The Readiness Roadmap to Value Part 2
Determining Readiness to Sell
In Part 1 of The Readiness Roadmap to Value, we looked at how transferring ownership of a business through a sale is perhaps one of the most overlooked, yet intensely valuable aspects of entrepreneurship.
Being prepared to sell your business will save you time, money and in the long run, help ease the emotional stress of selling the business. And we’ll say it again because it’s important: your company should always be ready to sell.
Transitioning your business through a sale means increased scrutiny on every aspect of what you do and how you do it. Entrepreneurs should always prioritize building a strong organizational and financial foundation by maintaining disciplined management practices. Owners and founders that have done so – while also building strong culture and values – will always be more attractive to buyers or investors. It’s also important to note that costly mistakes can be avoided by bringing on an advisory team early on in the process.
Unlocking Value: Beyond the Readiness & Value Assessment
As an entrepreneur, if you’ve completed SEA’s Readiness & Value Assessment, you have taken the first step toward understanding opportunities to close value gaps and possible blindspots of unrealized value. Without a cost or commitment this initial discovery call takes less than an hour. If your business is ready to sell, then it’s time for prospect positioning to identify key client characteristics to expand the scope of potential buyers with strategic interest to drive a competitive sale.
However, if a Readiness & Value Assessment reveals disappointing or underwhelming results, it’s likely that your organization has significant value gaps. As a result, a deeper dive is needed via SEA’s Value Gap Analysis. This helps entrepreneurs by
- Determining critical business strengths & weaknesses
- Dialing in on value areas that require improvements
The path to value beyond the Readiness & Value Assessment is created through SEA’s Readiness Roadmap. The Readiness Roadmap provides an actionable plan, on a defined timeline, that empowers entrepreneurs to bridge significant value gaps negatively impacting the outcome of the sale.
It’s important to remember that selling a business is a process and not an event. SEA works with sellers to establish a specific timeline, with a customized process, to increase value and go to market with the strongest value proposition. The advisors at SEA developed a sell-side process to help entrepreneurs achieve their ultimate exit. During this process, the SEA team
- Identifies strategic buyers
- Stages the release of company information
- Drives a competitive process to sell your company
- Negotiates and closes a deal that meets your objectives
- Achieves financial independence
Your Priorities & Your Transition Goals Guide Our Process
At SEA, we listen to your story to understand the transition goals for your business. Our success together is defined and led by your priorities. Whether your business is ready to sell or there’s work to be accomplished through our Readiness Roadmap – our work prioritizes your personal and financial goals to
- Earn the best value for your business
- Protect your legacy
- Plan for your ultimate exit
- Take care of your people during the transition of ownership
- Make certain the business’ culture endures
Is Your Business Ready to Sell?
SEA’s Readiness Roadmap helps businesses to organize, prioritize, and delegate tasks in an effective way to prepare for a successful sale and ultimate exit.
SEA guides and facilitates the process with emphasis on accountability: our team will keep tabs on everything your team members need to do and why they need to do it, while making certain everyone is on the same page. Transitioning ownership of a business can be challenging but ultimately, one of the greatest rewards of entrepreneurship.
We are ready to help you on your entrepreneurial journey. Call us anytime (215) 489-8881 or schedule a conversation here.