STAGE 1:

IDENTIFY VALUE

First, we spend some time with you to identify the current situation in your business.
Over a 4 to 8 week period, we work with you on your “Business Readiness Index Report”. This identifies some of the gaps in your business.

Working alongside you, identifying your key goals and objectives, we will agree priorities.

After that, we will propose a solution? to move forward to the next step.

Even if you do nothing else, we really believe that the “Business Readiness Index Report” will be really useful to you.

STAGE 2:

PROTECT VALUE

Most things in life come with risk. Getting out of bed in the morning has risks. Crossing the street has risks. But we manage those risks automatically and often without even thinking about it.

Your business is not without risk. During this second stage, we work with you to plan for as many of those risks as possible. We manage the process of protecting you against risks associated with health, accident, sickness, death, as well as the legal ownership structure of your business.

From a potential buyer’s perspective, this is a key area that they look at, so, using Dr Covey’s principle of “Begin with the end in mind”, we address these areas from your perspective as well as from a buyer’s perspective.

This stage usually takes 3 to 4 months.

STAGE 3:

ENGAGE KEY PERSONNEL

Every business is made up of people. Owners, clients and staff.

In our experience, business owners often overlook the fact that the business is really dependent on them.

Now, we are not saying that this is the way you are in your business!

We call it key person dependence. Our view is that, if you can’t walk away from your business and let it run without you, you have a job, not a business.

How do we manage that process? Again, “Begin with the end in mind”. In our workshop sessions, we work with you to identify, who you believe the champions of your business – the people who help you manage and run your business.

During this systemized approach, we use cutting edge technology, built around your business and your specific needs to assist with this process.

This stage usually takes 2 months.

STAGE 4:

SYSTEMIZE

Why does McDonalds work as a business worldwide? The answer: Systems and procedures.

Effectively what we do during this stage is we “McDonaldize” your business. Working with you, we identify and agree each and every procedure and then systemize the process. Working with your key personnel, we remove some of the burdens from you and engage your key members of your team.

Again, using cutting edge products, we recommend and implement cloud based management tools, giving you and your team members the control that they need.

This stage runs concurrently with the other stages and can take between 12 to 18 months.

STAGE 5:

INCREASE VALUE

This is where the rubber really hits the road.

Your dedicated project manager will work with you to implement and monitor all the recommendations made in the “Readiness Index Report”. Again this stage typically runs concurrently with Stage 4.

The outcomes of this stage are seen in the increasing value of your business.

Remember, you generally only exit your business once, so this stage is really important and we work with you, doing everything possible to increase value in your business.

This stage runs concurrently with the other stages and can take between 12 to 18 months.

STAGE 6:

ENJOY VALUE

This stage is where you get to enjoy the value that you are now able to take out of the business. And, contrary to popular belief, it is not always measured in dollars. Some of the business owners we have worked with want to extract value, by having more time. However, eventually you will need to sell your business or your share in your business.

If it is a sale, there are a number of tax, legal and financial planning areas that need to be managed. Documenting everything is a key part of this process. Your dedicated exit planner will work through this with, along with key members of his team, to assist you to derive and enjoy the value in your business.

If it is a sale, the process can take between 3 to 9 months, depending on the complexity.

STAGE 7:

LIFE AFTER EXIT

Now what? You’ve worked your whole life in and on your business. What do you do now? The focal point on the horizon now shifts to managing your personal wealth, protecting your capital, reducing attrition and minimising risks.

Our team of tax and financial planners will assist you to make sure that the assets you have built up over many years are well protected and managed.

The length of this process can be life long, as we often work with children of our clients, because of inter-generational planning.

You’ve worked really hard for it – YOU MIGHT AS WELL ENJOY IT!