The Exit Intention–Preparation Gap: Why It’s Never Too Early to Build Your Exit Advisory Team

A study of 750 US business owners (age 45–75, $5M+ revenue) exposed a pattern I see all the time:

Most owners intend to exit. Very few are prepared to exit.

Here’s the disconnect:

Exit intentions are strong — but conflicting

• 48% plan to sell within 3 years

• 64% expect to sell within 5 years

• 81% expect to sell within 10 years

Yet 43% say they’ll run the business until they’re no longer physically or mentally able

That internal tug-of-war (“I’ll sell someday” vs. “I’ll just keep going”) is exactly what delays the work that protects value.

The stakes are massive

• 66% say it will be the largest financial transaction of their life

• 49% believe their retirement plan is at risk if they can’t sell

• 47% lose sleep because most of their wealth is trapped in the business

So owners know it matters. But awareness isn’t translating into action.

The valuation blind spot is real

• 61% have never had a certified valuation / market analysis

• 27% say uncertainty around value is actively preventing them from selling

Many are planning an exit without knowing what the business is worth—or what would increase it.

And here’s the dangerous part: buyers are already circling

• 61% received buyer interest in the last 12 months

• 55% would accept an unsolicited offer without a third-party valuation if it “seemed reasonable”

Translation: the first serious “valuation” many owners see is… the buyer’s number.

Emotion shapes exit decisions more than we admit

• 65% tie their identity deeply to the business

• 35% can’t imagine separating from ownership

That’s not weakness—it’s human. But it does mean you need a process, not just a hope.

What this really means

A wave of exits is coming in the next decade.

The winners won’t be the ones who time the market best.

They’ll be the ones who build clarity, leverage, and readiness before the buyer conversation begins.

Why it’s never too early to plan your exit

Exit planning isn’t “getting ready to sell.”

It’s making sure you can sell—on your terms—whenever the moment arrives.

Call to action

If you’re even thinking about an exit in the next 12–36 months, now is the time to assemble an Exit Advisory Team (not just one advisor): Exit Coach, tax, legal, M&A, wealth planning—coordinated.