Selling a Business & Exit Planning
Our team will help you find the right buyer — one that values your employees and customers, understands your business’ worth, and champions your legacy. And confidentiality is always paramount to what we do.
Strategic Guidance for Business Exit Planning
We know what it takes to build a business; the early mornings, the sleepless nights, and the risks you took to build something bigger than yourself. We also know that when it comes time to make an exit, you want to maximize profits while putting your life's work in the right hands.
This is why True North Mergers & Acquisitions exists—to ensure you make a seamless transition that minimizes friction without compromising your personal or financial goals.
Whether you are entering retirement or ready to pursue new challenges, True North Mergers & Acquisitions will guide you through a smooth exit with the dedication and personalized attention you deserve.
What is Exit Planning?
Exit planning is a preliminary process that guides sellers as they transition out of their companies. While every business exit planning strategy is unique, most share a common framework, which includes:
- Assessing Readiness: Evaluating your personal and professional goals. We’ll discuss your business performance, learn more about your post-exit financial needs, and set a rough business exit strategy timeframe.
- Enhancing Value: Identifying areas of improvement, whether it be improving financial performance or preparing team members to reduce owner dependency.
- Business Valuation: Determining market conditions, uncovering your business’s unique value propositions, and setting realistic price expectations.
- Choosing an Exit Strategy: Exit paths often vary with goals and circumstances. While some owners wish to make a complete exit, others prefer to maintain a stake in the company with the option to fully cash out at a future date.
- Team Assembly: Our team members have diverse specializations. Based on your goals and business type, we will assemble an in-house team of experts who understand your objectives.
- Implementation: With the strategy and exit planning team in place, we will launch our QuietAuction™ process to maintain confidentiality and find qualified buyers.
Why Work with an Exit Planning Advisor?
Selling your own business may seem relatively straightforward. After all, no one knows your business like you do, right? Unfortunately, selling a business independently can lead to costly mistakes, including:
- Confidentiality breaches
- Undervaluation
- Failed negotiations
The benefits of exit planning with an advisor include:
- Maximizing Value: We have the experience and outside perspective to approach exit planning objectively. Our team knows how to create competitive tension among buyers, tactfully negotiate, and find financially and ethically viable buyers.
- Maintaining Confidentiality: Our proprietary QuietAuction™ process ensures the sale remains confidential and you stay in control. This proven approach is key to creating buyer tension and driving up the sales price.
- Minimizing Distraction: Another benefit of exit planning with a professional is that you are freed up to focus on what you do best—run your business. Meanwhile, we will do the heavy lifting to prepare your business for sale.
- Accessing More Prospective Buyers: Over the decades, we’ve built a strong network. When you partner with our team, you gain access to qualified buyers who understand your industry and recognize the true value of your business.
FAQs
Let our elite team of advisors guide you towards a better solution for your financial future.
It’s Our Culture That Makes Us Different
We Take Action
Our professional advisors bring perseverance, problem-solving, and a “get it done” attitude to the table.
Our Team Works Hard & Plays Hard
We balance a strong work ethic that brings profitable results to our clients within a culture that celebrates the process.
We’re Leaders In More Ways Than One
At True North Mergers & Acquisitions, we’re a leader to our clients, a leader in the marketplace, and leaders to each other.
We Believe in Teamwork
We bring our whole selves and work as a team to deliver world-class service to our clients.
Help People First & Success Will Follow
We’re devoted to encouraging, equipping, collaborating and uplifting all who come in contact with us.
It’s All About Servant Leadership
This is the core purpose of why we exist — placing the needs of others before ourselves. Success will follow.
Our Advisors Bring You Expertise, Market Knowledge & Industry Contacts
Meet the people of True North Mergers & Acquisitions — a team of high-caliber advisors and industry experts who will rally for you.
Tom Fischer
TECA Data Safe Corporation
Randy, I cannot express how much we appreciate having you on our side throughout this process. We’ve known each other for more than eight years and I already had high expectations. Those were met and then some. The process is harder and more complicated than I could ever have understood. Your knowledge and experience are very apparent. Thank goodness we have you.
$10M - $150M
EXPERT M&A ADVISORY
40 M&A
PROFESSIONALS
$3B+
TRANSACTIONS CLOSED
$120M
LARGEST TRANSACTION
250 Years
COMBINED ADVISORY EXPERIENCE
What Our Clients Say About Partnering With Us
Our advisors’ decades of experience, market knowledge, and industry expertise have proved invaluable to our clients. Here’s what they say about working with the True North Mergers & Acquisitions team.
