Exit planning isn't something you start when you decide to sell. It's the operating discipline that runs a healthy business every day, whether or not the owner ever puts the company on the market. Owners who treat it that way get two things at once. A business that's steadier to run now, and one that's worth more whenever they decide to step back. As of 2026, most owners still wait too long. They run hard, build something real, and assume they'll sort out the sale when the ti

Profit is an opinion formed by accounting rules. Cash is a fact formed by your bank. The difference between the two, profit vs cash flow, is what decides whether an owner can cover payroll this Friday or has to make a phone call no one wants to make. A business can look profitable on paper and still run short on cash. It happens to companies that are growing, not only to companies that are failing. As of 2026, cash flow is still the most common thread running through small bu

A mid-year financial review is a check of where your cash actually stands before the second half of the year begins. Not your revenue. Not your profit on paper. Your cash. As of mid-2026, you have two quarters of real numbers behind you and two quarters still in front of you, which makes right now the best window all year to catch a problem while you can still do something about it. Most owners run this review on instinct. They glance at the bank balance, feel good or feel un