How To Build A Business That Is Worth Selling
(Even If You Never Do)
There are millions of books written on leadership, management, sales, marketing and so on – BUT – the most important event in an entrepreneurs life is ‘The Wealth Creation Event’. That is when you sell your company, and almost NOBODY talks about it…
And, learning how to set your business up for sale – even if you never plan to sell it – is one of the most important actions you can take that will totally transform the way you think about and run your business…
In order to maximize the value of your business when it comes time to exit, me (Joe Polish) and GeniusX Member John Ratliff have put together an AWESOME course for you. It’s called…
THE $65 MILLION SECRET: How To Build A Business That Is Worth Selling (Even If You Never Do)
John Ratliff grew his company by buying 24 other companies. When he got to end, he had a really successful exit. He sold his business for 14 TIMES EBITDA in an industry that trades at 3 to 4 times EBITDA. He did it because he understood what drove the strategic value of the business over and above just cashflow. We will teach YOU the things John did to drive that strategic value (and, typically, he beats the industry multiple by 50% to 100% in almost every deal he does. IN FACT, the “worst” deal he ever did beat the industry average by 50%!)
Our goal is this: You get at least a 50% improvement over industry average multiples.
In this course, we will walk you through the most important steps and most common pitfalls that trip up entrepreneurs all the time when you get to your exit event. We’re here to save you from those mistakes and show you the path to maximize your exit value.
In this course, here’s just a few of the things you will discover and learn:
- Why you should set your company up to sell (even if you never sell it)
- The $65.5 Million Story: The never-before-told story of how John grew, scaled and sold his company
- Think you’re going to run your company forever? Here’s the truth most entrepreneurs need to know…
- The Mindset of a Buyer: What an acquirer wants to know before they buy your company
- The 4 “Drivers of Value” in the exit process (This is what makes your company a very desirable asset)
- One thing you should do to give yourself more entrepreneurial freedom and drive tremendous exit value
- The best time to start thinking about an exit for your company
- Make your company A LOT more valuable by hiring THIS key team member…
- The #1 thing you need to know about structuring your company for sale: M Y R
- The 2 Types of Sales: The differences between a Financial Sale and a Strategic Sale (and how to spot overlooked strategic value that can skyrocket your company’s valuation)
- A big factor in the successful sale of your company is your internal team – and many entrepreneur get this completely wrong because NOBODY talks about it. This is an area where you should NOT listen to your intuition and gut feelings. There are very specific steps you MUST take to get this right, or things can go BAD very quickly. Here’s who you should tell, how to avoid panic within your company, and EXACTLY what to do…
- 3 secrets for educating and preparing yourself when it comes to selling your company (PLUS: A book about business acquisition Warren Buffett, one of the richest and most successful investors in the world, called “An outstanding book”)
- How to find and attract potential buyers for your business
Here’s a small taste of ONE THING you will discover in this course we call it “The Rembrandt In The Attic”:
For example, it could be your customer list; it could a certain process or way you do things; it could be a piece of software or IP you’ve developed; but every business has unique assets inside the company that are value OVER AND ABOVE the cashflow that comes out of the business. Entrepreneurs often don’t see these – and they are what we call a “Rembrandt In The Attic”.
So, if you were going to buy a $1,000,000 house and two other bidders were involved in the process, and you were all bidding against each other, if you knew there was a Rembrandt painting hidden in the attic of that house that the seller of the house didn’t know was there, you would be willing to pay more for the house because the Rembrandt would come with it.
Even more strategies revealed in this course are:
- 2 questions to qualify buyers and make sure they are worth talking to (AND – a red flag to watch for early on that tells you a transaction will NOT be good for you in the future)
- Having the RIGHT lawyer is one of the most important factors in successful selling a business. Having the WRONG lawyer can kill a deal and cost you a fortune. Here’s how to find and choose the RIGHT attorney – and – what you need to know about the legal aspects of an exit
- What EBITDA is, why it matters and how it works in the valuation of your company
- What “Multiples” are and some common multiples in various industries (AND: How to determine the value of YOUR business)
- Finding Rembrandt’s In Your Attic: Unlocking hidden strategic value in your business so you can sell your company for more than you ever dreamed of (THIS is how John was able to sell his business for 14x EBITDA – well above the industry average…)
- The 3 different types of deal structures, their benefits and choosing the right deal structure for you
- Life After The Exit: The unforeseen challenges entrepreneurs face post-sale and 3 things you should be prepared for
- Meaning, Purpose and Deciding What’s Next: How to avoid entrepreneurial postpartum depression and live a thoughtful, purposeful life
Here’s a preview of the syllabus and sessions:
Intro Video
1-1 Meet Your Instructors
1-2 What You're Going To Learn
1-3 Why You Should Set Your Company Up To Sell It (Even If You Never Do)
The $65 Million Dollar Story
2-1 How To Structure A Company Differently For A Successful Sale
2-2 Installing The Systems And Processes To Facilitate A Sale
2-3 Communicating The Possibility Ans Potential Of A Sale Internally
2-4 Setting Expectations
2-4 Setting Expectations
3-1 The Two Types Of Sales, And How They're Different
3-2 Sharpening The Axe: How To Become An Educated Seller
3-3 Mental Mastery: How Your Mindset Can Sabotage Or Save Your Exit
3-4 How To Attract Buyers
3-5 From Letters Of Intent To Offers – What Happens Next?
3-6 Due Diligence
The Journey Begins
4-1 An Overview Of Your Acquisition Dream Team
4-2 Choosing The Right Lawyer
4-3 Working With Your Accountant
Your Acquisition Team
5-1 Understanding Ebitda
5-2 What Are “Multiples”
5-3 Find The Rembrandts In Your Closet
5-4 Other Factors That Influence Valuation
5-5 The Importance Of Entertaining Multiple Offers
5-6 Choosing The Right Buyer: Factors To Consider
5-7 Maintaining A Healthy Buyer-Seller Relationship Throughout The Process
5-8 Little-Known Strategies To Negotiate An Effective Sale
5-9 The Different Types Of Deal Structure & How To Choose Whats Right For You
5-10 Don't Celebrate Until You Cross The Finish Line
5-11 Other Common Mistakes – And How To Avoid Them
Valuation, Negotiation, & Sealing the Deal
6-1 The Unforeseen Challenges Post-Sale
6-2 Meaning, Purpose, And Deciding What's Next
Life After the Exit
7 How To Work Directly With Me
How To Work Directly With Me
Acquisition Panel
Roland Frasier Buy It! or Sell It!
THE $65 MILLION SECRET: How To Build A Business That Is Worth Selling (Even If You Never Do)
Your 100% “Action-Based” Satisfaction Guarantee:
This course is going to give you an almost unfair advantage so you can maximize the value of your business if you ever choose to sell it. You’re going to discover proven success strategies that will help you build a sellable, scalable business much faster than normal.
In fact, we believe so strongly in this courses ability to positively transform your business that you have our 30-Day Iron Clad “Action-Based” Guarantee. Here’s how it works: Go through the course over the next 30 days. Put at least 3 of the strategies you learn from the course into action in your business, and if you aren’t satisfied for any reason within the thirty day period, simply contact our office and we’ll give you a full refund. It’s that simple! We can make this bold guarantee because we stand behind this course 100% and the results back this up.
