons Solutions helps coach company owners through the process of value enhancement.

By developing a blueprint to capitalize on the company’s strengths and eliminate or mitigate weaknesses, Lyons Solutions helps clients maximize the value of their business before deciding to sell. In many cases, this can add millions of dollars to the final sales price.

Learn more about our Exit Planning Tools for Business Owners

Thinking About Retiring?

A Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) can help you assess whether you’re likely to be satisfied with retirement by testing your readiness. Request a complimentary Retirement Satisfaction Predictor Test or call a Lyons Solution CEPA to discuss your situation and options today.