THE EPI RALEIGH-DURHAM BUSINESS OWNERS FORUM

EPI RALEIGH CHAPTER

The EPI Raleigh-Durham Annual Owners Forum is a half-day, owner-focused event built around a simple idea: good exit planning is good business strategy. Through an owners panel discussion, short expert presentations, and an interactive case study, attendees will explore how to grow a stronger, more valuable, and more transferable business. Local business owners will share real-world lessons about growth, systems, leadership, financial discipline, and preparing for future options. Attendees will leave with practical ideas for improving business value, reducing risk, and preparing for an eventual leadership or ownership transition on their own terms.

 

Learning Objectives:

  1. Understand how growth strategy and value creation work together to build a stronger, more transferable business.
  2. Identify common barriers to sustainable growth and business value, including owner dependence, weak systems, talent challenges, poor financial visibility, and lack of accountability. 
  3. Learn practical lessons from business owners about how leadership, systems, financial discipline, and strategic decision-making affect long-term business performance.
  4. Recognize how building value today can create more options for the owner, the company, employees, and family in the future.
  5. Develop practical next steps for improving business value, reducing risk, and preparing for an eventual leadership or ownership transition on the owner’s own terms.

Event Location

Event Details

Date: Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Time: 8:00 am - 11:30 am Eastern Time
Where: Doubletree Hotel | 4810 Page Creek Lane, Durham (RTP), NC 27703
Cost: This event is exclusively for EPI chapter members and their business owner guests.
Value Acceleration Knowledge Hours: 3.5
Register Now

Who Should Attend?

  • Business Owners & Their Trusted Advisors

  • Business Owners

  • Other Business Professionals

  • Business Consultants

  • Professional Advisors

  • Members of Family Business Boards

  • Private Business Owners

  • Other Professional Advisors

    Regardless of your unique specialty, there is seat at the exit planning table for you. Learn more at www.EarnCEPA.com.

  • Family Business Advisors

    More than 50% of lower middle market business owners would prefer to transition to the next generation. Help them succeed with exit planning strategies.

  • Commercial Lenders

    One of the best relationships a business owner makes is with their banker. How can you help your corporate clients think about the future and ensure financial continuity? Answer: exit planning.

  • Mergers & Acquisition Advisors

    Proper exit planning causes less deals to fall through at the last minute. Connect with CEPAs to build your healthy deal flow network.

  • Insurance Professionals

    Exit planning addresses the 5 D's. So do you. Approach the risk conversation differently with exit planning.

  • Strategic Consultants

    One of the most critical roles in exit planning is building transferable value. Strategic consultants have the ability to expand options and drive rapid business value that affect performance today.

  • Estate Planners

    Exit planning is a natural fit for estate planners who want to operate more holistically with their owner clients.

  • Investment Bankers

    Only 2 of every 10 businesses that come to market actually sell. Learn how exit planning can bring attractive AND ready business to your purview.

  • Valuation Analysts

    Valuation is both a billable engagement AND an opportunity to provide owners some perspective on how to accelerate value drivers (and deal with value killers). Use exit planning to make that valuation into a longer term value acceleration engagement.

  • Financial Advisors

    One of the critical ‘legs of the stool’ is personal financing planning. An owner must have a strong financial plan & contingency plan post-transition to enable them to thrive in the next act of the lives personally and financially. Exit planning brings this future mindset into the present. Exit is now.

  • Wealth Managers

    You’re a skilled relationship person. Being entangled into your clients’ professional lives matters as you build a strategy to manage their wealth upon them harvesting it from their business. Exit planning allows you to build a deeper relationship with your client, expands your COI network, while giving you an early seat at table well before the liquidity event.

  • CPAs/Accountants

    Owners participating in the State of Owner Readiness research continue to indicate that you are the No. 1 "Most Trusted Advisor." You are a natural fit to lead the exit planning team and deepen your relationship (and retention) of next generation owners.

  • Attorneys

    You have close relationships with clients, and can benefit from being the first advisor to introduce the idea of exit planning.

EXIT PLANNING IS GOOD BUSINESS STRATEGY

The Exit Planning Institute, provides Financial Advisors, Accountants, Consultants, and other advisors of business owners with the critical education to differentiate themselves and add value to their existing client relationships through a credential, conference, courses, and content. Download the CEPA brochure for more information.