Business Exit Strategy

What Is a Business Exit Strategy?

A business exit strategy is an entrepreneur's strategic plan to sell their ownership in a company to investors or another company. An exit strategy gives a business owner a method for decreasing or liquidate his stake in a business and, on the off chance that the business is effective, create a substantial gain. On the off chance that the business isn't effective, an exit strategy (or "exit plan") empowers the entrepreneur to limit losses. An exit strategy may likewise be utilized by an investor, for example, a venture capitalist to plan for a cash-out of an investment.

Business exit strategies ought not be mistaken for trading exit strategies utilized in securities markets.

Understanding Business Exit Strategy

Preferably, an entrepreneur will foster an exit strategy in their initial business plan before really starting a new business. The choice of exit plan can influence business development choices. Common types of exit strategies incorporate initial public offerings (IPO), strategic acquisitions, and management buyouts (MBO). Which exit strategy an entrepreneur picks relies upon many factors, for example, how much control or contribution (if any) they need to hold in the business, whether they maintain that the company should be run similarly after their flight, or whether they're willing to see it shift, if they are paid well to close down.

A strategic acquisition, for instance, will let the pioneer free from their ownership obligations, yet will likewise mean the organizer is surrendering control. IPOs are many times seen as the sacred goal of exit strategies since they frequently bring along the best renown and highest payoff. Then again, bankruptcy is viewed as the least beneficial method for exitting a business.

A key part of an exit strategy is business valuation, and there are experts that can help business owners (and buyers) look at a company's financials to decide a fair value. There are additionally change managers whose job is to help sellers with their business exit strategies.

Business Exit Strategy and Liquidity

Different business exit strategies additionally offer business owners various levels of liquidity. Selling ownership through a strategic acquisition, for instance, can offer the best amount of liquidity in the most limited time period, it is structured to rely on how the acquisition. The appeal of a given exit strategy will rely upon market conditions, too; for instance, an IPO may not be the best exit strategy during a recession, and a management buyout may not be alluring to a buyer when interest rates are high.

While an IPO will quite often be a lucrative prospect for company founders and seed investors, these shares can be incredibly unpredictable and hazardous for ordinary investors who will purchase their shares from the early investors.

Business Exit Strategy: Which Is Best?

The best type of exit strategy additionally relies upon business type and size. A partner in a medical office could benefit by selling to one of the other existing partners, while a sole owner's ideal exit strategy could basically be to get however much cash-flow as could reasonably be expected, then, at that point, close down the business. In the event that the company has different founders, or then again in the event that there are substantial shareholders notwithstanding the founders, these other gatherings' interests must be calculated into the decision of an exit strategy also.

Highlights

• On the off chance that the business is battling, carrying out an exit strategy or "exit plan" can permit the entrepreneur to limit losses.
• A business exit strategy is a plan that a pioneer or owner of a business makes to sell their company, or share in a company, to different investors or different firms.
• On the off chance that the business is bringing in money, an exit strategy lets the owner of the business cut their stake or totally escape the business while creating a gain.
• Initial public offerings (IPOs), strategic acquisitions, and management buyouts are among the more normal exit strategies an owner could seek after.