This session is for founders and owners who see a potential sale on the horizon and want to control the outcome, not just react to it. Over 24 months, the right preparation can add meaningful value to your business, reduce deal risk, and expand your pool of serious buyers. This presentation will walk through a practical M&A “exit readiness” roadmap: cleaning up financials, tightening operations, clarifying your growth story, and building a strong advisory bench. You will learn what sophisticated buyers look for, which red flags kill deals, and which steps to prioritize quarter by quarter so you are truly M&A ready when opportunity knocks.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the key phases of a 24‑month M&A exit readiness roadmap, from initial assessment through closing.
- Identify the financial, operational, and legal clean‑up actions that most significantly impact valuation and deal certainty.
- Recognize common buyer red flags and deal killers, and learn how to proactively mitigate them before going to market.
- Craft a clear, compelling growth and exit narrative that resonates with sophisticated strategic and financial buyers.
- Prioritize the next 3–5 concrete steps to move your company closer to being truly “M&A ready.”
Event Details
Who Should Attend?
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Attorneys
You have close relationships with clients, and can benefit from being the first advisor to introduce the idea of exit planning.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Estate Planners
Exit planning is a natural fit for estate planners who want to operate more holistically with their owner clients.
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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.
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Insurance Professionals
Exit planning addresses the 5 D's. So do you. Approach the risk conversation differently with exit planning.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Other Professional Advisors
Regardless of your unique specialty, there is seat at the exit planning table for you. Learn more at www.EarnCEPA.com.
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Private Business Owners
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Members of Family Business Boards
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Business Consultants
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Professional Advisors
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Other Business Professionals
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Business Owners
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Business Owners & Their Trusted Advisors
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.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Joshua G. Bass’ practice primarily involves advising private equity firms, public and private companies, and real estate sponsors in connection with structuring and negotiating complex business transactions, including domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, business formations, joint ventures, leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, day-to-day operation of their portfolio companies, and other general corporate matters. He is also a trusted counsel to venture capital funds and emerging growth companies.