Exit Strategy Planning Template
Business Planning & Strategy
Quick Answer
Describe your business financials exit timeline and preferences. Paste into Claude or ChatGPT. Receive a structured exit strategy with valuation estimate buyer profile and specific value-building actions.
What You Get
A complete exit strategy covering exit option evaluation, current valuation estimate, ideal buyer profile, key value drivers to build, risk factors to mitigate, and a phased action plan to maximize exit value.
Who Is This For
Business owners planning a sale in the next 2-5 years, founders evaluating acquisition versus IPO, investors helping portfolio companies plan exits, and entrepreneurs building a business with a specific exit in mind.
About This Template
Every business owner needs an exit strategy — whether you plan to sell in 2 years or 20. The exit you plan for shapes the decisions you make today about growth, profitability, team building, and capital structure. This template guides business owners and founders through evaluating their exit options, understanding their current valuation, identifying likely buyer profiles, and using AI to produce a structured exit strategy with specific actions to maximize exit value over the planning horizon.
Fill In Your Details
What your business does, industry, and business model
e.g. $3.2M annual revenue
e.g. $800K EBITDA or $600K net profit
e.g. 35 percent year-over-year growth
e.g. 2-3 years, 5 years, as soon as possible
What makes your business valuable — customer base, IP, team, technology, market position
What would a buyer see as risks or value detractors in your business today
Gather these details then use them to fill in the prompt below.
AI Prompts
Generate exit strategy analysis
Paste this prompt into Claude or ChatGPT with your information filled in.
You are an M&A advisor helping a business owner develop an exit strategy. Using the information below, produce a comprehensive exit strategy. Business: [business_description] Annual revenue: [annual_revenue] EBITDA or profit: [ebitda_or_profit] Growth rate: [growth_rate] Exit timeline: [exit_timeline] Preferred exit type: [preferred_exit] Key assets: [key_assets] Current weaknesses: [current_weaknesses] Produce: 1. Exit Option Analysis — evaluate strategic acquisition, PE buyout, management buyout, and IPO for this specific business 2. Valuation Estimate — provide a range using relevant multiples for the industry and growth profile 3. Ideal Buyer Profile — who would pay the highest price and why 4. Key Value Drivers to Build — the 3-4 most impactful things to do in the next 12-24 months to increase exit value 5. Risk Factors to Mitigate — what would reduce the exit multiple and how to address each 6. Phased Action Plan — 6-month and 18-month milestones to prepare for exit 7. Timing Recommendation — based on current metrics is now a good time to exit or should you wait Be specific about valuation multiples. Use real market comparables for the industry described.
Sample Output
This is an example of what AI produces when you use this template.
Valuation Estimate
Based on $3.2M revenue, $800K EBITDA, and 35 percent growth rate, the current valuation range is $4.8M to $9.6M. The wide range reflects multiple compression risk at the lower end (6x EBITDA for a static-growth business) versus a growth premium at the upper end (3x revenue for a high-growth software business). At your current growth rate, each additional 12 months of growth before exit is worth approximately $2-3M in additional exit value — making a 24-month delay likely more lucrative than selling immediately.
Key Value Drivers to Build
1. Recurring Revenue Concentration: Move from 60 percent to 85 percent recurring revenue — recurring revenue commands a 1.5-2x multiple premium over project-based revenue in your sector. 2. Customer Concentration: Your largest customer represents 28 percent of revenue — buyers will discount for this. Reduce to under 15 percent of revenue from any single customer before exit. 3. Management Independence: Build a management team that can operate without you for 6 months — founder-dependent businesses sell at a 20-30 percent discount to management-independent ones.