The Intelligent Exit: The Business Owner’s Guide To A Winning Strategy For Selling Your Company
By Mark Carmichael
Very well written and on-target
“This book is a must read for anyone interested in selling their business, buying a business or mediating the sale... I showed this book to my friend, a former JP Morgan investment banker, and he said the content is dead-on and proceeded to take a few notes of his own. Well written, succinct, there is no fluff, just straight forward, relevant content. Highly suggest purchasing this book.”
✭ ✭✭ ✭ ✭ Amazon Review
The essential guide to selling your business at the best price, on the best terms, to the best buyer
Mark Carmichael is one of the few M&A advisors in the world who’s a lifelong entrepreneur himself. Over the course of his career, he’s started and exited 5 of his own companies… and learned the hard way about what it takes to sell a business successfully.
Mark shares his unique personal perspective, along with his decades of business experience in The Intelligent Exit. Before you start on your own business selling journey, you’ll want to read the solid and actionable advice in this book.
Here’s what you’ll discover:
● Why so many savvy, educated business people fail to make the most of their business exits
● How to effectively market your business in today’s world (and why so many get this so wrong)
● How to view your business from the buyer’s perspective, and capitalize on what will compel them to make the best offer
● The roadmap to a successful sale
● Why your first phone call when deciding to sell is often the wrong one
● Why a competitive bidding scenario is fundamental to your success (and how to create one)
● How to manage the emotional rollercoaster of selling your business (this is the most underestimated element, and one of the most important)
● How to qualify and hire your M&A Advisor
● Why most M&A advisors fail to create a competitive bidding environment for their client’s businesses
● Understanding what your business is really worth
● How to find the right buyers for your business
● Why your business is likely attractive to domestic and international buyers alike
And more!
Throughout the book, you’ll find real-world scenarios and practical advice by an author who’s been both an seller and an M&A advisor – it’s the perfect start to explore the sale of your business.
Or as Mark says: “… know the rules before you play the game… then perform to the best of your ability”
This book shares those rules.
A proven methodology for successful exits
The Intelligent Exit provides the framework of value-added strategies and comprehensive tools to sell businesses more profitably. Mark’s perspective on the sell-side process is highly unique and is of significant value to any shareholder, CEO, founder or otherwise looking to sell their business. As an active investor myself in numerous companies over the years, I am certain that the approach to selling businesses that Mark has developed and outlines in his book will make a positive difference to any business owner’s sell-side strategy. Any entrepreneur looking to strengthen his/her knowledge on the principles of a successful selling strategy should get to know Mark and his methodology.
Igor Sill
Silicon Valley early-stage investor in companies such as Salesforce.com, Siebel Systems (Oracle), Weblogic, Square, RedOwl, NetGravity and Threatmetrix. Current/past Advisory Board Member of Salesforce.com, BlinkLogic, IMF, Strawberry Creek Ventures (UCBerkeley alumni investment group) and Red Herring Communications.
