ExitingtheBusiness

The key issue that threatens the continuation of many agencies and marketing communication companies is succession. Or
really, how does the founder, the owner, the big cheese exit the business?

It seems so simple. Just sell it to someone across town. Maybe hire a business broker. Or find an out-of-state buyer? Or do an
ESOP. Or do bank financing.

All of these can be options in the right situation. But the key question remains, how to make it right so it works because you don’t
want to find yourself back in the agency business, trying to rebuild a broken shell of a firm in your later years.

We understand that exiting the business is one part business, one part financial, one part psychological, and one part pride. And
all guts. The questions regarding succession and exiting are many. Sometimes the key is “When?” But often it’s “How?” And
many times it’s “Why?”

Helping agency owners plan this step is a unique space where we advise a lot of agency owners. It’s a common problem within
our industry as firms struggle with how to pass the torch to a new generation of owners. Done right, it’s a thing of beauty. Done
wrong, the agency stumbles, crumbles and falls.

For a frank discussion on how we handle this delicate issue of helping business owners exit successfully, call Stuart Sanders in
confidence or drop him an e-mail.. There are no easy answers. But there are solutions.