Читать книгу Start & Run a Bookkeeping Business - Angie Mohr - Страница 15

As you’re starting up your bookkeeping practice, the last thing you want to think about is ending it, just like it’s never any fun to think about funerals or estate planning. But having a plan in place for the eventual sale or transfer of your business will help to ensure that you operate it aware that you are building value over time. Many small-business owners don’t consider whether they’re building a business that would be worth anything if they died or wanted to sell. Businesses that rely on the presence or personality of the owner cannot easily be sold to someone else. Customer loyalty is built on that personal relationship.

You want to build the “personality” of your business so that, with training, one of your employees or a new owner can provide the same quality of service that you do. Think about a company like McDonald’s. You probably don’t even know the entrepreneur who owns the local franchise. McDonald’s itself has a strong corporate identity or “personality” that you as a customer are familiar and comfortable with. This is what keeps you coming back.

As you start up your business, think about your ultimate goals. Do you want to build it and sell it for a profit in ten years? Do you want to pass it on to your children when you die?

When you begin with the end in sight, you will be able to aim your business to that ultimate goal and will be much more likely to meet that goal when you’re ready. For a more in-depth discussion of exit strategies, you may wish to refer to Finance & Grow Your New Business: Get a Grip on the Money, also published by Self-Counsel Press.