How to Maximize Your Business Exit Value:
Key Strategies for Business Owners to
Successfully Sell Their Company
Selling a business is one of the most important financial decisions you’ll ever make.
Yet too many owners go into the process unprepared. Cornerstone Business Services’ new national research reveals the most common pitfalls—and how to avoid them—so you can exit on your terms and secure the future you’ve worked so hard to build.
Discover what’s really at stake when it comes to selling your business in the 2025 National Study on Selling Your Business: Groundbreaking Research into Business Owner Attitudes, Trends, and Expectations About Selling Their Business.
The research, spearheaded by Scott Bushkie, a recognized speaker, author, and M&A expert, illuminates the motivations and factors owners consider when seeking an exit, and also offers key insights into how owners can maximize their business valuation. Key findings include:
- 49% of business owners believe their retirement could be in jeopardy without a successful sale
- 92% of business owners who either founded or inherited their business, have never sold a business before and don’t know what to expect
- Fewer than 4 in 10 business owners have done a real market analysis (RMA) by a reputable M&A firm
- 43% of business owners have minimal to no knowledge of the nine options available to exit their business
Cracking the Code on Successful Business Exits
The study sets out to understand why only 25% of small businesses in the U.S. successfully transfer to a new owner, and what could be keeping business owners from successfully completing the exit process. Surveying 750 business owners between the ages of 45 and 75 who own businesses making $5M+ in annual revenue, the research uncovered compelling insights that pave the way for a greater share of business owners to plan a successful exit.
Why Download This Report?
- Find out what’s top of mind for business owners considering an exit—based on insights from companies with $5 million to $100 million in revenue.
- Learn what sophisticated buyers know—and what you should, too
- Start planning with expert-backed strategies for valuation and exit success
Are You Exit-Ready?
Fill out the form to download your FREE copy of the research report and begin building a more profitable exit strategy today.
