Category Archives: Entrepreneurship

Layers of Disclosure:
A Business Owner’s Guide to Sharing Information in a Sale

Posted on June 26, 2026 by John F. Dini

If you’re selling a privately held business, disclosure is rarely just a matter of completing a checklist. It’s more like managing a series of “layers” that unfold over time. The timing, depth, and framing of what you share can affect how buyers value your company, how much leverage you retain at the negotiating table, and often overlooked how stable your business remains while the transaction is moving forward. A practical way to think about disclosure is this: you should expand what you share only as the buyer becomes more committed, receives greater legal protections, and the deal becomes more certain. In other words, disclosure should be tied to deal momentum, not simply to the passage of time. Continue reading →

Posted in Entrepreneurship, Exit Options, Exit Strategies, Marketing and Sales | Tagged Business Sale Disclosure, CIM, Confidential Information Memorandum, Disclosure, Due Dilligence, Early Stage Disclosure, Letter of Intent, LOI, Negotiating Leverge, selling a business | Leave a comment

Exit Planning: If Not Now, When?

Posted on April 24, 2026 by John F. Dini

You’ve probably said it yourself: “Talk to me in five years.” It’s the most common response advisors hear — and it makes sense. You’re heads-down building, not winding down. Exit planning feels like a conversation for later. The business is … Continue reading →

Posted in Entrepreneurship, Exit Planning, Exit Strategies, Uncategorized | Tagged business exit strategies, exit planning, selling a business, When to exit plan, When to Start Exit Planning | Leave a comment

What to Watch Out for When Getting Outside Advice

Posted on March 27, 2026 by John F. Dini

When you bring in an outside advisor — whether it’s an accountant, attorney, consultant, or broker — you’re doing the right thing. You’re acknowledging there’s something you don’t know and going to find someone who does. That’s smart ownership. But … Continue reading →

Posted in Entrepreneurship, Exit Strategies, Leadership | Tagged advice for business owners, BEI, Business Advice, CEPA, CExP, Outside Advice, selling a business, small business advice | Leave a comment

The 3% Problem in Advisory Work: A Guide for Business Owners

Posted on March 6, 2026 by John F. Dini

As a business owner, you belong to a unique group that makes up only 3% of the population. Yet, many advisors treat you like any other client—using the same approaches they apply to executives, professionals, or retirees. This is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Entrepreneurship, Exit Options, Exit Planning, Exit Strategies, Leadership, Uncategorized | Tagged Business Owners are 3%, Call to action, Challenge of decision making, data analysis, decision making, key variables in exit planning, More than an asset, owner response, recommendations | 1 Comment

Manufacturer Stuck in the “Neutral Zone”

Posted on February 3, 2026 by John F. Dini

Here is how exit planning helped a business owner out of the Neutral Zone. This manufacturer reached out to an exit planning consultant after receiving a book on planning as a gift from a local professional. He was in no … Continue reading →

Posted in Building Value, Entrepreneurship, Exit Options, Exit Planning, Exit Strategies | Tagged business ownership, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, Exit Options, exit planning, exit strategies, selling a business, small business, small business advice | Leave a comment