Exit Insights
Welcome to the podcast that's dedicated to helping business owners prepare for exit so you can maximise value and exit like a boss. I'm Darryl Bates-Brownsword and I want to introduce you to the Exit Insights podcast presented by Fabric Business Solutions. The aim of the podcast is to share the message that if you want to get the most from your life's work, maximise the valuation and exit on YOUR terms, then you will need to prepare your business so that it's ready for exit, you are exit ready and the business is attractive to be acquired. Did you know that 55% of exits are unplanned and are due to death, divorce, or disability, and for those business owners that do get to take their business to market only 20% of them end up agreeing on a deal? there are also too many deals that are never completed because the owners left before the earn-out agreement was completed. It doesn't have to be this way! You'll be interested if you are a business owner and you've been running your business for a few years now and you are at the early stages of thinking about what's next for you. You're going to be in the 1 to 30 million revenue bracket and you're likely to be based in the UK, USA, Australia, or New Zealand. You may be feeling stressed or frustrated with running the business or you may be running out of energy or simply looking to change direction. It doesn't matter why you are looking to exit or sell; this podcast will help you to identify best practices and what you have to do to orchestrate an exit on YOUR terms. We are addressing the burning issues and topics that business owners want to know about when they start to think about selling their business. Guests include experts from all areas related to the succession planning and exit planning process - from employee ownership, personal financial planning, tax, legal and through to estate planning. We're also talking to people who have already sold their businesses and tapping into what the experience was like and what they learned along the way. We ask them what they know now that they wished they knew before they started the process. We discuss the 21 Steps used by Succession Plus and developed by Craig West to help you structure your business so that you're one of the 20% of business owners who will be able to complete a successful exit. The topics will include things like: When should I start planning?What is an exit strategy and exit planningHow will I exit my business?Can I sell my business - is my business sellable - who will buy my business?How will the business be valued?What's my business worth?How can I improve the business valuation - value potential?What can I do to make it more attractive to be acquired and speed up the process?How do I prepare my business and make sure that it's exit-ready?How long will it take to prepare the business for sale?Will I have to work an earn-out period?M&A and acquisitionsOwner dependenceSystemising, systems and systematizingGrowth and scalingBrand value and IP - (Intellectual property) including intangible assetsHow do I increase the multipleI want to sell my businessCan I sell my business to my employees MBOWill I get all my money upfront?What are the risks for me when I sell my business?What will happen to the employees?What will happen to the brand?What about my legacy?How will I know that my business is exitable?When should I start exit planning?Who should I tell that I'm thinking about selling my business? If this sounds like the questions that you want answered, then I hope you enjoy listening and learning how to exit like a boss. If you like what you've heard so far, please subscribe so that you will be notified of each new episode.
Exit Insights
The VORTEX Model: Why the Most Valuable Businesses Are Built Long Before They're Sold
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Most business owners think exit planning begins when they're ready to sell.
Darryl Bates-Brownsword and Kevin Harrington explain why that's backwards.
In this episode of the Exit Insights Podcast, they introduce the VORTEX model, a practical framework that helps business owners maximise business valuation, reduce owner dependence and create a business that delivers wealth, freedom and options.
The surprising truth?
The actual exit is only the final stage. Most of the value is built years earlier.
Together, Darryl and Kevin walk through the five stages of the VORTEX framework:
- Value – Understand what your business is worth and why.
- Optimise – Improve profitability and reporting.
- Record – Build systems and remove owner dependence.
- Transform – Create the intangible assets buyers pay premiums for.
- Exit – Prepare your business for sale and exit on your terms.
In this episode you'll learn:
✔ Why a valuation is only the beginning.
✔ How pricing and benchmarking can improve profits.
✔ Why buyers don't want to buy jobs—they want systems.
✔ How contracts with customers, suppliers and employees increase value.
✔ Why strategic positioning and other intangible assets create premium valuations.
✔ How succession planning creates an exit-ready business.
✔ Why many owners discover they no longer want to sell after improving their business.
Memorable Quote
"Buyers don't want to acquire jobs. They want to acquire systems."
Another Key Insight
"The exit itself is only the final 20% of the process. The other 80% happens years earlier."
Whether you're planning to sell in two years, ten years, or simply want a more valuable and less stressful business, this episode will help you understand how to prepare early and build a business that works for you—not because of you.
Topics Covered
- Exit planning
- Exit preparation
- Business valuation
- Maximising SME valuation
- Sustainable growth
- Owner dependence
- Succession planning
- Business systems
- Intangible assets
- Leadership teams
- Strategic growth
- Wealth, freedom and options
- Preparing a business for sale
✅ Discover your 'Business Sellability Score' and determine if your business is ready for sale: Business Sellability Score
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