Do You Fit Our Client Profile?
We are experts at helping business owners maximize business value before retiring or selling.
We've helped businesses with annual revenues as low as $0.5M to as much as $32M.
However, our typical clients generate $1M to $12M per year.
Does this sound like you?
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You're concerned about selling for enough money to support the lifestyle you've been dreaming of having.
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You're worried about preserving your legacy.
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You want to retire/exit in the next few years and need to maximize value before it's too late.
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You're aiming for a specific business valuation before you sell.
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You've heard about Growth via Acquisition & want to build massive wealth before you exit.
Our ideal client profile:
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Privately Held
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Established 5 Years or Longer
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$1M to $12M in Annual Revenue
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Several Major Industry Groups, i.e.: Manufacturing, Engineering, Construction, Contractors (HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing, Landscaping, etc.) Wholesale/Distribution, Software/SaaS, various B2B & B2C Services
Why Exit Authority is best positioned
to help you:
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We've been on both sides of the negotiating table.
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Our Founder & Advisory Team Members have experience buying & selling their own businesses.
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We could be your buyer.
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Our Founder once owned & managed a large business brokerage firm for Small/Medium Enterprises (SME). We know how to use them.
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As Sellers - we know what Premium Buyers look for.
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As Investors - we know business acquisition. We'll be your best advisor and/or partner for Growth via Acquisition.
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All Exit Authority services will position you for Premium Offers so that you can unlock the wealth you've created in your business.
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The Value Builder System™, an internationally-validated methodology, has aided thousands of entrepreneurs build value before they exit.
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You will discover the Core Value Drivers of growth and clear the bottlenecks holding you back — so you can scale up with certainty.
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You'll gain access, if needed, to an entire network of validated and trustful services – business attorneys, auditors, CPAs, experts at raising capital, M&A professionals, various marketing professionals, and more.
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You'll gain visibility with an exclusive private community of experienced small business buyers & investors.
Meet our Leader & Founder:
Gerald Meunier
Certified Value Builder™
Exit Authority was founded by entrepreneur, small business visionary, consultant, and business acquisition specialist, Gerald Meunier.
When he wasn’t starting, acquiring or selling his own businesses, he shared his experience with others. He even owned and managed a large business brokerage office on the East Coast for several years.
Much of his 30 years of business and financial experience was devoted to advising others on buying or selling small businesses. This led to building a team dedicated to exit consulting for small and medium size businesses.
He then partnered with the Value Builder System™ a few years ago and incorporated their value-building methodology & software into his business exit consulting practice.
We can help you get started with a 20-minute phone or Zoom call between you and Gerald. Just click the orange button, and let's set up that call. All of our engagements begin with a no-charge conversation.
What do you have to lose?
When it comes to valuing your business –
-It’s all about
the MULTIPLE
The value of your business is determined by a simple formula:
EBITDA x MULTIPLE (of Earnings) = VALUE
EBITDA:
E = Earnings (your annual net profit)
B = Before
I = Interest
T = Taxes
D = Depreciation
A = Amortization
MULTIPLE:
Determined by the marketplace (buyers). How attractive is your business compared to your peers, nationwide?
Value: How much a buyer could offer you
For our purposes, a small business has annual sales $0.5M - $9.9M
Let's look at how
this could apply to YOU:
Example 1: an average small business, annual sales $1.5M
$250,000 EBITDA
2.8x the Multiple
$700,000 Valuation
Example 2: Same business after implementing the 8 core value drivers*
that acquirers look at when buying companies.
*(included in Exit Authority Value-Building Services)
$450,000 EBITDA
4.5x the Multiple
$2,025,000 Valuation
Example 3: Same business after implementing the 8 core value drivers,
& using the VIP Exit Authority program for aggressive scaling
to POSITION the business for PREMIUM buyers.
$1,050,000 EBITDA
8.0x the Multiple
$8,400,000 Valuation
Which of These Examples
Would You Prefer To Be In
When You Retire/Exit?
What Would You Consider a Reasonable Investment to Get an Additional $1,000,000 When You Exit?
What About an Additional $2 Million?
$4 Million? $6 Million?
The Good News is -
Your Investment in Exit Authority Services
is Amazingly LOW When Compared to
Your
Return On Investment
“We help business owners/CEOs position themselves to Scale, Merge, be Acquired, Sell, and/or Retire with winning exit strategies that rapidly boost business valuations.”
Exit Authority
Remember -
-It’s all about
the MULTIPLE
Here’s why:
Published data for sales of Small Businesses (annual revenues below $10M) shows the AVERAGE Small Business sells for 2.3 - 3.5 times earnings.
2.3X to 3.5X Earnings - That's the MULTIPLE
So, how is it that some same-size businesses sell for 8x, 9x, 10x, even as much as 38x earnings?
What are they doing different to justify these Premium Multiples when they exit?
The Answer:
Those Small Business Owners learned
the 8 Drivers of Value in businesses
that Buyers & Investors look for
and are willing to pay Premium Multiples for.
They took the time to prepare their businesses to attract Premium Offers.
You can do it, too!
Buyers focus on businesses that are ready to sell
Whether you want to sell now or you plan to exit in a few years, it’s never too early to get ready.
Many owners believe they just need to promote their business to the right buyers by posting on a website or engaging a broker or expensive resources.
That’s wrong! Attracting a buyer to a business that is not ready is a recipe for failure.
A number of surveys have shown that 80% of small businesses nationwide fail to sell.
Over 50% of deals fall apart in due diligence, others never attract a buyer because they have not positioned the business properly.
Working with a Certified Value Builder™ is one of the few ways to achieve a better outcome,
but many business owners come to the table far too late.
Some business owners who come to us are stuck, burned out and unhappy with their business. They are exceptional at accelerating business growth, but they eventually hit a ceiling. Revenue stagnates and the business value plateaus.
They are in what we call "The Owner's Trap". This common situation will have a negative impact on receiving acquisition offers.
We can help business owners transition out of this dilemma -
a necessity to reach your full financial reward when you retire/exit.
Download a free eBook, "The Rainmaker’s Dilemma" to learn more.
Exit Authority helps owners
position for Exit Success!
Consequences of Not Planning Your Exit
All too often, small business owners delay planning for the inevitable - exiting their business.
They are either caught unprepared by unsolicited buyer offers or they get burned-out by too many operational problems that they carried-on for years.
This is why they leave money on the table or miss once in a lifetime opportunities.
The failure to create a well-defined exit or transition plan virtually guarantees that business owners will:
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Exit their companies as a result of pressure from outside circumstances, not as a result of their own desires.
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Exit their companies on a timetable that’s forced on them instead of one that meets their needs.
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Undervalue their companies and leave hard-earned wealth on the table
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Pay too much in taxes
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Lose control over the process by being reactive and limiting their exit options
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Fail to realize all their business and personal goals
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Suffer unnecessary psychological stress
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Watch a lifetime of work disintegrate as a result of poor business continuity planning
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Lose confidentiality during the sale or exit process
We guide business owners to strategically prepare their business and themselves for an investment or an exit.
What Would You Consider a Reasonable Investment to Get an Additional $1,000,000 When You Exit?
What About an Additional $2 Million?
$4 Million? $6 Million?
Your Investment in Exit Authority Services is Amazingly LOW When Compared to Your Return On Investment