45: Is My Business Sellable? Key Factors to Consider Before Making the Leap

Small Business Bestie

Send us a text

Selling your business might be the furthest thing from your mind right now, but the steps that make a business sellable are exactly what create profitability and freedom today.
Leslie Hassler, founder of Your Biz Rules and business consultant with 17+ years of entrepreneurial experience, joins the show to shatter common misconceptions about business valuation. She explains why emotional attachment to your "business baby" can blind you to how buyers actually evaluate worth.
Financial statements tell your business story to potential buyers, and Leslie reveals the crucial metrics that determine your multiplier. "Taxes are a privilege of profit," she explains, challenging the common practice of minimizing profits to reduce tax liability. This short-term thinking dramatically reduces selling value, as businesses need to demonstrate substantial profit for at least three years to maximize valuation.
Beyond finances, we explore the concept of concentration risk – both from having too few clients and from the business being too dependent on the owner. Leslie provides practical steps for working yourself out of daily operations, starting with eliminating soul-sucking tasks and bottlenecks. This transition requires an identity shift that many entrepreneurs struggle with, as your value moves from doing the work to ensuring work gets done well.
Leslie also distinguishes between growth (which requires investment) and scalability (which generates profits), explaining how these concepts dance together throughout a business lifecycle. She shares powerful documentation strategies that simultaneously increase business value while making your daily operations more efficient.
Whether selling is on your horizon or not, implementing these principles creates a more profitable, enjoyable business today while building value for tomorrow. Don't miss Leslie's generous offer of a free 42-point "Ready to Sell" self-evaluation tool at yourbizrules.com/sbb.

Connect with Leslie:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesliehassler/

Check out Leslie's books:

First This Then That

Coming soon! - Scaling Rich

Check out the Small Business Bestie Website
Follow along on the Small Business Bestie Pod Facebook

Join the growing community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallbusinessbesties
Connect with Michelle on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/bestiemichellesmock
Check out the Small Business Bestie Website

Chapters

1. Introduction to Leslie Hassler (00:00:00)

2. Misconceptions About Selling Your Business (00:03:13)

3. Financial Statements and Selling Appeal (00:05:55)

4. Client Concentration and Owner Dependency (00:09:55)

5. Working Yourself Out of the Business (00:16:08)

6. Growth vs. Scalability in Business (00:21:34)

7. Tools for Documentation and Processes (00:27:25)

8. Final Thoughts and Free Resources (00:31:36)