The Wise Exit

Summary:Nathan Hirsch, a serial entrepreneur, shares his journey of building and selling his company, FreeUp, which utilized remote workforces. He discusses the importance of having clean books and financials, as well as the value of virtual assistants and outsourced labor. Nathan emphasizes the need to hire the right level of talent, whether they are followers, doers, or experts. He also highlights the significance of building trust and relationships with your team and the importance of finding the right buyer who will treat your employees well. Overall, Nathan provides valuable insights into the M&A process and the benefits of remote workforces in business sales.Takeaways:Having clean books and financials is crucial when selling a business.Hiring the right level of talent, whether followers, doers, or experts, is essential for success.Building trust and relationships with your team is important for a smooth transition during a sale.Finding the right buyer who will treat your employees well is crucial.Chapters:00:00 - Introduction01:24 - Nathan's Background and Entrepreneurial Journey09:47 - M&A Process and Due Diligence23:13 - Outsourced Labor and Hiring Levels32:22 - M&A Expertise and Considerations36:16 - Key TakeawaysAbout The Nathan Hirsch:Twitter (X)LinkedInTrioSEOEcomBalanceAccountsBalanceOutsourceSchool

Summary:In this episode, Todd Sullivan interviews Meighan Newhouse, the co-founder and former CEO of Inspirant Group, a management consulting firm that was acquired by 10 Pearls. Meighan shares her journey as an entrepreneur and the decision-making process behind selling her business. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the why and the end goal of the sale, as well as finding a buyer that aligns with the company's culture and values. Meighan also discusses the challenges and considerations during the due diligence process and the post-acquisition experience.Takeaways:Before embarking on the journey of selling your business, pause and reflect on your why and the end goal of the sale.Find a buyer that aligns with your company's culture and values, and consider strategic acquisitions that can help accelerate growth.Prepare for the sale process by organizing your documentation and seeking advice from experienced M&A advisors.During due diligence, focus on maintaining confidentiality and consider the impact on your team and their day-to-day work.Negotiate the deal structure, including earnouts, to align incentives and ensure a smooth transition post-acquisition.

George Sandmann shares his thoughts on: Creating business engines that deliver predictable profits, cash flow, and sustainable growthDriving predictable, transferable value and a more lucrative M&A transactionGUEST BIO:George Sandmann is an entrepreneur turned growth advisor.  An attorney by training, George is an entrepreneur with almost 30 years experience starting and growing companies. After a lifetime of startup success and challenges, George founded his current company, Growth Drive, to deliver tools and technological support to advisory business delivering client wins and M&A success.George's professional vision is for Growth-Drivers to increase Strategic Capacity for $1 Trillion worth of middle and pre-middle market businesses.George is a speaker, board member, and author of a Forbes #1 New Release Book.  LinkedInX (Twitter)The Growth-Driving Advisor: Proven Strategies for Leading Clients from Stuck to Best-in-Class (Forbes 2023 Book by George Sandmann)

Mike Finger highlights the three elements all small business owners should focus on when building a company for a future M&A exit:Are your business results desirable?  Will an acquirer see value and opportunity in what you have built?Can a buyer duplicate your results?  Can the buyer run the business without you?Can you document your results?  Is there a playbook written that can be followed once you are gone?GUEST BIO:Mike Finger is a serial entrepreneur and business advisor who's built and sold four companies.His first exit was not for the faint of heart and provided expensive lessons for the rest of his entrepreneurial career. Mike built his first company to 50 people, and after ten years of growth, he decided to sell. However, after several attempts to work out deals with multiple buyers, Mike's investment bank told him that his business was just not in a position to sell.Although this is something any decent investment bank or M&A Advisor should know before taking a company on as a client, Mike spent the next four years fixing the mistakes in his business and eventually sold the company. Resigned to not letting other small business owners go through his pain, today, Mike shares with us how to position small businesses for successful exits at Exit Oasis. We hope you enjoy the conversation with Mike Finger.WHERE TO FIND MIKE FINGER:LinkedIn

EPISODE 64: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - CHRIS WISEIn this episode, Chris talks about:Asking for help when building your company for the futureCoaching founders on how to remove themselves from their businesses to create transferable valueHow taking care of yourself as a founder or business owner can significantly increase productivity and prevent burnoutGUEST BIO:Chris Wise is a seasoned business advisor with over 30 years of experience and the founder of Wise Profits. With a notable track record that includes 14 successful exits, 34 M&A transactions, and 2 IPOs, Chris and his team at Wise Profits have consistently delivered exceptional outcomes for their clients. Specializing in guiding $1M - $20M revenue companies, Wise Profits excels in scaling businesses, preparing them for optimized exits, and providing comprehensive M&A operational and integration services.WHERE TO FIND CHRIS WISE:LinkedInX (Twitter)YouTubeEPISODE REFERENCE AND READING MATERIALS:Four Hour Workweek (book), Timothy Ferriss

EPISODE 63: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - ROBB GREENIn this episode, Robb talks about:His evaluation criteria for starting eCommerce brandsHow he decides when it's time to sell a businessHow he brings his teenage kids into these companies and exposes them to the highs and lows of the life of an entrepreneurGUEST BIO:Robb Green is the owner and visionary behind the formulation and execution of strategies aimed at mastering the art of e-commerce brand establishment. Solving Alpha has founded 9 total brands with a focus on e-commerce. Robb has a real passion for business, putting deals together and is always looking for business to buy, optimize, and grow. He helps owners of e-commerce focused brands exit their business while preserving their brands. Robb utilizes his skills and time as an investor & advisor to help others in the industry continue to learn and grow. WHERE TO FIND ROBB GREEN:LinkedInI'm The One PodcastI'm The One Podcast (YouTube)Twitter

EPISODE 62: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - WAYNE PARRISHIn this episode, Wayne talks about:His early beginnings as a student journalist at the University of British ColumbiaBecoming the CEO of Canada Basketball and his relationship with Jerry ColangeloA history lesson of SPORT Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Sports Insider, and ESPN The MagazineHow he purchased the most significant collection of images related to 20th century sport anywhere in the worldFinding the next owner for The Sport CollectionGUEST BIO:Wayne Parrish is an award-winning reporter, editor and digital media leader with a passion for sports and journalism.   Wayne, who has won two National Newspaper Awards as a sports reporter at the Star in the early 1980s, has held executive leadership positions at Postmedia Network, Quebecor and Sun Media.He was CEO of Canada Basketball for eight years. And most recently, he worked on digital transformation and merger-acquisition media projects in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Australia with FTI Consulting Inc.Parrish’s digital experience includes launching CANOE, which became Canada’s premiere internet network-portal and top news and information site for more than a decade.He launched Postmedia’s digital subscription program, consulted on a sports-only digital subscription business in the U.S., and developed the new media unit of Quebecor.Wayne and partner, Marc Appleman, also own The Sport Collection, the largest collection of images related to 20th century sport anywhere in the world.WHERE TO FIND WAYNE PARRISH:LinkedInEPISODE REFERENCE AND READING MATERIAL:The Air Up There: How Canadian basketball has grown and where it’s headedThe Sport Gallery (Toronto Location)SPORT Media Entertainment

EPISODE 61: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - CHRISTINE NICHOLSONIn this episode, Christine talks about:The three things that every founder needs to focus on when building their businessThe difference between exit planning and succession planningWhat a perfect succession plan look likeGUEST BIO:Christine Nicholson is a serial entrepreneur with multiple exits under her belt, who has now turned her attention to helping fellow business owners with succession planning before the sale of their businesses.Christine sold her first business just 12 months after launching. She then helped a client sell a distressed business, which led her to help a family office sell off over 40 businesses. Christine knows a thing or two about the exit process and believes the number one piece of advice for business owners preparing to exit is to hire people to take over each of the business owners tasks over time.  This will leave the business owner in a place to oversee the growth of the business and walk away when it's sold. WHERE TO FIND CHRISTINE NICHOLSON:LinkedInGet Exit Ready - Business MentorEPISODE REFERENCE AND READING MATERIALS:How To Sell A Business Using An ESOP (Exitwise blog)Are You Prepared to Sell Your Business? (Exitwise blog)Selling 1-800 Hansons | Brian Elias (Cashing Out podcast)

EPISODE 60: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - EDIN BASICIn this episode, Edin talks about:The importance of understanding market trends to know when to invest and when to sell Understanding your exit strategy to make the right decisions while you're building your business, and;How to be ready when your ideal buyer comes knockingGUEST BIO:Edin Basic began his journey as a refugee from war torn Bosnia, leaving school before completing his final exams to escape to London with no money in his pocket (and not able to yet speak English).After years of searching, surviving and gaining different experiences in the restaurant industry, Edin's entrepreneurial mindset led him to start his own company, Firezza.  Along the way he raised money from VC funds and angel investors, scaled up his business to 17 locations, and eventually sold to his largest competitor, Pizza Express. Since then, Edin is a headline speaker across Europe, hospitality consultancy, has started multiple food & beverage concepts in the UK and abroad, and supports founders on their journey with his own "been there done that" experience.WHERE TO FIND EDIN BASIC:LinkedInEPISODE REFERENCE AND READING MATERIALS:Hony Capital-backed PizzaExpress completes acquisition of FirezzaBeyond Venture Capital: Exploring Funding Options for Entrepreneurs in 2023 (Exitwise blog)

EPISODE 59: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - SARAH GREIFENBERGERIn this episode, Sarah talks about:The various reasons that a business owner considers a business valuationThe difference between fair market value, and valuing a business for saleBecoming an Exitwise Ambassador and referring Fathead.com for sale in October, 2023GUEST BIO:Sarah has been a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) for over 10 years and is also a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA).Prior to becoming a CVA, Sarah was Director of Financial Planning at United Technologies Corporation. She performed many valuations in that role to support the corporation’s mergers and acquisitions activity as well as for purposes of international tax planning.Sarah also prepared financial information for the divestiture of UT Automotive to Lear Corporation for $2.3B. She received an MBA with distinction from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and is a magna cum laude engineering graduate of Duke University.  In addition to her expertise in finance, Sarah has held positions in product development, manufacturing and strategic planning. She currently serves on the education committee of the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts. In addition to her involvement with NACVA, she is a member of Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Detroit, the Michigan Business Brokers Association and the Exit Planning Institute’s Southeast Michigan chapter.Sarah is committed to helping clients across many industries with their valuation needs. She is also interested in working with family enterprises on succession planning and exit strategies.WHERE TO FIND SARAH GREIFENBERGER:LinkedInEPISODE REFERENCE AND READING MATERIALS:Arbor Valuation & ConsultingQ5 Experience4 Ways to Calculate the Value of Your Company (Blog)How Much Is My Business Worth? (Blog)Exitwise Valuation Calculator

EPISODE 58: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - JEAN ANNE BOOTHIn this episode, Jean Anne talks about:Having multiple strategic investors on your cap tableBeing prepared for your buyer to change the terms of your exit days before signingKnowing what you should say no to when raising capital or selling your companyGUEST BIO:Jean Anne Booth is a serial entrepreneur with a number of successful exits, including selling Luminary Micro to Texas Instruments in 2009 and Intrinsity to Apple in the early 2000's.  Her background spans from P&L business unit management to marketing; product definition; systems, software, and applications engineering; silicon development engineering; and operations and product engineering. Jean Anne has over 30 years of experience in high tech ventures and has raised over $100 million in venture capital for her companies. Now on her fourth tech startup, Jean Anne is building UnaliWear, a wearable “OnStar for people” watch to provide discreet support for falls, medication reminders, and to guard against wandering. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Jean Anne Booth. WHERE TO FIND JEAN ANNE BOOTH:LinkedInX (formerly Twitter)EPISODE REFERENCES AND READING MATERIAL:Texas Instruments Acquires Luminary Micro, Expands MCU LineupApple buys chipmaker IntrinsityMythic.ai

EPISODE 57: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - RALEIGH WILLIAMSIn this episode, Raleigh talks about:Why business owners should trust their intuition when deciding when to sell their companiesHow to renegotiate business contracts to make them transferable in an acquisition When you're at the goal line, how you should focus on your why you are selling and not quibbling over every last dollar.GUEST BIO:Raleigh Williams is a former M&A attorney turned entrepreneur who quit his job as a lawyer to start an escape room business.  Raleigh quickly  expanded into multiple locations while adding trampoline parks, axe throwing and other entertainment venues. After six years of running his company, Raleigh tried to sell the whole pool of entertainment businesses to a single buyer.  However, he quickly learned that the buyers and investment bankers believed he needed to sell his assets piecemeal to maximize his outcome.  By separating each asset, Raleigh was able to create more than $26 million in enterprise value, which he now uses to invest in and buy other businesses. Today, Raleigh is the CEO of DealMaven.io, helping and investing in founders to structure and operationalize their businesses and create incredible exits. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Raleigh Williams.WHERE TO FIND RALEIGH WILLIAMS:LinkedInX (Twitter)InstagramDealMaven.ioEPISODE REFERENCES AND READING MATERIAL:The unbelievably lucrative business of escape rooms (MarketWatch)

EPISODE 56: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - ANDY PAIIn this episode, Andy talks about: His entrepreneurial journey of leaving his job as an investment banker and moving to San Francisco with a dream of building a company with several college friendsManaging the expectations and attraction of multiple M&A "off-ramps" along the entrepreneurial journeyHow he identified the buyer intent that helped the Finbox team build a successful suite of products that led to an acquisition by Investing.com  His belief that intense focus is the secret to building a great company and full transparency with advisors and acquirers upfront saves time and creates better alignment to get your deal doneGUEST BIO:Andy Pai is a former investment banker, and co-founder of Finbox, a financial data platform that covers over 100,000 stocks on 130 plus exchanges around the world.  Andy started Finbox in 2015 and bootstrapped it all the way to an exit to Investing.com, a leader in financial data and a top 200 website globally. I hope you enjoy the conversation with Andy Pai. WHERE TO FIND ANDY PAI:LinkedInEPISODE REFERENCES AND READING MATERIAL:Investing.com Launches Premium Service to Further Empower Retail Investors

EPISODE 55: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - AUSTIN OGILVIEIn this episode, Austin talks about: Turning a Series A Term Sheet into multiple growth and exit options for the businessThe value of seeking guidance from seasoned CEOs and professionals who have gone through the M&A process in order to structure the right agreements when it came time to sell his businessBeing critically organized with your startup's Employee Agreements, Client Contracts, and Company financialsGUEST BIO:Austin Ogilvie is a former machine learning product manager who decided to leave his day job to co-found and eventually sell Yhat, a data science and decision management platform to Alteryx, a public company competing in the same space.Austin is a firm believer that whether you're raising money or selling your business from the first introduction to the investor until the moment the wires hit the bank, fundraising and M&A are journeys requiring bi-directional courtship, storytelling, sales and detail old organization.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Austin Ogilvie. WHERE TO FIND AUSTIN OGILVIE:LinkedInX / TwitterIntro.coMediumEPISODE REFERENCES AND READING MATERIAL:Alteryx Acquires Yhat (Bloomberg)Austin Ogilvie: The Maverick Changing The Game In Digital Compliance

EPISODE 54: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - LLOYED LOBOIn this episode, Lloyed shares:His views on how outsourcing the financial role to professionals helps when it's time to sell the businessHow bootstrapping (vs. Venture Capital) allowed him to sell on his timetableWhy building community is a key differentiator and value driver in any business and even more when it's time to sellGUEST BIO:Lloyed Lobo is an incredible, self-made entrepreneur.  As a Kuwaiti refugee and former engineer turned serial entrepreneur, Lloyed co-founded and built boast.ai, a company helping businesses access R&D tax credits and innovation incentives, to $10 million of ARR. He also co-founded Traction, a nonprofit that brings together more than 120,000 entrepreneurs and innovators to share lessons on scaling startups. Lloyed sold a majority stake in boast.ai to a growth capital firm, which not only allowed him and his co-founder to create the personal liquidity they both needed for the next stages of their lives, but they were also able to maintain a substantial portion of equity in the business.Lloyed is full of poignant, entrepreneurial and personal anecdotes to succeed in business and in M&A.We hope you enjoyed my conversation with Lloyed Lobo.WHERE TO FIND LLOYED LOBO:LinkedInX (Twitter)InstagramEPISODE REFERENCES AND READING MATERIAL:Get Lloyed’s new book, 'From Grassroots To Greatness: 13 Rules to Build Iconic Brands with Community Led Growth' (Top New Release on Amazon)BOAST.AITractionWhat Is Bootstrapping? (blog)Ten Best M&A Podcasts For Entrepreneurs and Business Owners (blog)

E53: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - MATT BLUMBERGIn this episode, Matt talks about how:Creating better personal relationships with acquirers can de-risk M&A transactionsTo bounce back from a failed M&A transactionBuilding a company with a work/life balance in mind can lead to a great outcomeGUEST BIO:Matt Blumberg, a former management consultant, a venture capitalist and early employee who helped MovieFone move into the Internet age and get acquired by AOL.With his well-rounded training, Matt’s biggest professional success came by co-founding Return Path, a company that provides email intelligence solutions for marketers. Matt and his team grew the company to 500 employees and a hundred million in revenue. Along his 20 year journey, Matt was approached four times to sell the business, and after four failed attempts for various reasons he finally completed a sale to Validity, a consumer data company, in 2019.Today, Matt is the co-founder and CEO of Bolster, a talent marketplace to match highly experienced executives with fractional and project based roles to help startups scale.WHERE TO FIND MATT BLUMBERG:LinkedInX (Twitter)EPISODE REFERENCES AND READING MATERIAL:Validity Acquires Return Path, the leader in email deliverabilityThe Daily Bolster Podcast, with Matt BlumbergStartup CEO (by Matt Blumberg)Startup CXO (by Matt Blumberg)Startup Boards (by Matt Blumberg)Someone Just Offered To Buy Your Company: Now What? (blog)

E52: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - PROFESSOR JOE O'MAHONEYIn this episode, Joe talks about:How his personal M&A experience helps improve his consultancy for his clientsHow professional service firms are valued during an M&A transactionWhat great companies do to prepare for an exitHow AI is disrupting the M&A world and what founders and entrepreneurs can do to leverage itGUEST BIO:Professor Joe O'Mahoney, an industry specific business consultant who built and sold his own company in 2007.Since his exit, Joe has been using his personal experience in M&A to help business owners successfully grow and exit their boutique consultancy businesses. Over the years, Joe has provided consultancy for many of the world's largest consulting firms, including McKinsey and Company, IBM, Deloitte and Bain.And today he is the professor of consulting at Cardiff University and Advisory Board member at several high growth businesses. We hope you enjoyed my conversation with Professor Joe O'Mahoney.WHERE TO FIND PROF. JOE O'MAHONEY:LinkedInX (Twitter)EPISODE REFERENCES AND READING MATERIAL:Joe O'Mahoney Dot ComFree Resources To Help Your Firm GrowThe Consulting Growth PodcastQuestions To Ask Potential M&A Advisors When Selling Your Boutique (blog)How Much Is My Business Worth (Exitwise Valuation Calculator)

E51: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - KENAN SALEHIn this episode, Kenan talks about:His decision to sell Halo Cars to Lyft so early in his entrepreneurial journey How mentally and emotionally difficult due diligence is after signing an LOI during M&AHis advice for other founders thinking about the M&A process, and how his experience will influence his next ventureGUEST BIO:In October, 2018 as a student at Wharton (University of Pennsylvania), Kenan Saleh co-founded Halo Cars, a transportation ad network.  After striking a business development deal with Lyft, one of the largest ride sharing platforms in the world at the time, Kenan and his team made the decision to sell Halo Cars to Lyft.Although he was just nine months into launching his business, Kenan decided to use M&A as a way to more quickly achieve his vision for Halo and reduce the competitive threat of the sleeping giant he had just woken up. Today, Kenan is an Advisor, Board Member, Angel Investor, and since transitioning out of Lyft is using his time to work on something new.We hope you enjoy the conversation with Kenan Saleh.WHERE TO FIND KENAN SALEH:LinkedInX (Twitter)EPISODE REFERENCES AND READING MATERIALS:2021 Forbes 30 Under 30Lyft Buys Halo CarsLyft creates media division to cash in on in-car ads (TechCrunch)How To Maximize The Value Of Your Business (Exitwise blog)

E50: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - OLIVER LOWIn this episode, Oliver talks about:Finding the right buyer for your startup (private equity, family office, strategic buyer, or holding company)The value of surrounding yourself with M&A expertise when selling your businessHow selling in the "4th inning" can often lead to better liquidity and professional options GUEST BIO:Oliver started his career at Microsoft in 2006.  He spent time at MySpace from 2008 to 2010 and then launched a digital agency called Platform360, a B2B agency which was purchased by a strategic acquirer Silverbullet in 2018.  After the acquisition, Oliver joined Silverbullet and helped take the company public in 2019, where his team is still benefiting from the acquisition structure Oliver and his M&A team designed.Oliver currently runs Tiny Studio, a venture studios that sits within Tiny.com. Tiny is a holding company which was started to invest in and acquire companies.  Oliver now sits at the center of helping make the Tiny portfolio companies grow. We hope you enjoy the conversation with Oliver Low.WHERE TO FIND OLIVER LOW:LinkedInX (Twitter)Oliver Low's NewsletterEPISODE REFERENCES AND READING MATERIALS:More about Tiny dot comThe Ticking Clock of M&A: How Delays Can Kill The Sale of Your Business (blog)Are You Prepared To Sell Your Business? (blog)How Much Is Your Company Worth? 

E49: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - JONAH MIDANIKIn this episode, Jonah discusses:The value of putting an entrepreneurial win on the boardDeciding to step down from the CEO role to prepare his company for its next stage of growthAdvice for fellow founders thinking about fundraising and the M&A processGUEST BIO:Jonah has been fortunate to see the startup journey from many different perspectives. First, as a successful bootstrapped founder of Casino Media Group, an advertising agency focused on the online gaming sector (becoming the agency of record for PokerStars and Bet365). After selling to Immersion Media in 2008, Jonah used his advertising, gaming and technical talents to help the UFC develop the first legal online betting platform in the United States (ultimately powering the first legal hand of online poker live in the U.S.).Jonah then went on to found Limelight, a venture backed company focused on live events. After finding significant success, Jonah stepped away from the CEO role to sit on the board of Limelight and spend his time helping companies grow at a different kind of venture capital firm called Forum Ventures. WHERE TO FIND JONAH MIDANIK:Limelight Platform - https://www.limelightplatform.com/Forum Ventures - https://lp.forumvc.com/pitch-us-formLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonahmidanik/Twitter - https://twitter.com/midanik_jonah