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
How to Maximise Your Business Value Before Exit
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In the latest episode of the Exit Insights Podcast, Darryl Bates-Brownsword is joined by Kevin Harrington to discuss one of the biggest questions every business owner should ask themselves:
"Will my business provide the retirement I've worked so hard for?"
For many business owners, their business is their pension.
Yet surprisingly few know what it's actually worth—or whether that value will be enough to support the next stage of their life.
Understanding your business valuation isn't just about preparing to sell. It's about giving yourself the time to strengthen your business, improve its attractiveness to buyers and create more options for your future.
Listen in as we discuss:
🔹 Why every business owner should know what their business is worth long before they plan to sell
🔹 Why relying on your own estimate of value can lead to costly retirement planning mistakes
🔹 How early exit planning creates more options and reduces unnecessary stress
🔹 Why buyers determine the value of your business—not the owner
🔹 The common mistakes that reduce business value before a sale
🔹 How improving business attractiveness can increase valuation over time
🔹 Why preparing your business two to three years in advance can make a significant difference to the outcome
🔹 The growing importance of business value as traditional pension participation continues to decline
One of the biggest insights from this conversation:
Your business is only worth what a buyer is willing to pay.
Many owners spend decades building successful businesses without ever testing whether the value they've created is enough to fund the retirement they want.
Understanding that gap early gives you time to do something about it.
Whether you're planning to sell in the next few years or simply want greater confidence about your future, this episode explains why knowing your business's value is one of the most important financial decisions you'll make.
🎧 Tune in now to learn how early planning, professional valuation and building a more attractive business can help you maximise value and create more choices for the future.
Most business owners assume they'll think about valuation when they're ready to sell.
The reality?
That's often when your options become limited.
In this episode of the Exit Insights Podcast, Darryl Bates-Brownsword and Kevin Harrington explain why understanding your business's true value is the foundation of effective exit and retirement planning.
No hype.
No unrealistic valuations.
Just practical advice from years of helping business owners build stronger, more valuable and more transferable businesses.
What You'll Learn
Why understanding your business valuation should happen years before an exit
Why your business is worth what a buyer is prepared to pay—not what you hope it's is worth
How professional valuation helps shape retirement planning
Why planning two to three years ahead creates better outcomes
The mistakes many SME owners make before selling
How improving business attractiveness increases buyer confidence
Why exit planning is really about creating options—not simply selling
How knowing your numbers reduces uncertainty and improves decision-making
The Hard Reality
If you don't know what your business is worth...
If your retirement plans depend on assumptions rather than evidence...
If you wait until you're ready to sell before addressing weaknesses...
You may discover there isn't enough time to maximise value.
The owners with the greatest freedom aren't those who leave first.
They're the ones who prepare earliest.
This Episode Is For You If:
✔ You're a business owner who expects your business to fund your retirement
✔ You don't know what your business is worth today
✔ You're planning to sell in the next few years
✔ You want to maximise the value of your business before going to market
✔ You want greater confidence that your retirement plans are achievable
✔ You want more options and less stress when the time comes to step away
Key Takeaway
Understanding the value of your business isn't about deciding to sell.
It's about understanding where you stand today so you have time to improve tomorrow.
The business owners who achieve the strongest exits don't leave valuation until the end.
They understand it early, build value deliberately and create the freedom to exit on their own terms
✅ Discover your 'Business Sellability Score' and determine if your business is ready for sale: Business Sellability Score
🎧 Listen to the Exit Insights Podcast: Tune In
📖 Learn how to eliminate owner dependence in your business: Get your copy
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