Why You Should Make Value Creation a Top Priority

We search for the term “value” in the connections we form, the things we buy, the work we want to do, and every individual we hire. Even the most precious object will not sell if the customer does not recognize its worth in terms of design, appearance, and feel. Likewise, political, philosophical, environmental, and other movements do not progress unless people see their worth or want to be a part of them.

Increasing the worth of your company boosts your chances of receiving a substantial benefit if you sell it. Whether this is in the works or still a long way off, starting value creation now can only help you in the long run.

What Is Value Creation?

Value creation refers to the perception of worth for customers, shareholders, and employees. When they purchase a company’s products or services, customers create value for shareholders. Employers create worth for their employees by offering them meaningful employment, financial incentives, and the like to produce and fulfill the company’s products and services. Employees create worth for customers through their efforts to deliver quality services and products.

Value creation directly impacts a company’s financial performance and influences the company’s management. Apart from this, value is created through tangible value drivers (cash, inventory, fixed assets, etc.) and intangible value drivers (brand, people, ideas, and copyrighted documents).

When broadly defined, value creation is increasingly being acknowledged as a superior management aim to rigid financial performance measurements that often prioritize cost-cutting, which generates short-term outcomes over investments that improve long-term competitiveness and growth. As a result, some experts advise prioritizing value creation for all personnel and business decisions.

Understanding the sources and drivers of value creation within the industry, company, and marketplace is the first step toward an organization-wide emphasis on value creation. Understanding what creates value enables managers to concentrate their resources and expertise on the most profitable development prospects.

Although the intangible components that drive value creation differ from industry to industry, the primary categories of intangible assets include technology, innovation, intellectual property, alliances, managerial competencies, employee relations, customer relations, community relations, and brand value. Hence, focusing on value creation helps a company organize its time and resources toward futuristic goals.

Why Value Creation Is Important

Value creation sets your company apart from the competition, builds a long-term clientele, gives your brand and solution-specific meaning, and ensures the business owner has a fair chance of a successful exit.

Your unique product or service will be considered another commodity by your target market without value creation.

Create Value for a Successful Exit

Market trends and your financial strength change constantly. Therefore, if you’re planning for an exit, it is advised that you allow at least five years for value creation. Value creation is the first step in planning your exit.

You most likely have a general notion of what you want to do but haven’t gone through the official process of planning your exit. The difficulty is that if you don’t have a simple exit strategy for yourself and your company, you risk:

• Putting too low or high a value on your firm
• Inability to regulate the exit
• Paying excessive taxes
• Failure to meet your objectives
• Selling or not selling your business and regretting it.

With the help of exit planning advisors, you can determine the existing value gap in your company and build value by focusing on and fixing its weaknesses.

Become Ready for a Rapid Exit

Sometimes an owner needs to exit rapidly. In such situations, the best plan is to have a plan. An exit plan that has been designed to build value for your company prepares you for such an exit.

When talking about value creation, we must focus on the following:

• The current value of the company
• The target value to achieve the company’s and the owner’s objectives
• The value drivers to close the value gaps found during valuation or at the time of exit
• The efficient transfer of business value.

Assumptions about your company’s value can backfire. Owners usually “guesstimate” the value of their companies, which in most cases is more than the company’s actual value. Therefore, get a proper valuation to define the baseline value (your starting point) for valuation. The primary goal to achieve at this point would be to determine the owner’s post-retirement goals. By considering the owner’s expectations for post-retirement life, an exit plan should focus on a target value that can fulfill the owner’s goals and sustain the company’s requirements.

For the next step, focus on the identified value gap. Once you have determined your target value, it is time to fill the gap. Set a timeline to achieve your goals and stick to them. Many owners fail to adhere to the decided timeline, resulting in a failed exit plan. No matter how good your exit plan is, it will fail without the timely delivery of the required efforts.

Track your performance to see where you should be on your exit timeline, then break the timeline and assess your monthly, quarterly, and annual performance. Analyzing your progress will help you keep track of your goals and create a checklist to be fulfilled.

Value creation is an ongoing process. Eventually, if you stay on track in bridging your company’s value gap and have timed your exit correctly, you will be ready to exit whenever you want.

Build Value for Customers, Assure the Overall Well-Being of Your Company

Value creation is directly linked to a company’s customers. A company that creates value for itself does so through customers, stakeholders, employees, and service providers. The value created by these stakeholders ensures the company’s financial well-being and gives it a competitive stance in the market.

Creating value for customers means giving them quality services and products at affordable prices. When your customers purchase your products and services at increased prices, you build value. Enhancing satisfaction and improving the customer experience means giving them products and services worth the money they pay. A positive customer experience adds value to a customer’s life. In addition, customer value that boosts loyalty, market share, and pricing improves efficiency.

Hence, listening to your customers and ensuring their positive experiences can help you achieve good, no-cost marketing.

Value Creation Is a Long Journey

When planned effectively, value creation will guarantee value and profit. Even business owners who are brilliant at juggling tasks and putting out fires must still concentrate on critical areas to increase intrinsic value. This is easier said than done. Value cannot be enhanced overnight. Focusing on key variables that define a company’s present and future worth and significantly impact how potential buyers view your company is the greatest method to grow or retain business value.

Connect with our experienced team at Quantive and ensure a successful exit.