Most business owners have no idea what their company is actually worth, and many never find out until it's too late to do anything about it. The owners who prepare, who get their financials in order and build a business that runs without them, routinely walk away with two to three times the valuation of the owners who don't. Dennis Yu sits down with Cody Jones to break down how that gap gets created, and how to close it before you sell.

Cody is the proof. He took over his family's funeral home at 24 after his father passed away, with no experience. Two decades later he sold to a large private buyer at a multiple well above what most owners in his industry ever see, and he did it on his own terms. In this episode he walks through what that preparation looks like for any business: getting your financials in order (profit and loss, balance sheet, KPIs, EBITDA), proving you're the market leader, and the part most owners skip, building a business that runs without you. His litmus test is simple. Can you be gone for a month with your phone off and nothing breaks? Then you own a business instead of a job.

The irony Cody points to applies to every owner. He spent 20 years telling families to pre-plan, yet most owners never plan the succession of their own business, leaving the valuation and the team exposed the day something goes wrong. That's why he and Dennis are building an advisor calculator that shows you what your business is worth today and the moves that can lift it two to three times before you ever sell. If you know you'll eventually sell or step away but have never gone through the process, start here.

Cody Jones: https://funeralhomeexit.com/

Reach Cody directly: cody@funeralhomeexit.com

Dennis Yu

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dennisyu/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennisyu

X: https://x.com/dennisyu

Local Service Spotlight: https://localservicespotlight.com/