The Missing Layer in Exit Planning Preparing Owners for Life After a Liquidity Event
Exit planning for business owners has traditionally focused on valuation, tax efficiency, and transaction structure. While these financial elements are obviously important, they represent only a part of a successful exit strategy. For many entrepreneurs, the sale of a business is not a financial milestone – it’s a deeply personal life event. Too often, business […]
Why Technically Perfect Exit Plans May Still Fail Business Owners After the Sale
By Andrew Williams As exit planning advisors, we are exceptionally good at solving complex problems. We know how to optimize enterprise value, structure deals, mitigate tax exposure, prepare management teams, and guide business owners through one of the most sophisticated financial transactions of their lives. From a technical standpoint, I believe exits lead by CEPAs […]
M&A Industry Trends August 2025
Current Trends in the Lower Middle Market M&A Landscape: Q2 2025 Insights The second quarter of 2025 delivered a complex but largely encouraging picture for lower middle market mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Sellers are finding favorable conditions, private equity remains aggressive, and main street entrepreneurial activity continues to expand. At the same time, looming headwinds […]
Helping Your Business Owner Clients Thrive After the Exit
The Hidden Challenge of Exiting a Business As a CEPA advisor, you know the technical side of exit planning inside and out—value acceleration, enterprise valuation, tax strategies, deal structures, and estate planning. But too often, even the best-prepared sale transactions leave business owners feeling unfulfilled after the sale. Studies from Price Waterhouse Coopers famously showed […]
Staying out of the bottom 75%
In 2014, accounting firm Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) conducted a revealing study exploring the experiences of business owners after they had exited their companies. The study, titled “Exiting Your Business: A Life-Changing Event,” was designed to uncover not just the financial aspects of business exits, but also the emotional and psychological outcomes for owners who […]
Leading Through the Storm
Leading Through the Storm: How Business Owners Find Purpose in Challenging Times The months between the inauguration and July 4 delivered a level of turmoil in the business community that most did not see coming. While the Purchasing Manager’s index (PMI) data shows that manufacturing companies were impacted more than services businesses, it’s fair to […]
From Surviving to Thriving
From Surviving to Thriving What Business Owners Can Learn from Dr. Joseph Fabry’s Teachings on Meaning In today’s unpredictable business landscape, most entrepreneurs are familiar with stress, strategy, and spreadsheets. But what about meaning? Amid the pressures of cash flow, competition, and growth, finding “meaning” in a business can feel like a luxury. Yet as […]