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Business Strategy Insights
The Art of Waiting: Patience, Policy, and the Market in 2025
June 16, 2025 / in Business Strategy / by Joe Orlando
In the current business and financial landscape, characterized by the rapid pace of information, transactions, and decisions, there is a certain discomfort and even annoyance associated with waiting. Where delay often signals indecision, risk, or a missed opportunity, waiting feels unnatural. Yet, in 2025, the financial markets and those participating in them are collectively doing just that: waiting. Waiting on the U.S. Congress to finalize the “Big Beautiful Bill.” Waiting on the resolution of proposed …
Why Founders Must Strengthen Leadership to Maximize Exit Value
June 16, 2025 / in Business Strategy, Exit Planning / by Al Statz
You’ve built a solid business. It’s profitable, growing, and respected in your industry. But here’s the hard truth: if your company can’t run and scale without you—it’s not as valuable as you think. Overdependence on the founder is one of the most common value-killers in lower middle market companies. Buyers and investors spot it quickly, and when they do, they get cautious or lose interest. It introduces transition risk, limits scalability, and creates headaches in …
Work “on” your business to build transferable value
May 20, 2025 / in Business Strategy / by Al Statz
If you’re a business owner, you know how easy it is to get caught up in the daily hustle and bustle of running the business—I inhabit that space myself most of the time! It’s all too common to find ourselves knuckling down on our inboxes, serving clients, and managing employees, and putting out fires However, this hands-on approach, while often necessary in the early stages of a business, can create a business that’s overly dependent on us as owners. …
How SBA’s New Citizenship Requirement Impacts Business Owners
March 25, 2025 / in Business Strategy, Exit Planning, News / by Adam Wiskind
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced significant updates to the eligibility requirements for its 7(a) and 504 loan programs, effective March 7, 2025. These changes focus on the citizenship status of borrowers and have a major impact on business operation loans and business transactions financed through the SBA loan guarantee program. What’s Changed? Previously, small business owners qualified for SBA loans even if up to 49% of their ownership was held by foreign …
Give Yourself the Gift of a Valuation This Holiday Season?
December 14, 2024 / in Business Strategy, Business Valuation / by Al Statz
As the year winds down, there’s a gift every business owner should consider—a current valuation of your business. Knowing the true value of your business is a gift that keeps on giving. Here’s why. Estate Planning One of the key benefits of a valuation is that it sets the groundwork for smart estate planning. If the unforeseen happens, knowing your business’s worth simplifies the inheritance process for your heirs and ensures they receive what you …
Scaling for Sale: Growth Strategies that Double as Exit Plans
December 2, 2024 / in Business Strategy, Exit Planning, Sell a Business / by Al Statz
As a business owner, you’re likely consumed with the daily challenges of building and growing your business. The question of selling might seem like a distant concern—something to worry about years down the road. But the reality is that planning your exit and growing your business are two sides of the same coin. We’ve been conditioned to think about entrepreneurship in distinct phases: First, you build; then, you grow; finally, you sell or pass it …
Goodwill hunting: How to build and finance this intangible asset
December 2, 2024 / in Business Strategy, Business Valuation, Sell a Business / by Al Statz
When it comes to selling a business, the term “goodwill” often arises. But what exactly is goodwill, and how does it impact the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) process? Goodwill is the value of a business that exceeds its tangible assets. It arises when a company is sold for more than the worth of its physical assets such as equipment, vehicles and inventory. Most successful companies have some level of goodwill, which is tied to cash …
What Does ChatGPT Think?
October 14, 2024 / in Business Strategy, Business Valuation / by Joe Orlando
This October, I will celebrate my 12th year as an Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA) in Business Valuation with the American Society of Appraisers (also ASA). ASA members meet every year for an International Conference to discuss current topics and to share knowledge and best practices. I attended the most recent Conference in Portland, OR. A presentation entitled “The AI Revolution – Why it Matters to Appraisers & Application Strategies” by Greg Endicott of Strategic Value Group, …
M&A Tip: Use Acquisitions to Expand Your Business
August 8, 2024 / in Acquire a Business, Business Strategy / by Exit Strategies
In today’s competitive business landscape, standing still means falling behind. Business owners and management must constantly find ways to grow, and one of their most bold and strategic moves is acquiring other businesses. This “buy and build” approach can offer a fast track to expansion, with both benefits and inherent risks. Here we summarize the benefits and risks involved in inorganic growth, and the essential advisors needed to navigate this complex terrain successfully. Benefits of …
From the M&A Glossary: Sale Leaseback
July 20, 2024 / in Business Strategy, Exit Planning / by Exit Strategies
A Sale Leaseback is a financial transaction in which a company sells an asset, usually real estate, to another party and then leases it back from the new owner for a negotiated period and other agreed upon terms. This arrangement allows the seller to convert the value of the asset into cash while retaining the right to use the asset through a lease agreement. Sale leasebacks can be advantageous for companies looking for a source …
Exit Strategies Group, Inc. is a leading provider of business sales and acquisitions, business valuations, and exit planning services for family owned and closely-held companies since 2002.
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