Cashing Out @ Full Value: A Novel/Guide for 'Boomers' Selling the Family Business

Selling the family business is an emotional experience, often completed on short notice and without effective preparation. Family owned and/or middle-market company executives, often inexperienced in preparing a company for sale, sell a company at a discount when compared to one 'prepared for sale.' It requires at least 1-2 years to effectively prepare a company for sale - having the right people, ingrained processes, and a history of well-executed plans creates value.

The sale value of a company is not built exclusively on past performance, but value represents the acquiring company's estimate of worth, based on the company's future performance. Past performance reinforces the credibility of future earnings, but well-developed and proven business processes implemented by a highly qualified organization, successfully executing a business plan will define future value for a buyer.

This book is a novel that recognizes the emotional challenges felt by an entrepreneur who approaches retirement, but has no plan to successfully transition the business. The book represents a collection of tactics used to improve company performance. Using the processes outlined in the book, companies have grown by 20% or more annually in competitive markets that grew at less than 5%. Calculate the impact on company selling price of such stellar growth and determine the return on your investment if you 'prep for sale' and improve your business processes and organization.

Analytical templates that can be used in any business to improve their performance are included for reference. Preparing a company for sale is not window-dressing, or 'putting lipstick on a pig,' but rather it is improving processes that will increase company performance to match strategic priorities.