---
title: "Exit Planning: Comprehensive Business Exit Strategy Guide"
description: Thinking about exiting your business? Start with our comprehensive checklist to plan your strategy, maximize value, and protect your financial future.
---

[Biz Tips | SVA Certified Public Accountants ](https://accountants.sva.com/biz-tips)

# [Exit Planning: Comprehensive Business Exit Strategy Guide](https://accountants.sva.com/biz-tips/business-exit-strategy-checklist-exit-plan-checklist)

 Written by [Nicole Gralapp, CPA, CExP™](https://accountants.sva.com/biz-tips/author/nicole-gralapp-cpa-cexp) | Aug 24, 2022

It is never too early to start [exit planning](https://accountants.sva.com/exit-planning-the-official-guide).

For the best results, start your planning at least five years before you wish to exit. Your plan will need to be flexible to accommodate circumstances beyond your control.

## Exit Planning Strategy Checklist

Use this checklist to help guide you through the high-level discussions and planning you will need to prepare for your eventual business exit.

### Develop Your Personal Goals

- Create your advisory team with a financial planner, accountant, legal counsel, valuation expert, and business broker, if applicable
- Work with a financial advisor to determine your post-exit income goals
- Calculate how the business exit will fund your retirement income needs based on the current value
- Review your supplemental retirement income opportunities in case the business doesn’t provide enough income to meet your needs
- Review/establish your [estate plan](https://accountants.sva.com/biz-tips/estate-planning-exit-planning-go-hand-in-hand)
- Create a retirement plan including:

### Decide On Your Exit Strategy

- Meet with your advisory team to discuss which of the 6 exit strategies you will choose:

[(Download Video Transcript)](https://accountants.sva.com/hubfs/Top%206%20Exit%20Planning%20Tips%20-%20VIDEO%20FAQ.pdf)

### Get the Business Ready

- Create a business analysis of financial and operational performance
- Review your [buy-sell agreements](https://accountants.sva.com/biz-tips/manufacturers-is-your-buy-sell-agreement-up-to-date)
- Hire a [business valuation](https://accountants.sva.com/biz-tips/role-of-valuations-and-due-diligence-in-a-successful-transition) expert
- Develop a succession plan for family members employed with the business
- Develop a succession plan for key management personnel
- Compare business valuation to financial goals and develop a strategy to [close the financial gap](https://accountants.sva.com/biz-tips/building-business-value-to-close-the-gap) if necessary
- Develop a plan to preserve the [company value](https://accountants.sva.com/biz-tips/how-does-exit-planning-protect-business-value) until the sale
- Prepare for the [due diligence](https://accountants.sva.com/biz-tips/4-essential-due-diligence-steps-for-a-successful-transaction) process and shore up any areas of concern
- Develop a [business continuity](https://accountants.sva.com/biz-tips/risk-and-business-continuity-planning-protect-your-business) plan

### Develop a Tax Planning Strategy

- Discuss options to minimize tax liability using gifting or [trusts](https://accountants.sva.com/biz-tips/the-what-why-and-how-of-trusts-what-is-a-trust)
- Compare the tax implications of each type of sale:
- Review taxation issues for [C Corp](https://accountants.sva.com/biz-tips/operating-as-a-c-corporation-benefits-and-drawbacks) or [S Corp](https://accountants.sva.com/biz-tips/should-you-elect-s-corporation-status) entity choices

## SVA Can Help

SVA has the [expertise](https://accountants.sva.com/professionals) and resources you need to tackle your exit planning. We know as a business owner you are busy running the day-to-day of your business. The transition of your business might not be top of mind today.

We will help you develop a plan to exit your business when you want, with the income you need, and transfer to the successor of your choosing.

<https://accountants.sva.com/hs/cta/wi/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLLE568lpuRq%2Fv2qWuh7H1n1AZn6C6F5rqZOprj9IHIa%2F4d5BBXOSSjxljk%2BzXpwxR9HuENzQrxYB5J6h7X5tOrNQvdlxCNnZ1gMjhbD713oNfGovfpXULt7t2J0bf9%2BY9UNPnNRBJs64zShJ8fI7%2F1e2IVW7CuxK3b1ket%2BtIzzJ4iDu7HHgHq1tg%3D%3D&webInteractiveContentId=196570628516&portalId=2939357>

 

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