One of the key questions you need to ask as a business owner is – “What is my Exit Strategy – what do I want from my business?”
You need to invest in a journey that takes you from the coalface to the business face – where you spend more time working on the business by strategically developing and managing it – tactically executing what needs to be done to create oustanding performance and results – and spending less time working in the business.
There are 6 stages in that journey:
1. Survival – 2. Recovery – 3. Profitability – 4. Growth – 5. Sustainability – 6. Exit Strategy
Whichever stage you’ve reached – my role is to help you achieve your exit strategy by:
- Creating clarity, focus, and direction.
- Helping solve problems, overcome challenges, and leverage opportunities.
The last 5 years have been an endless rollercoaster of ups and downs – and there are more to come.
There are always opportunities out there – but you need a plan and you need to execute that plan every single day to get the performance and results you want.
Alistair
Your Exit Strategy RoadMap
The 6 stages you need to navigate to reach your Exit Strategy
1. Survival – 2. Recovery – 3. Profitability – 4. Growth – 5. Sustainability – 6. Exit Strategy
Benefits of Your Exit Strategy
More Profits – More Time – More Freedom
Your Exit Strategy – The Open Door
Do you want to be Jack or Harry?
There are two fruit growers – Jack and Harry. They both started out with a few trees – apples, pears and plums. Over the years their businesses grew very differently. They both had land to extend their orchards.
Jack loved tending to the trees and collecting the crops each year – he wanted something that he could always be involved in – and he was always ‘scared’ of employing more people in case he didn’t have enough fruit to sell and cover their wages.
The business got stuck on a growth plateau. Jack worked 60 hours every week, he didn’t take many holidays as he had no one to cover what he did – a bit of marketing, the accounts, the computer system was always crashing so he had read up on how to fix it…you get the picture.
Jack still works 60 hours every week.
Harry loved tending to the trees but he also loved tending to the business. He had a picture of what he wanted his business to look like in 10 years time and how he saw his role changing over that time. He wanted to grow the business so that he could delegate all those jobs that he had to be involved in at the beginning so he could spend more time running, developing and growing the business.
He extended his orchards, negotiated contracts with local and national supermarkets, he opened a farm shop, and then a tea room. He also started making his own jams, biscuits, and health bars. He works a couple of days a week now and is considering his options – selling the business, allowing some external participation, or just letting the current management team continue to run it for him.
He still goes out and picks some fruit – but not often – just for the fun of it.
In any endeavour you need to decide what your goal is – what you want to achieve. If you don’t you don’t go anywhere – but more often than not you go round in ever decreasing circles or tread water – until perhaps you sink.
There is a huge gap between what Harry and Jack achieved.
A clear Exit Strategy and support to execute enables you to go through the same open door that Harry took.
Businesses I’ve worked with…
I’ve been working with Alistair for three years. In this time, he has helped me significantly grow my business. He has helped me set goals and work towards achieving them.
Alistair is very likeable, and his easy but focussed manner means that his coaching sessions are always productive. During the sessions he really takes time to understand any issues that I need to discuss.
Alistair has been a Finance Director…
Alistair has been a valued adviser to On Site Generation over the years. Initially providing support on marketing and growing the business, Alistair’s financial skills have also been an asset to the process and he supported the development of our forecasting and accounting systems.
We have since brought in new bookkeeping & accounting services and a web based accounts package which have been key to the success of the company.
Alistair has always been a good source of guidance and inspiration for me and my business. He is very patient and thorough and has a good understanding of business structures and figures.
As well as helping with the financials of the business, he also has a real understanding of people, which is most important.
I would highly recommend Alistair to anyone who would like to improve their business and methods.
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