I have had the honor to work with many types of organizations of the 20 plus years of my business career.  What I have discovered is those business owners who have had a successful exit seemed to have a common theme—they started their business with the end in mind.  One the keystone habits from Steven Covey’s The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People.

They could visualize what their business would look like and who would be interested in buying it.  And in some cases they even partnered or became familiar with those companies that would be the ultimate buyer.

We all “exit” our businesses in some way—sell to a third party, sell to an insider, pass on to the next generation, or simply close the shop…and no matter how its done, thinking about the end in mind can make it a reality someday.  Start your planning today even if you are starting out in business. The actions and decisions you make today will impact how you Exit the business in the future.

To your successful Exit!

Mike