Startup · Free tool
Exit Strategy Planner
Which exit path makes sense for a company at your stage, and what should you do this year to prepare for it? This planner compares a strategic sale, a management handover, a public listing, or the founder staying on against where the business is today. It is aimed at founders and owners who want an early, honest view.
- OutputA 12-month preparation list
- No sign-up
- Copy or print the result
- How it works ↓
Your entries stay in this browser. Use Fill example to see a finished page first.
What this startup tool gives you
The output is an exit note: the stage and chosen path in one line, a paragraph on why that path fits, your notes on revenue and buyers, and five preparation steps for the next 12 months. It works as a starting agenda for a talk with a co-founder, board, or adviser.
What you enter
- Company name (required)
- Stage: No steady revenue, Has revenue, Growth, or Mature business
- Path: Not chosen yet, Founder stays on, Sale, Hand over management, or Prepare for a public listing
- Horizon in years (defaults to 3)
- Revenue as it stands (free text)
- What the other side will look at (free text)
- What the founder wants to keep (free text)
Worked example
The example is Fieldnote: stage Has revenue, path Founder stays on, horizon 4 years, revenue of 22 shops a month at USD 49. The note says the business has revenue and the rhythm is settling, explains that revenue may not yet fill a buyer's due-diligence file, and lists five steps, starting with "Aim at revenue collected in the next quarter, not revenue promised" and ending with reopening the path choice after three months of revenue moving the same way.
How does the planner choose an exit path?
If you pick a path, the note uses it. If you choose Not chosen yet, the tool suggests one from the stage: No steady revenue or Has revenue suggests the founder staying on, Growth suggests a strategic sale, and Mature business suggests handing over management.
Choosing a public listing while the stage is No steady revenue or Has revenue triggers a warning paragraph: a listing is not a date at that stage, and auditable repeating revenue plus management separate from the founder come first. Each path then gets its own five-step checklist; sale and handover share one. The note ends by stating it is not sale advice or a valuation.
Tips before you use the result
- Run the planner twice, once with your preferred path and once with Not chosen yet, and compare the suggested path with your plan.
- Use the "What the other side will look at" field to write what a buyer or successor would check first; it keeps the note honest.
- The sale and handover checklist asks for the revenue share of your first five customers. Calculate it before any conversation with a buyer.
- Treat the horizon as a planning window, not a promise. The checklist always covers the next 12 months.
Frequently asked questions
What are the main exit strategies for a small business?
This planner covers four: a strategic sale to another company, handing over management while the company continues, preparing for a public listing, and the founder staying on while the business matures. Each comes with a different reason paragraph and preparation list, tied to the stage you select.
When should a founder start planning an exit?
The planner is built to be used early, even with no steady revenue. At that stage it recommends staying on and focusing on collected revenue and separating founder work from work that can be handed on. The checklist always covers the next 12 months, whatever horizon you set.
Does the exit planner value my company?
No. It produces a preparation note, not a valuation, and it says so on the page: price, ownership, and the contract need their own specialists. Talk to an accountant, a corporate lawyer, or an M&A adviser for those. The planner's job is to get the business ready for that conversation, not to put a number on it.
Is my exit plan stored on a server?
It stays on your side. What you type is saved in this browser only, and you do not register to use the planner. Sensitive notes about buyers or what the founder wants to keep never leave your device unless you copy or print them.
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