“Build the New”: Strategic Exit Planning for the Next Reality in Business
- Jayne McQuillan
- Jul 15
- 4 min read
“You never change things by fighting the existing realities. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” - Buckminster Fuller
In a world of constant disruption, Buckminster Fuller’s insight speaks volumes to business owners, especially those approaching a transition. Whether you're the founder of a thriving business or a second, third, or fourth-generation family owner, the truth is this: your business, as it exists today, will not look the same in five years. The market will evolve, your team will change, and, most significantly, you may not be at the helm.
To successfully navigate the complexity of ownership transition, business leaders must resist the urge to merely fix or fight the status quo. Instead, they need to focus on designing the next model: the future business reality that not only sustains value but enables legacy, continuity, and new growth. This demands strategic planning, deliberate preparation, and a readiness to adapt.
Stop Fighting Reality: Why the Status Quo Isn't Sustainable
Many business owners fall into the trap of “reactive management,” fighting fires as they arise, solving today’s issues without thinking about tomorrow’s needs. While this may work in the short term, it sets the business on a dangerous path when an eventual exit looms.
Fighting the new reality means clinging to outdated systems, resisting innovation, or delaying succession conversations. The owner is often the sole keeper of key relationships, processes, and decision-making authority. This creates a fragile structure, one that breaks when the owner steps away or falls victim to an unplanned exit.
Instead, accept that change is not only inevitable but essential. The most resilient companies don’t simply adapt to change; they anticipate it and build toward what’s next.
Build a New Model: Visioning Beyond the Business Exit
Strategic exit planning is not just about valuation or legal mechanics. It’s about architecting a business that can thrive without you. That means building a model that reflects the business’s next stage, one that is stronger, more scalable, and no longer owner dependent.
Here’s what that looks like:
Leadership Continuity: Develop and empower a leadership team that can drive performance without your constant oversight. This includes clear accountability, coaching, and gradual transfer of authority.
Process and Knowledge Transfer: Institutionalize core knowledge through documentation, systems, and SOPs. Create a business that runs on structure, not personality.
Customer and Market Readiness: Ensure customer relationships are tied to your business brand and team, not just you. Diversify revenue and deepen loyalty.
Cultural Clarity: Define the values and vision that will outlast your ownership. Cultural continuity is critical during succession.
By focusing on this new model, you make the existing model obsolete - just as Fuller advised. You transform from a people-reliant business to a process-reliant enterprise.
Strategic Planning: Positioning Today for Tomorrow's Exit
Business exit planning is fundamentally a strategic process. Yet too often, it’s treated as a transactional event - a sale, a merger, a buyout. In reality, it’s a multi-year evolution that requires:
Clarity: Where are you now, where do you want to go, and what are your exit options (internal succession, third-party sale, ESOP, etc.)?
Timeline: What is the realistic window for transition, and how much time is needed to build toward it?
Valuation Readiness: Is your business structured in a way that maximizes transferable value?
Personal Readiness: Are you emotionally, financially, and personally ready for life after ownership?
The most successful exits begin 3-5 years in advance. They’re not rushed or reactive. They are intentional, aligning personal goals with business realities.
Prepare and Adjust: Building Agility into Your Exit Strategy
No plan survives first contact with reality. That’s why successful business transitions are marked by flexibility. The environment will change, employees will leave, market dynamics will shift, buyers will negotiate. Your strategy must be a living, breathing document.
Here’s how to stay adaptable:
Review Your Plan Annually and Adjust Quarterly: Track benchmarks and key milestones toward exit. Adjust for changes in financials, staffing, or personal priorities.
Engage Advisors Early: Surround yourself with experienced advisors (exit planners, CPAs, attorneys, M&A specialists) who can stress-test your assumptions.
Scenario Plan: Consider best-case, base-case, and worst-case scenarios. What happens if a key team member leaves? If your ideal buyer falls through? If you change your mind?
Agility is not indecision—it’s strategic responsiveness.
Your Business Exit is Not the End...it's a New Beginning
Fuller’s quote reminds us that real transformation doesn’t come from battling the old—it comes from designing the new. Your exit is not the end of your story. It’s the beginning of your business’s next chapter and your next personal chapter.
By investing in strategic planning, building a transferable enterprise, and preparing both emotionally and operationally, you don’t just “leave” your business, you launch it into a stronger, more independent future.
And just like that, the old model becomes obsolete—not through conflict, but through vision.
Are you ready to stop fighting fires and start building toward the business you've always envisioned? Schedule a 30-minute discovery call and let's make it happen.
Case Study: Tureks Plumbing Services
Ed was looking to go from good to great and position himself and the business for an exit at some point in the future. He also wanted a team that could execute day-to-day operations without him, freeing Ed up to focus his energy where it has the most value. Full Case Study
Four years into his Value Journey, Ed achieved:
178% Increase in Business Valuation
45% Revenue growth
EBITDA has grown 2.8X
Ed is out of the daily operations
Want to achieve results like these in your business?
Jayne McQuillan, CPA, MBA, Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) is the owner of Journey Consulting, LLC and author of The Value Journey: How to Drive Profits, Build Wealth, and Exit Your Business on Your Own Terms.
Our firm is focused on providing business owners and their businesses with strategic planning, exit planning, financial expertise, and organizational improvement. We use a holistic approach within all of our services by aligning leadership with business strategy and outcomes.
