PICK A NUMBER AND GET OUT
PICK A NUMBER AND GET OUT
The 36-Month Exit Plan: How to Grow and Sell Your Business for Maximum Profit
By Nathan Siekierski, Founder of DBAMMOM
As a business owner, you’ve poured time, money, and effort into building your company. But have you ever asked yourself: “What’s my number?”
The number I’m talking about is the amount you would sell your business for.
If you don’t define that figure now, you risk missing the opportunity to grow your business, make it more profitable, and exit on your terms.
Having lost a business I was once offered £11,000,000 for due to unforeseen circumstances; I can tell you firsthand that no matter how safe and secure you think your business and sector are, things can change dramatically in just a couple of years.
So, at the very least, prepare to sell.
The 36-Month Rule: Why You Can’t Plan Beyond That
The business landscape is evolving at breakneck speed. AI, technology, and economic shifts are reshaping industries faster than ever before. Trying to predict where your business will be in five or ten years is unrealistic. Instead, business owners should work within a 36-month timeframe—long enough to make impactful changes but short enough to stay ahead of disruption and identify potential buyers.
I was once told by a very large and well-known broker network that 87% of listed businesses never sell. There are some clear reasons for that, and I’ll give you the top five absolutes to ensure you can sell your business for the money you want at the end of this message.
Reverse Engineering Your Exit Strategy
If you want to sell your business for the right price, you must start with the end in mind and reverse-engineer your plan. Here’s how:
1. Pick Your Number
Decide how much you want to sell your business for. Is it £1 million? £5 million? £10 million? £100M?
Your number needs to be ambitious but realistic, based not only on your industry and market conditions but also on your capabilities and resources.
No point saying, “I want to sell my garage, dental practice, or coffee shop for £1BN”—you’ll end up disappointed.
Also, if you’ve been growing at 20% per year for the last 10 years, suddenly deciding you want to double your business in the next 12 months means you’ll need to heavily compound your resources to make that happen.
So, pick a number that would give you financial freedom—whether that means retiring, paying off your mortgage, or reinvesting in a new venture.
2. Understand Your Current Valuation
You can’t grow your business if you don’t know its current worth.
Get a business valuation to see how far you are from your target number. Valuations are typically based on:
Revenue & Profitability – Buyers look at net profit and EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortisation).
Business Model & Scalability – A predictable, scalable business is far more valuable.
Customer Base & Contracts – Recurring revenue, long-term contracts, and a loyal customer base increase business value.
Operational Efficiency – Can the business run without you? If not, it’s less attractive to buyers.
Don’t stop at one valuation—get at least three from agents. Then, go on LinkedIn, find some Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) experts, and have real conversations with them. Ask them a simple but critical question:
“If I wanted to sell my business for £X, what would it need to look like in terms of revenue, profits, and key metrics?”
Once you’ve done this, you’ll land somewhere near a realistic sale price.
3. Fix the Gaps in Your Business
Once you know your valuation, identify weak points and address them now:
✅ Boost Profitability: Increase prices, cut unnecessary expenses, and improve profit margins.
✅ Automate & Leverage AI: Use tech and AI to streamline processes and reduce dependency on manual labour.
✅ Diversify Revenue Streams: Relying on one income source is risky—explore new products, markets, or services.
✅ Build a Strong Leadership Team: A business that can run without you is far more valuable.
✅ Improve Customer Retention & Acquisition: More customers = higher business valuation.
Your business should be able to run without you. It needs systems and processes that allow it to grow on autopilot. Especially your automated Growth and Marketing systems
Nobody wants to buy a business where they have to deal with emails, DMs, web chats, ads, media buying, appointment generation, etc.
Buyers want growth systems on autopilot, so all they need to do is put more fuel in the engine.
4. Align Your Business with Buyer Expectations
To sell your business for top dollar, wonga, bread, cash, etc., you need to make it attractive to buyers.
First, identify your buyer.
Yep—that’s right. Create a list of 100 potential buyers: competitors, investors, suppliers. Spend serious time on this. Knowing who will buy your business helps you steer it in the right direction.
Systemise Everything – Document every process so the business runs smoothly without you.
Increase Recurring Revenue – Subscription models, retainers, and contracts make a business more predictable.
Reduce Owner Dependence – If the business relies on you, it’s harder to sell.
Pro tip: Show buyers that 36 months ago, you had a plan—and you hit it. Then, show them the next 36-month plan.
That builds faith that the business has legs beyond your exit.
5. Cover Your Legals
Don’t navigate this alone. Work with:
Business growth strategists to increase revenue.
M&A advisors to position your business for sale.
Accountants & tax experts to structure your finances efficiently.
6. The 5 Absolute Musts to Selling for Maximum Money
1️⃣ Sell for LESS than it’s worth – Sounds crazy, right? But if you want to sell for £1M, £10M, or £20M, make your business worth at least 25% more. Big-money buyers want a great deal.
2️⃣ Automate ALL growth and communication – Every email, web chat, DM, WhatsApp, abandoned cart, appointment, calendar nurture, follow-up, ad, report—automate it. Buyers should only need to add more fuel (money for ads, for example).
3️⃣ Give them the manual – Literally document everything: brand guidelines, policies, supplier lists, CRM data.
4️⃣ Be 100% transparent – Buyers hate surprises. If they find even a minor issue you didn’t disclose, it can kill the deal.
5️⃣ Offer your time – Guarantee a full-time handover for an agreed period and be available for calls for 12 months.
The Clock is Ticking – Act Now
If you want to sell your business in 36 months, you must act today. The economy, AI, and industry trends won’t wait. Pick your number, fix your business, and exit profitably.
Need expert guidance to grow and sell your business for the highest price? Get in touch with DBAMMOM today, and let’s automate your growth systems like you never thought possible. 🚀
