When Should You Start Planning Your Business Exit? Sooner Than You Think.
Most business owners don’t start thinking about selling until they’re tired, ready for a change or under huge street. Unfortunately by that point you’re reacting — not planning.
The truth is the best time to start thinking about your exit is when things are going well — when you’ve got momentum, a stable team and the headspace to make smart decisions. Then you have the most options.
Exit Planning Isn’t About Leaving — It’s About Leading
Exit planning often sounds final. Like the end of the road, but really, it’s a mark of good (and smart) leadership.
When you start thinking about how your business could thrive without you, you automatically strengthen it — clearer systems, empowered teams, stronger profits.
An exit-ready business isn’t just more attractive to buyers. It’s also far easier (and more enjoyable) to run. You’re not firefighting, you’re not the single point of failure. You’ve built something that can breathe without you. The bonus is if you never sell you have created a strong business that meets your goals.
Why Early Planning Gives You Freedom
Exit planning isn’t about contracts and business brokers — that’s the end of the process. The real work starts years earlier, in the day-to-day decisions that make your business sustainable and profitable.
It’s in the way you:
Systemise how things get done
Build a team that takes ownership
Keep clean financial records
Protect key relationships and contracts
Regularly test how the business runs without you
The Risk of Waiting Too Long
Many business owners revert to “I’ll think about selling when I’m ready to retire.” But by then they’re often exhausted — and so is the business.
Where to Begin
You don’t have to overhaul your business tomorrow. Just start noticing where it’s too reliant on you.
Ask yourself:
Could my team run things smoothly for a month without me?
If someone offered to buy the business tomorrow, could I explain where the value lies — beyond me?
Are our finances and key data current and easy to find?
Do we have clear, consistent systems for how work gets done?
If any of these make you pause — that’s where your opportunity sits.
A Shift in Thinking
Thinking about your exit early doesn’t mean you’re stepping away. It means you’re stepping up — leading with intention.
You’re creating a business that serves you, not one that depends on you. That opens the door to better balance, fresh ideas, and hopefully more time off. And if one day you do decide to sell, you’ll do it on your terms.
Final Thought
The best exits don’t happen by chance. They happen because an owner made the deliberate choice to plan ahead — not because they wanted out, but because they wanted options.
If that idea resonates, perhaps it’s time to quietly start building your own plan — long before you need it.