Last week, we welcomed the New Year. A fresh year offers time to reflect and plan in both your personal and professional life.
As we move into 2026, many business owners begin to think seriously about what’s next. You might even be considering a sale or exit in the new year.
If you’re thinking about a sale, the start of a new year is the perfect time to start laying the groundwork.
This week’s newsletter breaks down a few simple but powerful ways to start preparing for a sale in the year ahead.
We’ll cover:
- 3 insights for owners who want to sell in 2026
- 2 frameworks to help guide your early planning
- 1 action step to kick things off
3 Insights For Owners Who Want To Sell In 2026
Preparation starts now
If you have any desire to sell your business this year, now is the time to prepare. First-time sellers typically underestimate how long the sales process takes, and the level of scrutiny their business will undergo.
Preparation includes understanding your numbers, your goals, and your deal preferences — as well as starting to assemble your deal team to prepare your business for market. The more you plan in advance, the easier it is for buyers to make serious offers, and the more leverage you’ll have when it counts.
Start conversations with your deal team
Being skilled at running your business does not necessarily translate into being skilled at selling your business. The right deal team can plug knowledge gaps and provide trusted advocates you can count on throughout the entire process.
If you’re considering a sale in 2026, the beginning of the year is an ideal time to start having conversations with potential members of your deal team. Even if you don’t end up working with someone out of the gate, being proactive allows you to build the relationships you’ll need when the time is right.
Know your numbers
There is a lot of accounting that goes into the deal process, but to get started, focus on gaining a clearer understanding of these numbers:
- What the business is worth today
- What you need to live comfortably after the sale
You might not need a formal valuation at this stage — a strategic estimate from a qualified M&A firm is often enough to get clarity. However, you do need a clear understanding of how your business value compares to your personal financial goals.
2 Frameworks to Help You Start Planning Early
The “Know, Fix, Plan” Model
If you’re in the early stages of your exit, don’t overthink things. This simple model breaks the process into three manageable steps:
- Know where you stand. What’s your business worth? What’s your post-sale number? Where are your blind spots?
- Fix what buyers will flag. Common issues include owner dependency, customer concentration, unclear books, or undocumented systems.
- Plan the path forward. What’s your ideal timing? Who needs to be on your team? How will you prepare the business (and yourself) for a clean transition?
Using this framework ensures you can start the year building a foundation to go to market.
The “Life 2.0” Lens
It’s easy to get tunnel vision about valuation or deal structure. But the most successful exits are anchored to something bigger: your life after the business.
This framework flips the focus from the company to the person behind it. What will your next chapter look like? Will you fully retire, launch a new venture, stay on as an advisor, or spend more time with family?
When you have a clear picture of what you want next, it becomes much easier to shape a deal that supports that future.
List Of Our Completed Transactions
1 Action Item This Week
Block an hour for a “deal readiness gut check.”
Pull out your most recent P&L. Review your team structure, customer concentration, and operational processes. Ask yourself:
If a buyer showed up tomorrow, what would I scramble to fix?
You don’t need all the answers today. But asking the right questions now gives you time to make meaningful changes while the stakes are still low.