ServicesExit Planning
Exit Planning in Cedar Park
The best exits are prepared well before a buyer ever sees the books. We help business owners set a timeline, tidy the numbers and reduce how much the company leans on them, so the eventual sale or succession happens on terms you chose.
Preparing a business to leave your hands
Exit planning is the work that comes before a listing. It answers the questions buyers will eventually ask: what the business really earns, who runs it day to day, which customers and contracts carry over, and what happens when you step back. Owners who start that work a year or more ahead usually have more choices about price, terms and timing.
You work with one person from the first conversation onward. That advisor learns your company, keeps the plan moving and coordinates with your CPA and attorney, so you are not repeating your story to a rotating set of people.
When the business is ready, the plan feeds straight into a sale through our Sell a Business service, a handoff covered under Partner Buyouts and Succession, or a decision to hold a while longer. Each of those is a legitimate outcome.
What the planning covers
A baseline valuation
We start with a confidential estimate of what the business would likely bring today. That number sets the gap between where you are and where you want to be.
Recasting your financials
We review your recent statements and identify owner perks, one-time expenses and personal costs run through the company. Adding those back shows buyers the true earnings, and finding them early avoids awkward surprises in diligence.
Owner dependence review
Buyers discount a company that only works when the owner is in the building. We map which relationships, approvals and know-how sit with you and suggest how to spread them across your staff.
Timeline and exit options
We lay out realistic paths, such as an outside sale, a sale to employees or family, or a partner buyout, along with how long each tends to take. You pick the direction once you can see them side by side.
Document readiness
Leases, vendor agreements, licenses and customer contracts are checked for assignment clauses and expiration dates that could slow a deal.
Signs it is time to start planning
- You have a target date in mind
- If you hope to retire or move on within the next few years, the preparation window is already open. Earlier starts leave room to fix what a buyer would flag.
- Everything routes through you
- Key customers call your cell, and nobody else signs off on pricing. That is a strong reason to plan before you sell.
- Your books mix personal and business
- Many owners run vehicles, travel or family payroll through the company. That is common, but it needs to be documented clearly before buyers look.
- You are unsure what it is worth
- Without a grounded value, it is hard to decide whether to sell now, grow first or adjust your retirement plans.
- A partner wants out
- Diverging goals between co-owners often force the question. A plan lets you handle it deliberately rather than under pressure.
How exit planning works with us
- 1
An initial conversation
We begin by listening: what the company does, how long you have run it and what a good exit would look like for you. The call costs nothing, and what you say stays between us.
- 2
Valuation and review
We look at your financials and operations, then walk you through the baseline value and the factors pulling it up or down. Meetings happen at our office or by phone and video.
- 3
A written plan
You receive a clear list of priorities, an order to tackle them in and a suggested timeline. Your advisor checks items with your CPA and attorney where their input matters.
- 4
Regular check-ins
The same person follows up as you work through the plan, updates the value as numbers improve and tells you plainly when the company is ready for market.
What affects the cost and the schedule
Since most exit plans lead to a sale, it is worth knowing our fees early. You pay nothing up front to list with us, there is no retainer, and no charge hides in the fine print. Our fee is paid only when the seller is paid. The amount of preparation depends on your starting point, which we cover in the first call.
- How your records look
- Statements prepared by an accountant go fast. Years of informal bookkeeping take more time to recast and check.
- How much rests on you
- Adding managers or writing down how things are done is often the slowest step in a plan, and it does the most for value.
- Which exit you pick
- An outside sale, a family handoff and a partner buyout each bring their own paperwork, lender questions and timeline. We shape the preparation around the path you choose.
- Property you own
- Owning the building means deciding whether to sell it, lease it or hold it, which adds a step. Our Business and Property Sales page explains this further.
Common questions about planning an exit
- When should I begin planning?
- For most owners, one to three years before the date they have in mind works best. That much time allows for cleaning up the books and handing daily decisions to others. With less time, we concentrate on the handful of changes buyers care about most.
- Will employees or customers hear that I plan to leave?
- Every planning discussion and valuation stays private, and we never contact your staff or customers on our own. Later it may make sense to involve a manager you trust, and you and we agree on that timing before anyone hears a word.
- Am I committed to selling with you once we plan?
- No. Some owners choose to keep running the company, pass it to family or wait for a better market. The plan exists to open up choices, not to tie you to one.
- Will you take the place of my CPA or attorney?
- No. Your own professionals keep handling tax structure and legal documents. Your advisor here works with them so the business, tax and legal pieces fit together.
- Do you work with businesses outside Cedar Park?
- We do. Our clients include owners in nearby towns such as Leander, Round Rock and Georgetown, and a good share of the work takes place by phone and video.
Start with an honest number
A free, confidential valuation shows where your business stands today and what would move it before you exit. One conversation, one advisor, no obligation.