How Can Small Businesses Increase Their Value Before Selling with Brent Stringer
Release Date: 12/07/2025
Why Is Financial Preparation Key to Maximizing Business Value with Jessica Fialkovich
The B2B Growth Blueprint
Are you building a business you can walk away from on your terms without leaving money legacy and people behind? Jessica shares how losing a corporate job during the Lehman era pushed her to take control of her career by becoming an entrepreneur then selling her first company and learning the hard way that exits require preparation not excitement She explains that most owners do not exit on their own terms and that the biggest preventable mistake is not running the company like it could exit at any time Her framework centers on having a target exit option plus a backup plan focusing on...
info_outline
Can Fractional CMOs Help Struggling Businesses Scale Faster with Melanie Asher
The B2B Growth Blueprint
What if the real reason your marketing is not working has nothing to do with your ads or your posting schedule? Melanie Asher explains why businesses stall when they chase checklists and vanity metrics instead of aligning marketing with clear 6 month and 5-year goals. She breaks down how ownership of core assets like your domain data and brand protections directly affects value during a transition. The conversation also spotlights common breakdowns like disconnected systems undocumented processes and marketing efforts that cannot be measured end to end. Her core point is that marketing is...
info_outline
How Can Founder-Led Companies Break Through Growth Plateaus with Alexis Sikorsky
The B2B Growth Blueprint
Ever feel like your business hit a ceiling—and no matter how hard you grind, it won’t budge? In this episode, Alexis Sikorsky breaks down the real reasons founder-led companies stall around the $5M–$10M mark. He shares how he scaled New Access, survived the 2008 crash, and eventually reached a $100M+ exit. You’ll hear why “more ideas” isn’t the problem—lack of clarity is. And you’ll leave with a simple way to assess what to fix first, so growth becomes engineered instead of chaotic. Quotes: Don’t confuse what’s urgent with what’s important. ...
info_outline
What Are DATA Principles for Realistic Projections with Jeffrey Kates
The B2B Growth Blueprint
Welcome back to the B2B Growth Blueprint Podcast. What happens when a company is one bad decision away from real trouble? In this episode of the B2B Growth Blueprint Podcast, host Mark Osborne sits down with Jeffrey Kates, a veteran turnaround and M&A advisor who steps in when clarity and discipline matter most. Jeffrey shares why clean historical financials are important, but why forward-looking projections are what separate average operators from best-in-class leaders. He breaks down how strong projections must be tied to real operations, from workflow and supply chain timing to margins...
info_outline
Will Your Pricing Scale as Fast as Your Company Needs It To with Dan Balcauski
The B2B Growth Blueprint
Welcome back to the B2B Growth Blueprint Podcast. In this episode, Mark Osborne sits down with Dan Balcauski, founder and chief pricing officer at Product Tranquility, to explore how B2B SaaS leaders can turn pricing and packaging into a strategic advantage. Dan shares how his background in engineering, product management, and an MBA internship led him to focus on how companies capture value, not just build products. Together, they break down why pricing is not just about picking a number, why who and how you charge matters more than what you charge, and how growth stage companies can evolve...
info_outline
Is Your Business Quietly Hitting a Growth Ceiling with Ron Gerran
The B2B Growth Blueprint
Welcome back to the B2B Growth Blueprint Podcast. In this episode, Mark Osborne sits down with Ron Gerrans to unpack what really drives scalable growth in founder-led companies, and why operational maturity is often the missing link between a solid business and a business that can grow or exit cleanly. Ron shares how years as a CEO shaped his approach, why most companies get stuck in heroic execution, and how leaders can move from chaos to repeatable, scalable systems without losing the entrepreneurial energy that made the company successful in the first place. Quotes: ...
info_outline
What Is Laurie Barkman’s BUILT Method for Successful Business Transitions
The B2B Growth Blueprint
Mark Osborne welcomes Laurie Barkman, founder of Business Transition Sherpa, a consulting firm specializing in guiding business owners through growth and transition strategies. With a background in B2B growth, Laurie brings firsthand experience as CEO of a third-generation company and has led a significant acquisition, giving her unique insight into both sides of the transition process. She has worked extensively with Gen X owners who approach exit planning differently than baby boomers, seeking more personalized and strategic pathways. Laurie is also the creator of the trademarked "Built to...
info_outline
How Is AI Reshaping Digital Marketplaces Today with Andy Allaway
The B2B Growth Blueprint
Mark Osborne chats with Andy Allaway, CEO of Empire Flippers, about his career journey and the company’s nine-year evolution as a leading marketplace for buying and selling online businesses. Andy shares insights on e-commerce, SaaS, and service businesses, the growing impact of AI, and why preparing for sale is critical. He highlights the valuation power of SaaS and subscription models, the rise of online business financing, and how Empire Flippers helps entrepreneurs and investors achieve smoother exits and stronger long-term value. Quotes: “I think sellers now...
info_outline
What Innovation Strategies Drive Success for StoneGate Advisor with Marc Pierce
The B2B Growth Blueprint
Welcome back to the B2B Growth Blueprint Podcast. In this episode, the focus is on what truly drives sustainable B2B growth: building a repeatable acquisition system and protecting revenue through intentional, proactive retention. The guest is Marc Pierce, a nationally recognized healthcare strategy and consulting leader with more than 25 years of experience across payers, providers, health tech, and health data. After spending two decades building StoneGate Advisors and developing the AI-enabled STAMP platform to predict churn before renewals, Marc was recently acquired by ECG...
info_outline
How Can Family Businesses Grow and Transition Successfully with Jonathan GOldhill
The B2B Growth Blueprint
Mark Osborne welcomes Jonathan Goldhill, business coach, author, and expert in guiding family-owned companies through growth and transition. With decades of experience working alongside entrepreneurs and family businesses, Jonathan has developed a proven approach to helping organizations professionalize operations, clarify leadership roles, and build sustainable enterprise value. His coaching emphasizes the unique challenges faced by family businesses, where personal relationships and generational dynamics often intersect with strategic decision-making. In this episode, Jonathan...
info_outlineBrent Stringer, owner of Exit Factor Indiana, discusses his diverse career in public accounting, leadership, and Exit Planning. He highlights the unique challenges small business owners face, such as overdependence on the owner and unrealistic valuation expectations. Stringer emphasizes the importance of preparing businesses for sale, suggesting a realistic timeline of 10 months and the need for documented processes. He notes a trend of younger business owners embracing Exit Planning earlier. Stringer's approach focuses on creating value for clients, often small businesses, to help them sell faster and for more. He can be reached at brent.stringer@exitfactor.com or through his website.
Quotes:
-
"There's not a business there, there's a job."
-
"Exit planning is just good business."
-
"If it's really dependent on me, then it's not as much of a business as it is a job."
-
"Younger business owners are more open to Exit Planning and willing to do that earlier."
-
"Documenting processes can sometimes actually be low hanging fruit."
-
"We want to make our clients’ businesses the best they can possibly be."
Takeaways:
-
Building a business independent of the owner is essential for a successful exit.
-
Many owners overestimate business value—realistic valuation is key.
-
Preparation and documentation speed up and increase the value of business sales.
-
Exit planning should start early, not just before a sale.
-
Standard operating procedures (SOPs) both improve operations and attract buyers.
-
Exit Planning is valuable for business resilience against both expected and unexpected events.
Conclusion:
Thoughtful exit planning is a vital part of smart business strategy, not just an end-of-the-road step. By preparing early, reducing owner dependence, and documenting key processes, business owners can increase their business’s value, resilience, and overall satisfaction—while also being ready for whatever opportunities or challenges may arise.
Links Mentioned:
Website: exitfactor.com
Guest Links: