55 Questions

The 55 Questions

This book is born of the author's experience and a strong belief that business owners deserve the maximum value for the business they have built.

Robert Wagner has more than 30 years of experience as a CFO and M&A advisor. His experience includes working with public companies, middle market privately-held companies, and in public accounting.

This book reflects Robert's lessons learned in evaluating, negotiating, and closing transactions between companies and in doing the hard work of integrating acquired operations.

Why read this book?

So you'll be ready if an unsolicited offer arrives in your inbox sooner than you expect;
So you can address now the issues you know need to be dealt with and are necessary to scale your business in the future;
To be encouraged to do the right thing in your business—a choice that is never wrong or premature;
So you and your business can enjoy a lower cost of capital because banks and other capital providers generally love the same things buyers do; and
To reduce the stress of maintaining your business as you build processes and habits that make it easier to run, easier to analyze, and more profitable in the long run.

Praise for 55 Questions

This book should be required reading for all business owners—and long before they get to the negotiating table. 55 Questions provides a great framework for owners to think critically about their businesses and how to achieve the exit they want.

Kevin Sendlenski, Managing Partner of Cambridgeport Capital Partners

Whether your selling you're business or keeping it, the things you need to do to create success for each scenario are amazingly the same. This book does a great job of outlining the key elements of success. The depth of these 55 questions will lead the reader to think about (and hopefully act) upon the critical aspects of creating new value for the company. This is a great read for any and all business owners.

David Woods, Chief Executive Officer of Magellan Executive Partners

Most business owners will sell a business once in their life. You don't know what you don't know. This book does a great job in guiding you through questions to ask yourself and your trusted advisors to bring clarity to a confusing, emotional, and literally life-changing event. Don't wait until you are ready to sell to ask these questions. Do it today to create a business someone wants to buy.

Bryan Clifton, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Myriad Insight

This book taps into Robert’s insights and experiences as a CFO, providing a smart and concise guide to how to increase the value of your business and evaluate M&A opportunities. Covering some of the top questions you will face as a business owner, this book is helpful whether you are a first time business owner facing an offer or an experienced professional who wants an at-a-glance reference guide as you approach important deal decisions

Franklin McLarty, Co-Founder & Chairman of the Firmament Group

55 Questions to Ask before You Sell Your Business not only addresses the most important topics all business owners needs to consider, but also provides insight, drawn from experience, on how to tackle these potential roadblocks to a transaction. Robert Wagner has written a must-read for business owners who want to maximize value in a business exit.

Ryan Holder, Managing Director of Strategic M&A Advisors, LLC

55 Questions is a great read. Very detailed, and readable. Robert Wagner has done a great job with a difficult subject.

Bob East, Founder of East-Harding, Inc.

If you are ready to open your mind and heart to what must be done before you sell your business, this book is for you. It is full of practical, proactive and powerful insights that will help you clear with confidence the mental and emotional, operational and strategic hurdles of such a life changing event.

Randy Nail, Chief Executive Officer of HoganTaylor LLP

55 Questions to Ask Before You Sell Your Business

Value-driving principles top make your business better today and when you sell it.

One day, your business will be owned by someone else.

Your baby, your dream, the thing you have nurtured from infancy through great expansions, through near-death experiences, to what it is today, will be owned and led by someone else.

55 Questions is about taking control of this certainty and choosing the path that will provide the maximum value to you, the owner.

The 55 Questions

This book is born of the author's experience and a strong belief that business owners deserve the maximum value for the business they have built.

Robert Wagner has more than 30 years of experience as a CFO and M&A advisor. His experience includes working with public companies, middle market privately-held companies, and in public accounting.

This book reflects Robert's lessons learned in evaluating, negotiating, and closing transactions between companies and in doing the hard work of integrating acquired operations.

The 55 Questions are organized into five groups:

Why read this book?

So you'll be ready if an unsolicited offer arrives in your inbox sooner than you expect;

So you can address now the issues you know need to be dealt with and are necessary to scale your business in the future;

To be encouraged to do the right thing in your business—a choice that is never wrong or premature;

So you and your business can enjoy a lower cost of capital because banks and other capital providers generally love the same things buyers do; and

To reduce the stress of maintaining your business as you build processes and habits that make it easier to run, easier to analyze, and more profitable in the long run.

Praise for 55 Questions

55 Questions to Ask Before You Sell Your Business

Value-driving principles top make your business better today and when you sell it.

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