Preparing Your Business for Exit: A Step-by-Step Guide Selling a business isn’t just a financial event. It’s the culmination of years (and, more likely, decades) of work. Whether you’re thinking about an exit in the next year or simply exploring your long-term options, preparing your business for an exit early will dramatically improve your outcome....
The Small Business Administration (SBA) has expanded its support for United States based production with a major increase to its lending limit. On December 1, 2025, the SBA announced that the loan cap for small manufacturers under its 7(a) and 504 programs has doubled from $5 million to $10 million through the Made in American...
Don’t Get Fooled by Inflated Business Prices Business sellers are being sold the "emperor's new clothes". If you don't know the tale, a vain emperor who is obsessed with fancy new clothes is sold a magnificent garment that supposedly can't be seen by stupid people. All of the emperor's court plays along because, of course,...
By Sunbelt CEO Brian Slipka, Minneapolis, MN, US The FT has reported that since the Silicon Valley Bank collapse, we have seen a massive “flight to quality”, with customers flocking to large US financial services companies such as JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Citigroup (“Big US lenders flooded with new customers," Report, March 15). The flight...
Running a successful business is complex per se. Adding the element of “family” to a business often creates more complexities, especially as the business grows. Lifelong family bonds and expectations can run headlong into business realities and needs. Today, we’ll share some ideas about how to keep the family business running and the business family...
Success is rarely linear. As a business owner, it’s important to both acknowledge that fact and create plans that can provide short-term results while having long-term impacts. Today, we’ll show you four areas in which strong planning and realistic goals can position you to achieve more success in the coming year. 1. Building strong management...
As the year winds down, it’s important for business owners to raise their awareness of last year’s performance. Knowing what you did well, along with where you struggled, is crucial to planning for future success. Today, we’ll show you three categories that you can review—strategic performance, tactical performance, and financial performance—and some questions you may...
It can be difficult to consider what will happen to your business and your family if you die unexpectedly. Without proper planning, you could be leaving your family and/or key stakeholders in a huge mess. Proper planning allows you to keep your business on the right path even after an unexpected tragedy leaves you unable...
Next-level management teams are the drivers behind building business value. But how can you and your advisors attract and keep next-level management teams? The answer lies within incentive plans. When incentive plans are properly designed and implemented, your business has the potential to grow well after you sell. Well-executed incentive plans can motivate each member...
