Improving Efficiency in Value Creation

Businesses that recognize the importance of intellectual capital strive to create methods for managing and assessing this critical resource. They link their intellectual capital performance to their bottom-line outcomes.

Intellectual capital refers to the intangible resources (resources, competencies, and competencies) that drive corporate performance and generate value. However, traditional financial measures do not reflect the worth of intangible resources because the modern company’s foundation is value creation, not cost. Therefore, before tracking, measuring, and reporting, it is essential to comprehend the concept of value creation. This may be accomplished by implementing management by objectives (MBO).

Business owners know they need to create value. Value is defined by the company’s customers and created through collective efforts of the company’s employees and resources, delivered through products and services, and sustained by appropriate reinvestment planned to retain those customers.

Know–Don’t Guess–What You’re Working With

Many entrepreneurs do not understand the business valuation process and where it begins. The valuation process is a multistep process involving multiple approaches. However, regardless of the approach used, the process of valuing a company assesses its current, value-generating features, its competitive position within its sector, and its future financial prospects.

A company’s worth differs from its price. The price is the specific monetary amount manifested at the time of sale and is based on the market’s supply and demand. A company’s value is determined by what the potential buyer assigns to it, based on their personality and interests. It is a monetary indicator of the company’s profitability to that individual.

Uninformed business owners who do not know their companies’ valuation information cannot gain insight into critical areas of optimal knowledge, such as the appropriate financial structure for the company and the necessary insurance coverage to protect it. This lack of knowledge may cost them a lot of money and time, which they cannot afford to lose.

The 2013 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Report, published by Babson College and other colleges, indicated that the most common reason for a company’s closure in the United States was a lack of finances, directly linked to a lack of valuation understanding.

Make a Plan

Entrepreneurs are often so focused on serving their consumers that they forget to plan for the long-term future of their businesses. They allow the company to absorb all its wealth, fail to build second-tier management and fail to delegate authority. As a result, neither owners nor their businesses are prepared if a calamity removes the owner from the business’s failure to plan, resulting in a rough transition if the business survives.

As a company matures, its owner must perform exit planning so it can survive the owner’s absence, whether through retirement or another type of exit. Because putting the correct elements in place may take several years, such a process should be considered sooner than most owners imagine.

• Set a date: The owner must choose their long-term position, make retirement plans, and determine when the next generation of management will assume responsibility. The goal may simply enable the owner to take an extended vacation rather than leave permanently in some circumstances.
• Solicit feedback: The owner, especially in a family company, should solicit the opinions of others who will be particularly affected by their departure. For example, parents should not assume their children want to take on ownership responsibilities; instead, they should choose an interested successor and let others deal with that decision. This preparation may take many years to satisfy all parties involved, so it must begin as soon as possible.
• Work on your plan: Now is the time to decide how you wish to sell your company. There are three preferred ways to sell, merge, or go public. The choice you make should benefit you more than anyone. Your post-retirement goals should align with your transition goals.
• Are you ready? It’s time to exit! Your management team and family are aware of your long-term objectives so that they can prepare. Having a plan ready is not enough; you must also be emotionally prepared to follow what comes next.

Stay on Track

Exit planning can be intimidating, but ensuring the company’s continued efficient operation and your lifestyle after your exit is necessary. The first advantage of an exit strategy is that it pushes the business owner to follow through with a plan.

Unfortunately, too many business owners succumb to the allure of the 5-year exit plan. They continually make plans for the future but never follow through. Because it takes five to six years to complete, exit planning is overlooked by many business owners. Some may even begin with the plan but do not remain consistent. Consistent valuation and follow-through are essential to a successful exit plan.

A solid exit strategy assigns particular tasks to specific people within the company. It’s far more difficult for the owner to neglect or ignore the exit strategy once everyone expects their assigned tasks to continue as part of the company’s future. In addition, everyone else’s future is on the line, so they’ll want to know how the plan is doing.

Working with a team of advisors will help you develop a successful exit plan, and they’ll make sure you stay on track. Let your team provide you with the reliable support you need.

Conclusion

A good business exit plan is based on the business owner’s personal and business goals and objectives. Knowing how much money the owner will need post-exit is a priority.

Determining the company’s strengths and shortcomings is critical to carrying out an effective exit plan. A good exit plan built on these crucial details guides action to improve or correct the company’s value, increasing its appeal to potential buyers.

Valuation is an essential step in selling your business. It provides insight into a company’s performance, allowing owners to capitalize on advantages and fix vulnerabilities. Quantive can help you with your company’s valuation.

Connect with our advisors today and start planning your exit!