For owners thinking about stepping back
What is your business worth, and what comes next?
Answer a few questions from memory. In about five minutes, see an estimated value range, your best path, and the one gap that caps your price.
Free. No financial statements. Your answers stay private.
Most owners have no written plan. That's normal.
You have been busy running the business. Planning the exit always comes second.
In Canada, only 6% of small business owners have a formal written plan.[5] In the US, only 8% say they are fully prepared.[6]
A plan does not mean you are leaving soon. It means you leave on your terms, when you choose.
- [5] CFIB, "Passing the Torch," 1,731 owners, May to June 2026.
- [6] Chase survey of small business owners, about 1,000 owners, March 2026.
The 5-minute check
About 25 short questions, one per screen. You answer from memory: your industry, rough revenue, your pay, your staff, and what you want next. You can stop and come back.
What you learn
An estimated value range, with the math shown
We start from your profit before your own pay. We add personal costs the business covers. Then we apply what similar businesses sold for. You see every step.
Which of six paths fits you
We rank the six ways to leave a business by what you told us you want. Each one gets a plain sentence on why it ranks where it does.
The one gap that caps your price
Usually it is how much the business depends on you. We name the gap and show what closing it could be worth.
Example value estimate
- Profit before your pay: $250,000
- Add back the personal costs the business pays (car, phone, travel): $50,000
- Seller's earnings (your profit plus those costs): $300,000
- Businesses of this size sold for about 2.5 to 3.0 times seller's earnings[13]
- Estimated value range: $750,000 to $900,000
- Minus business debt of $100,000: $650,000 to $800,000 before tax
This is an estimate, not a formal valuation.
If the business runs well without you, the same business might sell at the top of the range. In this example, that gap is $150,000.
- [13] IBBA and M&A Source Market Pulse, Q2 2026. Businesses priced $500,000 to $1 million sold at a median of 2.8 times seller's discretionary earnings.
Six ways to leave a business
1. Sell to your employees
Your people buy the business over time. In Canada this is often an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), a trust that holds the shares for staff. In the US it is often an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), a retirement plan that owns shares for staff.
In Canada: As of 2026, a qualifying sale to an Employee Ownership Trust can exempt up to $10 million of capital gains. Confirm with your accountant.
In the US: As of 2026, selling to an ESOP may let you defer the tax on your gain (Section 1042). It applies to C corporation stock when the ESOP ends up owning 30% or more. Confirm with your accountant.
2. Pass it to family
A son, daughter, or other relative takes over. You can sell to them, give it, or do both over time. Fairness to the children who are not in the business matters here.
3. Sell to an outside buyer
A person or investor buys the business. This often pays the most cash at closing, if the business is ready.
4. Sell to a competitor or larger company
A company in your field buys you to grow. They may pay more for your customers or your location.
5. Sell to your managers
Your management team buys you out. This is called a management buyout. It often uses a mix of bank loans and payments to you over time.
6. Wind it down
You sell the assets, pay what is owed, and close on a timeline you choose. Done well, it is a plan, not a failure.
We get you and your business ready to sell, then refer you to a broker or marketplace. We are not a business broker.
The Owner plan
$149 a month, or $1,490 a year
Everything you need to get the business ready, in one place, at your pace.
- A readiness workspace with one next step at a time
- A value tracker that updates as you close gaps
- A guide for each of the six paths, in plain words
- Key business papers, like a buy-sell agreement
- Up to 4 advisor seats for your accountant, lawyer, or banker
- Your business inside your family's Living Plan
Add a will and estate plan from $199 setup. Your business shows up inside it.
Want a person to help?
Some owners want hands-on help. Each step is quoted before we start, and you can stop at any step.
Opinion-of-value call
A 30-minute call about your result and your options. Free.
Exit Value Report
A written estimate, the gap with numbers, your best path, and a 12 to 24 month plan.
Readiness work
Hands-on help closing the gap: less reliance on you, cleaner books, a real second in command.
Family transfer
Help planning a move to the next generation, with fairness for every child.
Employee ownership study
A study of whether an EOT or ESOP fits, before you spend on lawyers and trustees.
Yearly value check
An updated estimate each year, so you can see progress.
Quoted before we start.
We can introduce you to independent trustees.
Talk it through, free
Book a 30-minute opinion-of-value call. We go over your result, your best path, and your gap.
The call is not legal, tax, or investment advice.