Do you actually know what your business is worth? Most entrepreneurs think they do.

Eric Coonrod is a 22-year investment banker and author of The Preparation Principle. He specializes in helping business owners get the maximum value from their exits. In this episode, he breaks down the pattern he sees most often: owners who go to market underprepared, find out their financials don't match their assumptions, and watch deals fall apart.

This episode walks through what it actually takes to prepare for a business sale -- starting with the most common mistake Eric sees, entrepreneurs who don't know their real EBITDA, all the way through the five-person professional team you need, the tax strategies that can save millions before a deal closes, and the question most founders never answer until they're already at the closing table: who are you after you sell?

What you'll walk away with: Why EBITDA mismatch is the number one exit killer and how to fix it before you go to market. The five professionals every entrepreneur needs at least two to three years before selling -- and why your existing attorney is almost certainly not on the list. The wealth management and tax strategies that can save you millions if you start early enough. How to structure earn-outs so buyers can't manipulate your payout. And the identity question most entrepreneurs avoid until it's too late.

Get The Preparation Principle by Eric Coonrod at ecoonrodco.com

Connect with Eric Coonrod on LinkedIn

Hosted by John St. Pierre and Rich Hoffmann, Entrepreneurs United is built for founders and leaders who want straight talk on building businesses that actually work. New episodes every week.

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