How to Setup Your Business for an Exit (My Playbook)

I sold my company in 2019.

The process takes time.

Most founders start too late.

They leave millions on the table.

They scramble when buyers show up.

Your exit starts the day you launch.

Here's the exact playbook I used: I. Strategic Foundation (3-5 Years Out)

1/ Define Your Exit Goals

Why? Align all efforts with end goals (e.g., sell to PE, competitor, or employees)

How: "Do I want cash upfront? Legacy preservation? Ongoing involvement?"

10 management fails that bankrupt companies.

(WeWork ignored #1).

Bankruptcy rarely happens overnight.

It follows predictable leadership mistakes.

Avoid these or face collapse.

Save your business now.

Spot them early → save your company: 1. Ignoring Cash Flow

Failing to track burn rate, receivables, and operating expenses monthly.

Fix: Run weekly cash forecasts + slash non-essential costs immediately.

Career ceilings exist because we ignore invisible rules.

Master these brutal truths or remain stuck indefinitely.

Hard work guarantees nothing.

Visibility and strategy drive real progress.

Here are 7 things you needed to know yesterday: 1/ Your Hard Work Alone Won’t Get You Promoted

Visibility > Effort. Quiet grinders get overlooked.

Build relationships with decision-makers.

Track and verbally share your wins in meetings.

Most people struggle to sell.
But the best can sell anything to anyone.

I've been selling for 15+ years now.
Sold Amazon, bookkeeping, SEO.

It’s not about the product.
It’s about psychology, persuasion, and trust.

Master these, and you’ll never be broke.

Here’s how it’s done: 1/ Understand Your Audience

Research & Segmentation:

• Identify demographics, psychographics, and behavioral traits.

• Develop detailed buyer personas.

Most new business owners make these 8 critical financial mistakes.

Profit isn't the problem; cash flow and chaos are.

Spot these early or pay the price.

8 deadly traps with instant fixes: 1. Blurring Personal & Business Funds

Using one account for both transactions.

Jumbling expenses, leading to tax-time chaos.

FIX:

Open separate business accounts + use tools like QuickBooks.

Toxic culture destroys more teams than anything else.

These 11 signs mean your best people are already leaving.

High performers flee before others notice.

Morale decays in whispers, not explosions.

Spot these before talent leaves: 1/ High Turnover (The Revolving Door)

Frequent resignations or "quiet quitting."

New hires leave within months.

What to do: Conduct anonymous exit interviews to uncover root causes.

You fail as an entrepreneur if you can't sell your vision

Jeff Bezos didn't start Amazon to sell books, he sold the vision of an online world

Richard Branson sold the vision of a customer-centric airline, not just flights

Here’s how to sell your vision with clarity and impact: 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻

1/ Clarity

Your vision should be simple and easy to understand.

Example: “We aim to make sustainable fashion affordable for everyone.”

6 Stages Every Buyer Goes Through (And How to Win at Each)

Most Sales Fail Here. Fix These Gaps to Close 2x Faster.

Buyers don’t hate "you"

They hate feeling misunderstood.

Crack their hidden journey, and loyalty follows.

Here are the 6 stages you need to fix: 1/ Awareness Stage

“Something’s Wrong… But I Don’t Know What”

Prospects feel a vague pain point but can’t articulate the root cause.

They’re passively scrolling social media, blogs, or forums for answers.

Sun Tzu's Warfare Strategies Work in Boardrooms and Living Rooms

The Art of War isn’t just for generals.

It's for entrepreneurs, managers, leaders, and everyone else!

Here’s how to use ancient wisdom for business and life: 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗽𝗵𝘆

1/ Win Without Conflict

"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting."

In business and life: Resolve challenges avoiding unnecessary confrontations, and aim for mutually beneficial outcomes.

Nike doesn’t sell shoes, it sells stories of perseverance.

Airbnb doesn’t sell rentals, it sells belonging.

The best entrepreneurs build narratives that move people.

Here’s how to be a great storyteller in business:

Master this, and your brand will sell itself. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀

1/ Builds Connection

Stories resonate emotionally, creating bonds with your audience.

Helps you convey complex ideas simply.

Agencies don’t want you to know this:

How they do efficient Competitor Analysis.

Instead of doing everything from zero.

They spy on your competitors.

Analyze what’s working for them.

And then reverse-engineer it for clients.

Here is how to do the same with @Similarweb : @Similarweb 1/ Traffic Comparison

Enter your website and first see how its total traffic compares to the main competitors.

Note the changes in visitors over a period of time to see the effect of a campaign and how much you need to improve.

Nike doesn’t sell shoes, it sells stories of perseverance.

Airbnb doesn’t sell rentals, it sells belonging.

The best entrepreneurs build narratives that move people.

Here’s how to be a great storyteller in business:

Master this, and your brand will sell itself. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀

1/ Builds Connection

Stories resonate emotionally, creating bonds with your audience.

Helps you convey complex ideas simply.

Most productivity systems fail because they aren’t built for you.

Your goals, habits, and energy levels need a tailored approach.

I studied Tim Ferriss, Cal Newport, and others.

Here are 7 steps to build a system that fits your life perfectly:

Design your day, own your time. 1/ Define Your Priorities

Identify what matters most in your work and personal life.
Break them into short-term and long-term goals.

Action Step: Write a list of your top 3 priorities for the week.

Nike used Storytelling to become a $120 Billion business.

Storytelling turns businesses into meaningful brands.

Customers remember stories, not just products.

Here are 11 powerful storytelling strategies I use to build a memorable brand: 1/ Define Your Core Story

Clarify the mission and values that drive your startup.

A strong core story gives your brand depth and direction.

You can't say NO to anyone or anything that's why you are always busy and eventually burnout!

Being an entrepreneur for 15+ years now, I had to learn the Art of Saying NO.

It was important for me because every know meant.

More Family and more Me time!

Here is how I did it: 1/ Know Your Priorities

Understand your goals and commitments before responding.

Saying "no" to distractions means saying "yes" to what matters.

Hard skills get you hired.

Soft skills get you promoted.

Soft skills aren’t taught much in colleges.

Even when they’re worth far more.

Whenever I hire someone, great soft skills are a must.

Here are 15 soft skills that I look for: 1/ Emotional Intelligence

Recognizing and managing your own emotions
Understanding and influencing the emotions of others

Many service-based businesses make $10K/month easily.

But they find it very hard to scale to $100K/month..

I have had multiple business, ecom, saas, textbook.

But service-based businesses are my favorite..

Here are 13 To-Dos to scale a service-based business: 1. Systematize Processes
- Document repeatable tasks for consistency
- Automate where possible to save time

I tested positive for productivity

Yup, you heard that right

Being productive is in my blood

I am naturally good at prioritizing

Getting important things done is my power

I keep improving year over year with these 10 tools: 1. Slack: Communication
- Streamlined communication with channels and DMs
- Integrates with other tools like Google Drive and Zoom

2. Notion: Organization
- All-in-one workspace for notes, tasks, and projects
- Customizable dashboards for tracking progress

I am obsessed with feedback, I get it from everyone.

From my clients, team, partners, and business partners.

The good, the bad, and the ugly, all of it.

But I also give feedback.

Here are my top 13 methods to give great feedback: 1. The SBI Model (Situation-Behavior-Impact)

Describe the situation and behavior observed
Explain the impact of the behavior on the team or project

2. The Sandwich Method

Start with positive feedback
Address areas of improvement, then end with encouragement

I have been in the Service Industry for 10+ years now

Before that I ran an Ecom business for 7 years

When I started my first B2B I was so excited

I now have 4 B2B service businesses

Each business generates cash monthly for me

It's only been possible because of the following: 1. Clear Value Proposition
- Solve a specific problem
- Stand out from competitors

2. Strong Brand Identity
- Memorable logo & messaging
- Consistent visual presence

Saying “NO” more changed my life.

It helped me buy back my time.

You might not believe me.

But you don’t need to say “YES” all the time.

The more you “NO”, the better it gets.

Although, you still need to know what to say “NO” to.

Here are 10 unconditional “NOs” for me: 1. Unnecessary Meetings
- Decline without a clear agenda
- Say no to meetings that could be emails