Business 10 www.aftermarketonline.net JULY/AUGUST 2025 Start with the end in mind… …why exit planning should start now, advises Jay Wheatley AAE MIMI, business coach and mentor at Absolutely Automotive Ialways knew I would sell my business. Not because I was burnt out or desperate, but because it wasn’t just a job I owned, it was an asset I was building. Something that could one day be passed on or sold, but on my terms. That meant I had to run it with the end in mind. From the beginning, the decisions I made weren’t just about getting through the week, they were about creating something someone else might want to own. That mindset shaped everything for me. It meant that when I did eventually decide to sell, I wasn’t starting from scratch. I didn’t need to fix a business in a rush. I’d already spent years improving the accounts, tightening processes, and moving things away from always depending on me. Because when you’re looking at a business through the eyes of a buyer, you see things differently. But let’s be clear: exit planning isn’t just about selling. There are only a few ways to exit a business. You can sell it. You can pass it on. Or you can close it and walk away. That’s it. Selling might mean finding an outside buyer, but sometimes the best buyer is right under your nose. A trusted manager, or even a couple of key staff members, may be interested in taking it on. Often, they won’t have the money up front, but with the right plan and structure, a deal can be done that works for both sides. You just need time and clarity, because unless you plan ahead, your options at the end might be fewer than you’d like. Why you should think about exit long before you want out There’s a common pattern in this trade: garage owners only start thinking about exit when they’ve had enough. That’s often when I get a call. They’re tired, worn out, and not enjoying it anymore. But here’s the harsh truth, by the time you feel like that, it might already be too late to make the good decisions. Exit planning isn’t something you do when you’re ready to go. It’s something you do so you can go when the time is right. That doesn’t mean you need to know when you’ll sell. It just means you need to act like you might. Because what you build today shapes the choices you’ll have tomorrow. So ask yourself: if a buyer walked in tomorrow, what would they see? One of the most misunderstood parts of exit planning is valuation Presentation matters… are your accounts tidy and are things recorded and traceable? Photo: Artem Podrez / Pexels
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