The Knowledge Base
Every gap has a name.
Twenty-five structural drivers determine whether your business is scalable, profitable, and transferable. Each one is a gap your competitors aren't closing. The ones below are the ones ExitWorks fixes.
Dimension One
Predictable Profits & Cash Flow
The foundation. A business that doesn't generate reliable, growing profits isn't scalable or transferable. These eight drivers determine whether your financial performance is structural or situational.
01
Effective Senior Leadership
When authority lives in the founder, execution stalls.
02
People: Productive & Loyal
Retention, role clarity, and the culture that keeps capable teams intact.
03
High Percentage of Recurring Revenue
Predictable cash flow starts with revenue that doesn't need to be re-earned every month.
04
Strong Margins
Revenue without margin is just activity.
05
Financial Reporting Process
If you can't trust your numbers, you can't make good decisions.
06
Scalable Reporting Processes
A pipeline that stops when you stop isn't a system.
07
Strong SOPs
Undocumented processes live in people's heads, and people leave.
08
High Customer Satisfaction
Retention is cheaper than acquisition, and satisfaction drives both.
Dimension Two
Predictable Sustainable Growth
Profit alone doesn't build enterprise value. These eight drivers determine whether your business can grow beyond its current ceiling... and whether that growth is repeatable, defensible, and not dependent on you.
09
Strategic Vision, Planning & Execution
Strategy that doesn't execute is just a document.
10
Strategic Culture
Culture is how decisions get made when you're not in the room.
11
Hiring & Training
Reactive hiring is expensive. Structural hiring is a competitive advantage.
12
Large Market Size
A great business in a shrinking market is a slow exit.
13
Unique Products/Services
Commodity businesses compete on price. Everything else competes on value.
14
Scalable Marketing Process
If the pipeline stops when you stop, it isn't a process.
15
Budget, Forecast & Actuals
Operating without a budget is operating blind.
16
Innovation
Businesses that stop evolving get disrupted.
Dimension Three
Predictable Transferable Value
The most overlooked dimension. A business can be profitable and growing while still being nearly impossible to sell, or worth far less than the founder expects. These eight drivers determine whether your enterprise value is real, documentable, and transferable to someone else.
17
Business Story
Buyers don't just buy financials. They buy a narrative.
18
Accurate & Credible Financials
Inaccurate financials kill deals.
19
Legal Readiness
Legal issues found in diligence become leverage lost in negotiation.
20
High Growth Compared to Market
Buyers pay for trajectory, not just position.
21
Large Market Share
Market share signals competitive durability.
22
Broad Customer Base
Customer concentration is one of the most common valuation discounts.
23
Defensible Market
A business anyone can replicate isn't worth much.
24
Strong Brand
A brand that lives in the founder doesn't survive the transaction.
Bonus Driver
The One You Can't Control
Twenty-four drivers are within your control. This one isn't. M&A market conditions determine multiples, buyer appetite, and deal structure. No amount of preparation changes the cycle. What preparation does is ensure that when the window opens, you're ready to walk through it.
Where To Start
Know what's wrong. Find out what it's costing you.
The free assessment scores your business across eight core drivers and benchmarks you against comparable businesses. Fifteen minutes. Immediate results.
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