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How do you turn a business that’s “my baby” into an asset buyers will fight over? Laurie Barkman—a nationally-recognized Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) and host of Succession Stories—joins Brandon to break down the mindset, metrics and mechanics of an exit that works for you and your team.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• Why “the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago—the next best time is today” when it comes to succession planning.
• The #1 driver of valuation: consistent financial performance—and why messy charts of accounts bury profit you didn’t know you had.
• Owner-dependency danger: if you generate 40 %+ of sales yourself, you’re a “rainmaker company” that spooks buyers.
• Laurie’s three-part test for saleability—Attractive, Ready & Transferable assets—and how certifications, trademarks and SOPs fit inscott-brandon.
• Build vs. Buy vs. “Acquihire”—when organic growth wins and when an acquisition (or ESOP) is the smarter play.
• What it means to be “bankable” in 2025, and why cash-conversion cycles matter more than ever when interest rates spike.

You’ll walk away with actionable steps— from mapping gross-profit by service line to testing whether you can really unplug for a week—to make sure you’re adding options, not obstacles, to your future exit plan.

📣 Episode Spotlight — Business Transition Sherpa™

Need a guide up the exit mountain? Laurie Barkman’s BT Sherpa offers growth audits, owner-dependency fixes, and hands-on sell-side advisory so you can leave horizontally, not vertically—boots on, balance sheet strong. Grab her free digital copy of The Business Transition Handbook at BTSherpa.com/book.

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