Exit Strategy Planning
Grooming Your Business for Sale or Succession

For private business owners, managing a successful exit from their business is one of the most important events in their business lives. This book shows you how to do so with the minimum of fuss and maximum return. It is unique because the author writes from the owner's point of view, bringing together in one place all you need to know about planning this complex process. Exit Strategy Planning emphasises the need to place exit planning on a firm foundation, with taxation planning and business continuity planning providing the basis to ensure a smooth transition that will yield the maximum return. The first three parts of the book ('Laying the Foundations', 'Choosing your Exit Strategy' and 'Preparing and Implementing your Plans') present a best practice approach to this complex subject. Here the book highlights the importance of planning, often several years in advance, and explains the need to make the business 'investor ready' by identifying and removing impediments to sale. Part 3 culminates in a step-by-step guide to producing and implementing your Master Exit Strategy Plan. Following on from this the extensive appendices in Part 4 discuss in detail each of the exit options open to you (many of which you have probably never considered) and show how to choose the optimum exit route. Exit Strategy Planning is a book that will do more than save you time and money now and in the future; it will help you to maximise on what may well be a lifetime's investment.

Contents: Introduction: The story of Bill and Carol. Part 1: Laying the Foundations: The importance of time and timing; How to plan for the continuity of your business; Establishing the value of your business. Part 2: Choosing Your Exit Strategy: What are the exit options for your business?; How to choose the best exit strategy; Impediments to sale. Part 3: Preparing and Implementing Your Plans: Business planning - the essential elements; Short-term exit strategy planning; How to design your master exit strategy plan; The integrated financial plan; Putting your master exit strategy plan into action. Part 4: Appendices: What about tax?; Valuation principles and methods; Agents and franchisees; Family succession planning; Management buyouts and buy-ins; Flotation or public listing; Franchising or licensing; Trade sales; The sole trader merger; Ceasing to trade. Index.

Professional Practice & Development

John Hawkey BA (Hons), Dip Law, MCom, CPA, Barrister at Law, has had extensive experience in business, professional practice and consulting, including being an owner/manager in manufacturing, publishing and printing. For several years he worked in the fields of insolvency and reconstruction before spending the last 15 years as a consultant providing specialist services in mergers and acquisitions, business sales and exit strategy planning. John is a Director of Exit Strategies Limited, a UK-based consultancy offering exit strategy planning advice. More information is available from the company's website at www.exitstrategyplanning.com, or you can contact John at johnhawkey@aol.com