Tick-Tock Boomers Time to Cash Out or Face the Music

By Order of the Peaky Blinders: Know Your Worth

Listen close. A business like a racehorse has a value. You wouldn't send a nag to the Derby would you? So don't be sentimental about your 'baby'. Get a proper valuation. I'm talking cold hard facts not what your Aunt Polly thinks it's worth. Founders they all think their company is gold plated but the market doesn't care about sentiment. Get an expert someone who knows the game. Otherwise you'll be leaving money on the table and nobody wants that. As I always say "everyone's a whore Grace. We just sell different parts of ourselves.". Knowing your business's worth is knowing which part to sell and for how much.

Delegate or Degenerate: The Shelby Way of Succession

A one man show is fine for a pub singer not a business. If you can't walk away for a month without the whole thing collapsing you've built a house of cards. Train your people trust them and for god's sake let them make mistakes. That's how they learn. A business that runs itself is a business worth buying. Remember 'Whiskey's good proofing water. Tells you who's real and who isn't.' The same goes for your employees. And while you are at it take a look at China Tech's Wild Ride A Dragon's Perspective to see how other dynamic markets are handling successions.

Retirement: The Final Deal

Retirement. It's not about sipping lemonade on a beach unless that's your game. It's about having the freedom to choose. But freedom costs and in this case it costs cold hard cash. So do the bloody math. How much do you need? After taxes after the fancy cigars after the donations to the orphanage. Don't get caught thinking you're richer than you are. As my mother used to say "Lies travel faster than the truth". The truth is in the numbers.

Assemble Your Gang: The Advisor Alliance

Selling a business is a war. And in war you need allies. A good CPA an investment banker a financial advisor and a shark of a lawyer. Don't try to go it alone unless you fancy getting knifed in the back. These people they've seen it all before. They know the tricks they know the angles and they know how to get you the best price. It's an investment not an expense. Think of them as your own bloody Peaky Blinders watching your back and making sure you get what you deserve.

Life After the Deal: Beyond the Balance Sheet

So you've made the sale. Now what? Sit around counting your money? That'll get boring quick. Have a plan. Another business? Charity work? Travel the world? Something to get you out of bed in the morning. Selling the business is just the beginning. Don't let it be the end of your story. "We're not God," you know. "We just do his dirty work.". So make sure your work is worthwhile.

Strategic Sales: Shelby Style

Planning is everything. Value realistically. Delegate effectively. Retirement numbers crunched. A team assembled. Post sale plan locked and loaded. Follow these rules and your business sale won't just be an exit it will be a victory. Remember "You don't paralyse when you recognise fear. Fear keeps you sharp.".