Exit Planning (Part 4): Letting Go: Defining Your Next Chapter

Exit Planning: Knowing When It’s Time to Sell Your Lower Middle Market Company (Part 4)

Letting Go: Defining Your Next Chapter

Your business is your lifeblood. Selling it can feel like selling a part of yourself – after all, it’s been your life’s work. But what if letting go could unlock a future filled with even greater possibilities?

Beyond Your Business Identity:

The fear of losing your self-definition after selling your business is a common concern. However, consider these questions:

• Time for New Pursuits: Wouldn’t it be exciting to explore long-held passions or dedicate time to nonprofit organizations whose missions you support? Selling provides that freedom and the opportunity to establish a new identity as world traveler, philanthropist, gardener – or even as an advisor or entrepreneur yet again in a new field.
• Delegating the Mundane: How many daily tasks do you wish you could offload? An M&A transaction frees you from the everyday grind and least glamorous parts of your entrepreneurial identity.

Tailoring Your Post-Sale Life:

A successful M&A allows you to design your ideal post-business life. Here’s how:

• Pursuing Passions: Align your exit strategy with your personal aspirations. The financial security from selling fuels your next adventure – whatever that might be!
• A New Chapter Within the Company: Perhaps you don’t want to leave entirely. Negotiate a role focused on your favorite aspect of the business, like sales or client acquisition. This lets you hang on to the part of the role that you enjoy and identify with while offloading the part that might have felt like a chore.

Align Can Help You Find the Perfect Fit

We understand the emotional investment in your company. Align’s M&A expertise goes beyond just transactions. We help you find the right acquirer – one that shares your vision for the future of the business and respects your legacy.

By partnering with Align, you can ensure a smooth transition and unlock a world of possibilities beyond the sale. In the rest of this series, we’ll continue to look at ways you can make sure you’re finding the right buyer – even with lots of buyers approaching you, how to ensure you’re creating generational wealth, and more.