There is an incredible amount of good information and solid resources at your fingertips to better understand what drives the value of a business. So to make it easy, here’s a list of databases, assessment software, benchmarking reports, books, and whitepapers you should explore. Don’t shy away from knowing how ready you are and how attractive your business is. Knowledge is power. It’s time to get educated.
In 2016, Chris Snider, President and CEO of EPI, wrote the first book on the Value Acceleration Methodology called Walking to Destiny: 11 Actions an Owner Must Take to Rapidly Grow Value & Unlock Wealth. The book is was written for business owners by a business owner. It’s a proven system to maximize value, grow income, and build a business that can run without you, even if you never plan to leave. And if you do think you won’t ever exit your business, the business owner who never plans to leave needs a well-functioning, attractive business more than anyone.
– Free Chapter Downloads –
He felt compelled to write a book to arm fellow business owners and their advisors with the knowledge and understanding to recognize their potential and actually know how to execute tactics to grow and harvest the wealth locked in their businesses. It is also designed to bridge the understanding gap between advisors (who EPI trains) and owners and get them on the same page. From an advisor perspective, the Value Acceleration Methodology has become the leading process for exit planning and is prominently utilized by exit planning advisors across the world. We want to change the outcome for business owners who have invested their lives in their business. To do that, we need to change the paradigm of how exit planning is perceived by owners. Exit planning is good business strategy. Exit planning is now. With readiness comes success, freedom, and wealth, and providing that roadmap on your walk to destiny is the purpose of Walking to Destiny.
Case Study Chapter: The Perfect Exit [download]
Chapter 1 [download]
Chapter 2 [download]
Chapter 3 [download]
Chapter 4 [download]
Chapter 5 [download]
Chapter 6 [download]
Chapter 7 [download]
Chapter 8 [download]
Enterprise Value Assessment Tools:
Owner Readiness Benchmarking:
- The 54 Value Factors
- Are You Ready? 10 Ways to Tell if You Are
- 2013 National State of Owner Readiness
- 2015 Regional State of Owner Readiness | Northeast Ohio
- 2016 Regional State of Owner Readiness | San Diego
Recommended Reading List:
- Bennis, Warren. Managing the Dream: Reflections on Leadership and Change. New York: Perseus Publishing, 2000.
- Bossidy, Larry and Ram Charan. Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done. New York: Crown Business, 2002.
- Brown, John H. How To Run Your Business So You Can Leave It In Style. Denver: Business Enterprise Press, 1997.
- Christman, Peter G. The Master Plan: Exit Strategy For Successful Business Owners. 2015.
- Collins, Jim and Jerry I. Porras. Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies. New York: Harper Collins, 2002.
- Collins, Jim. Good to Great. New York: Harper Collins, 2001.
- Covey, Stephen R. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. New York: Free Press, 1989.
- Danco, Léon A. Beyond Survival: A Guide for Business Owners and Their Families. Michigan: Reston Pub. Co., 1975.
- Deans, Thomas William. Every Family’s Business: 12 Commonsense Questions to Protect Your Wealth. Orangeville: Détente Financial Press Ltd., 2013.
- Gerber, Michael E. The E-Myth. New York: Harper Collins, 1995.
- Hams, Brad with John A. Byrne. Ownership Thinking. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012.
- Harnish, Verne. Mastering the Rockefeller Habits. New York: SelectBooks, 2002.
- Jackim, Richard E. and Peter G. Christman. The $10 Trillion Opportunity. Chicago: R. Jackim & Company, 2005.
- Stewart, Thomas A. The Wealth of Knowledge: Intellectual Capital and the Twenty-first Century Organization. New York: Doubleday, 2001.
- Ungashick, Patrick A. Dance in the End Zone: The Business Owner’s Exit Planning Playbook. Alpharetta: BookLogix, 2008, 2011, 2013.
- Wattles, Wallace D. The Science of Getting Rich. Blacksburg: Thrifty Books, 2009.
- Welch, Jack. Jack: Straight from the Gut. New York: Warner Business Books, 2001.
Whitepapers:
Exit Planning
- Are You Ready to Exit
- Choosing Your Exit Planning Team
- How Long Should It Take to Exit a Business?
- The 4-Step Process of Choosing the Right Path
- 14 Exit Planning Suggestions
- Keep or Sell Test
- Preparing for Transition
- Taking Control of the $10 Trillion Opportunity
- Transition Strategy
- Understanding Retirement Satisfaction
- What Does Being “Ready” Mean?
- What is an Exit Plan?
Selling or Buying a Business
- Basic Deal Structures
- FAQs About Selling Your Business
- Growth Through Acquisition
- Seller Financing
- The Age Wave
- The Boomer Bust
- What Type of Buyer is Right for Your Company
Improving and Growing Businesses
- Creating Value
- Four Ways to Protect Your Turf
- Good Advice for Improving and Growing Your Business
Growth Through Acquisition - Problem Solving Guidelines
What My Business Worth?
Snider Value Index 