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Small Business Coaching and Consulting
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End with the End in Mind...Your Exit Plan

7/14/2015

 
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Much of the advice I give is in keeping focused on your end game, what I call the Big Picture Goal (BPG). It’s this focus, I believe, that will keep you busy doing the right things, those things that lead you to business success. It’s classic ‘Begin with the end in mind” strategy a la Covey, Collins, and Kiyosaki. But what happens when you finally get there?
Here’s what:
  1. Set a new Big Picture Goal. Maybe your BPG was to get to $1,000,000 in sales and you made it. Now, you might set a new BPG of $10,000,000 or a second location doing the $1M. Alternatively, your BPG might have been more short term in order to ensure survival, and now you’re ready to look even bigger!
  2. Sell the Business. An admirable end for any business is to sell it and retire financially independent. If that is what you have in mind, then start researching how a business in your industry is valued (multiple of sales, multiple of profits, value of assets, etc.) Then, you can start planning for the Big Sale!
  3. The Succession Plan. You might want to step aside and have a new leader manage your business. Just as Bill Gates stepped aside and allowed a ‘real’ CEO to run his company, you might want to set up a plan of succession for a manager/CEO to take over the day-to-day operations of the business. That new manager can SMS text you the good news while you’re fishing!
  4. Close the Doors. Sometimes, the owner is the talent of a micro-business, a talent that just can’t be passed on or sold. If this is the case, then a plan of creating investment savings from profits might be the end game. Yo u still want to leave this with financial security. However, I would still recommend you look for ways to replicate yourself (licensing, website, write a book, etc.).
So, what’s your end game?

Is Your Banker the Drive Through Teller?

7/2/2015

 
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As part of my consulting program and the Dashboard, I ask business owners, “What will it take for you to reach your Big Picture Goal?”  One of the key areas in answering this question is Finances, and invariably an answer is either ‘I need a loan’ or ‘I need a line of credit.’  I follow that one up with, do you know your banker?  One client answered, ‘My banker is whoever’s at the drive-through teller!’  That can’t be your answer.

Once, I was sitting in a meeting with a client when his phone rang.  He saw the Caller ID number and had to answer it.  “Okay…okay…yes…alright…thank you!”  It was his banker, calling to tell him he was about to bounce a big check.  He looked at me, apologized for having to run, and headed out to collect a receivable to cover the check.  Now, proper bookkeeping might have prevented this, but the point is this person knew his banker well enough for his banker to make that call and save him an overdraft charge, if not something more embarrassing.

Would your banker call you, or is your banker the drive-thru window? I’d recommend heading straight out to your bank and start building a relationship with the team there.





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    Stuart Preston, small business advisor, coach, consultant.

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