by Scott Sylvan Bell | Jul 25, 2026 | Business Growth
Direct answer: Implement accountability for growth, scale, or exit by defining 15-25 KPIs on a scorecard visible to your team. Include department metrics and company overall numbers. Green means on-target, red means behind, yellow means meeting-required — the color...
by Scott Sylvan Bell | Jul 24, 2026 | Business Selling Psychology
Direct answer: Three conversations to have with your spouse before signing the LOI: what daily life will look like post-sale (identity, grief, boredom), what happens during the earn-out period, and what happens if a competing buyer emerges or the deal collapses...
by Scott Sylvan Bell | Jul 23, 2026 | Business Selling Psychology
Direct answer: Fear of employee perception stops many business owners from selling — worrying what former employees will think after the sale. This fear is identity-based, not financial, and mitigation is the same as luxury car buyer psychology: prepare mentally...
by Scott Sylvan Bell | Jul 22, 2026 | M&A and Deal Structure
Direct answer: Ask your CPA five diagnostic questions before selling: do I have QSBS status, what is my exit-optimal entity, have you reviewed my state residency implications, what installment options exist, and what trusts should I consider. Non-answers signal a...
by Scott Sylvan Bell | Jul 21, 2026 | M&A and Deal Structure
Direct answer: During site visits, buyers watch for six signals: how your team responds when you walk in, how clients refer to your company, whether your physical space matches your story, junior employee reactions, calendar and email volume, and management team...
by Scott Sylvan Bell | Jul 20, 2026 | Business exit strategies
Direct answer: Here are five red flags to fire your M&A advisor mid-deal: consistently missed timelines, defensiveness when questioned, favoring speed of close over quality of close, disappearing during due diligence, and the buyer’s team liking your advisor...
by Scott Sylvan Bell | Jul 19, 2026 | Business exit strategies
Direct answer: The first 90 days after selling your business bring seven predictable problems: buyer decisions you disagree with, calls from former employees, undocumented consulting expectations, tax bills arriving in tranches, magic offers from strangers, family...
by Scott Sylvan Bell | Jul 18, 2026 | Business Selling Psychology
Direct answer: Hire a therapist five, four, three, or two years before selling your business. Post-exit identity shifts amplify existing behaviors — good and bad. Getting professional help before you need it prevents the relationship damage that follows sudden wealth...
by Scott Sylvan Bell | Jul 13, 2026 | Business exit strategies
Direct answer: Your first buyer is rarely your best buyer. Running a mini-auction with 3-5 qualified buyers can shift the final sale price by 10-30%. Multiple competing offers create urgency dynamics that soften LOI pressure and let you cherry-pick terms across...
by Scott Sylvan Bell | Jul 11, 2026 | Business exit strategies
Direct answer: A $10 million business sale rarely puts $10 million in your bank account. After legal fees, CPA fees, working capital adjustments, holdbacks, earn-outs, federal capital gains tax, and state income tax, the realistic net for most sellers is $6.5-$7...
