FAQs

Exit Horizon is where serious Canadian entrepreneurs prepare for life's biggest transition. We don't deal in theory. Our members are growth-minded business owners who understand that successful exits require years of preparation—not just finding a banker when you're ready to sell.

What we do: Show you how to systematically increase business value, prepare for transition reality, and build the advisory team that ensures you don't leave money on the table. Our community includes entrepreneurs who've successfully exited alongside those preparing for their first. No fluff. No generic consulting. Just proven frameworks, peer accountability, and coaching from exited entrepreneurs that have created over $1 billion in shareholder value at exit. The result? Higher valuations, better transitions, and clarity about what comes next.

Business owners generating $5-50 million in revenue or at least $1 million in EBITDA who know their exit matters too much to wing it. You've built something substantial over 5+ years with 15-200 employees. You understand that preparing a business for sale isn't a six-month project—it's a multi-year process that requires systematic work. Most importantly, you want to learn from people who've actually walked this path, not just read about it in textbooks.

You join a carefully matched group of 12-14 business owners who are all building toward the same goal: creating maximum enterprise value. Over 12 weeks, you work together on the fundamentals that separate companies that sell well from those that don't—predictable revenue growth, reduced owner dependency, and systems that buyers actually want to acquire.

Your facilitator isn't a consultant who's read about exits. They've built and sold a business for $10M+ themselves. They know what it feels like to have everything on the line, to wonder if you're making the right moves, and to navigate the complexity of building something bigger than yourself.

This isn't networking for the sake of networking. Every session focuses on making your business more valuable, more transferable, and more likely to attract the right buyer when you're ready.

After the 12 weeks, you can stay connected with your core group monthly—because building a generational company isn't a sprint, and the relationships you form here often become your most trusted advisors for years to come.

Value Baseline Report: Give us one day of your time and in four weeks, we'll deliver a detailed assessment that tells you what your business is worth today, how saleable it is, and gives you a specific roadmap to increase value. Think of it as your starting point.

‍Value Accelerator: For owners ready to get serious about building value in their company. This 12-18 month program works hands-on with you and your executive team to systematically increase EBITDA, reduce owner dependency, and prepare for due dilligence. It's intensive and results-focused.

‍M&A Concierge (no cost to you): If you need to exit now or when you're ready to exit within 3-12 months and have $1M+ EBITDA, we connect you with the right M&A advisor. They pay us, not you.

Perfect. You shouldn't be sure about selling—most business owners who are "sure" end up making decisions they regret later.

Here's the thing: whether you sell in three years or thirty, the fundamentals of building a valuable business are the same. Predictable revenue. Systems that work without you. Clean financials. A strong leadership team. These aren't "exit preparation" activities—they're just good business.

What we really do is create optionality. Maybe you'll sell to a strategic buyer. Maybe you'll bring in a partner. Maybe your kids will take over. Maybe you'll hold it forever and just take more dividends. All of these paths are easier when your business is more valuable and less dependent on you personally.

Think of it this way: you can't un-know what your business is worth. Once you understand the levers that drive value—recurring revenue, customer diversification, management depth—you'll naturally make better decisions. Not because you're planning to sell, but because you understand what actually matters.

The Canadian business owners in our community aren't all heading for the exits next year. Many are building generational wealth. Some want to understand their options before life forces a decision. Others just want to stop being the bottleneck in their own company.

What they all have in common? They want to build something valuable. Everything else—including whether and when to sell—flows from that foundation.

The biggest difference? Our exit coaches have actually sold businesses themselves. They understand the unique challenges of the Canadian market—from navigating our tax structures to dealing with the reality that most Canadian businesses sell to U.S. buyers. When they share what works, it's from building real value in Canadian companies, not theory.

Most exit planning in Canada happens in isolation. You hire a consultant (often from a U.S. firm using American frameworks), get a report, maybe implement some recommendations, then figure out the rest on your own. We built a complete ecosystem instead - built for Canadian business owners.

You start with our membership community where you learn alongside other Canadian business owners facing the same challenges—from cross-border tax implications to finding buyers who understand our market. If you need deeper analysis, our Value Baseline gives you a comprehensive assessment built specifically for Canadian businesses. For owners ready to transform their companies, our Value Accelerator provides hands-on support that accounts for Canadian regulations and market realities.

But here's what really sets us apart: we've built an exclusive network of Canadian advisors—M&A specialists who know both sides of the border, tax strategists who understand our unique structures, wealth managers experienced with Canadian exits. All vetted by us, all focused on Canadian business owners.

It's the difference between getting generic advice and having a complete support system that understands where you're operating. Instead of adapting U.S. strategies to Canadian realities, you get frameworks built for our market from day one.

The practical result? You avoid the costly mistakes that happen when you're trying to apply foreign strategies to Canadian businesses. And when it's time to execute your exit, you have a team that knows exactly how to maximize value in our market.

You join a confidential group of 12-14 non-competitive Canadian business owners for 12 weeks to learn the fundamentals of building enterprise value. This isn't networking—it's structured learning with people who can't compete with you but understand your challenges.

Here's what you get:
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‍Your 12-Week Foundation: Every member starts here. You'll receive a market-based valuation to understand what drives your multiple in your industry, plus the core frameworks for systematically building value. Think of this as your baseline—where you are today and what specific levers will move the needle for your business.

‍Access to Our Complete ExitOS: This is our complete exit planning system—every tool, template, and framework we've developed to help Canadian businesses grow value and prepare for a no-regrets exit. These aren't theoretical frameworks—they're the actual tools our most successful members use to systematically increase their business value, from financial modeling templates that show how specific changes impact your valuation to step-by-step guides for reducing owner dependency without losing control.

‍Weekly Expert Sessions: Learn from specialists who understand Canadian businesses—tax strategists, M&A advisors, wealth managers. These aren't generic webinars; they're focused on actionable insights and practical playbooks for businesses like yours.

Weekly Office Hours with M&A Expertise: Direct access to our team when you hit roadblocks, need clarity on implementation, or want guidance on unsolicited buyer approaches and deal flow opportunities. Sometimes you just need someone who's seen your situation before to help you think through the next step or evaluate whether an unexpected offer is worth pursuing.

‍Executive Coaching: One session during your 12-week cohort, then quarterly ongoing. Your facilitator isn't just a coach—they're an entrepreneur who's successfully exited their own business. They understand both the business mechanics and the personal challenges of building toward an exit.

M&A Insider Network: Access to vetted investment bankers, deal-making peers, and experienced founders who can provide guidance when opportunities arise or when you're ready to explore your options.

Continued Community Access: After completing your 12-week foundation, you'll have ongoing access to our monthly community sessions at a reduced member rate. Many business owners find this ongoing accountability and peer connection invaluable as they implement their exit strategies over the months and years ahead.

The real value is in the peer learning within your confidential group. When another owner shares how they reduced customer concentration from 60% to 30%, or how they built recurring revenue into their business, that's immediately actionable intelligence you can't get anywhere else.

Canadian business owners generating $5-50 million in revenue or at least $1 million in EBITDA who know their exit matters too much to wing it. You've built something substantial over 5+ years with 15-200 employees. You understand that preparing a business for sale isn't a six-month project—it's a multi-year process that requires systematic work.

Industries vary—manufacturing, professional services, technology, healthcare, distribution—but everyone shares the same goal: building maximum enterprise value. What matters more than your sector is your mindset. Our members are serious about implementation. They don't just want to learn; they want to execute.

Each cohort is carefully curated to ensure no competitive conflicts. You'll share real numbers, real challenges, and real solutions because everyone in your group operates in different markets or serves different customers.

You'll start making changes immediately. Simple shifts like tracking the right KPIs or adjusting how you think about customer contracts happen in your first month. These aren't dramatic transformations, but they're the foundation for everything that follows.

Meaningful value creation—the kind that moves your multiple from 3x to 5x—takes 12-24 months of consistent execution. That's not unique to our approach; it's just the reality of building enterprise value. You can improve some metrics quickly, but reducing owner dependency or building truly recurring revenue takes time.

Most members see their first measurable improvements within 6 months: better gross margins, cleaner financials, or initial steps toward recurring revenue. The big value jumps happen when you stack multiple improvements over 18-24 months.

We guarantee you'll have a clear roadmap for increasing your business value and understand exactly what drives your multiple in your industry. Whether you execute on that roadmap is up to you.

Here's what we can't control: market conditions, your willingness to make hard decisions, or whether you'll actually implement what you learn.

What we can control: giving you proven frameworks, connecting you with peers who've solved similar problems, and providing ongoing support from people who've successfully exited their own businesses.

Success comes down to consistent execution over time. We give you the tools, the accountability structure, and access to people who've been where you're going. The work is still yours to do.

You'll learn to think like someone who owns an asset, not just runs a business. That fundamental shift changes how you make decisions and builds real value whether you exit next year or hold the company forever.

‍What You'll Master: You'll understand the specific metrics that drive your valuation in your industry, how to build recurring revenue into traditionally project-based work, and how to reduce your personal dependency without losing control of quality. Most importantly, you'll gain clarity on what your business is actually worth and confidence in the moves you're making to increase that value.

‍Real Results: Members typically see 15-30% improvement in gross margins, develop 2-3 new revenue streams that don't require their direct involvement, and build systems that let the business run for weeks without them. Beyond the technical skills, you'll build trusted relationships with 12-14 other business owners facing similar challenges and gain access to vetted advisors who understand how to maximize outcomes for Canadian owners.

‍The Real Change: The biggest shift isn't tactical—it's confidence. Instead of wondering if you're making the right moves or what your business is worth, you'll know. That clarity changes how you operate day to day.

Good. Keep them. We're not trying to replace your accountant, lawyer, or financial advisor. We're the strategic layer that helps you understand what actually drives value before you need those specialists.

Think of us as the team that helps you ask better questions. When you meet with your accountant, you'll know which financial metrics actually matter to buyers. When you talk to lawyers about contracts, you'll understand how terms impact your valuation.

Our members often tell us we help them get more value from their existing advisors because they finally understand the right questions to ask.

You can continue with monthly membership, at a reduced rate, to stay connected with your core group and the broader community. Most do, because building value is an ongoing process, not a one-time project.

The monthly sessions keep you accountable to the changes you've committed to and give you access to new members' fresh perspectives. Plus, as you get closer to actually considering an exit, you'll want the support of people who understand what you're going through.

Some members graduate to our Value Accelerator program if they want more intensive, hands-on support. Others take what they've learned and execute independently while staying connected to the community for ongoing guidance.

YPO, Vistage, MMT, Hampton, and similar organizations are excellent for general leadership development and broad business challenges—and we encourage you to stay involved in them. Many of our clients are active members of these groups, and that strategic thinking makes them better prepared for exit.

But Exit Horizon is where you come when you're getting serious about your exit. We're laser-focused on one specific outcome: building enterprise value and preparing you personally for transition. Every session, every framework, every peer discussion centers on making your business more valuable and less dependent on you personally.

We drill down on the specific levers that drive your valuation—recurring revenue, customer concentration, owner dependency, gross margins. Everything connects back to building a more sellable, valuable business.

Our facilitators are entrepreneurs who've actually built and sold businesses for $10M+ exits, not professional facilitators or retired executives. Our cohorts avoid competitive conflicts through careful design.

And we're built for your exit timeline—you get what you need in 3 months, then decide if ongoing connection makes sense. Think of it this way: your peer group helps you build a stronger business. We help you translate that into maximum enterprise value when you're ready to transition.

Think of it as your business's comprehensive health check and roadmap rolled into one. Over 4 weeks, we assess 150 value drivers across your business to give you a market-based valuation and specific action plan for increasing that value.

You'll know exactly what your business is worth today, how saleable it is in its current state, and whether selling now would meet your wealth goals. More importantly, you get a prioritized 90-day action plan to get started and a roadmap showing you which 5 moves you could make to have the biggest impact on your valuation. The process involves about one business day of your time across interviews covering business attractiveness, readiness, personal goals, and financial review. You walk away knowing your current position and exactly what needs to change to maximize value.

Free advisory service for Canadian business owners with $1M+ EBITDA who are ready to explore exit options within 6-12 months. We don't sell your business—we connect you with the right M&A advisor for your specific situation.

Here's how it works: We assess your business, understand your goals, then introduce you to 2-3 pre-vetted M&A firms from our network. You choose who to work with. They pay us a referral fee, so there's no cost to you.

Why we do this: Most business owners don't know how to evaluate M&A advisors or understand the differences between firms. We've worked with dozens of them and know who's best for tech companies versus manufacturing, who handles cross-border deals well, and who actually gets deals done versus just talks a good game.

One-on-one coaching with entrepreneurs who've successfully built and sold businesses for at least $10M+. These aren't professional coaches who've read about exits—they're people who've lived through the process themselves.

Exit coaching addresses both the business mechanics and personal challenges of preparing for transition. Business side covers things like reducing owner dependency, building management teams, and positioning for buyers. Personal side helps with identity transition, family preparation, and post-exit planning.

Sessions happen quarterly (monthly during active preparation phases) and focus on whatever you're facing right now—whether that's dealing with an unsolicited offer, preparing your team for transition, or working through the emotional aspects of letting go of something you've built.

Your coach has been where you're going. They understand the complexity of building toward an exit because they've done it successfully themselves.

Most clients start with either the Value Baseline (if they want to understand their current position) or jump into our membership community (if they want peer learning and ongoing support).

Exit Coaching can complement any of our other services—some members add quarterly coaching sessions, while Value Accelerator clients get coaching built into their program.

M&A Concierge is for when you're ready to move from preparation to action. If you've done the work to build value and are ready to explore actual exit opportunities, we connect you with the right professionals to execute.

Think of it as a complete system: assessment and planning (Value Baseline), peer learning and skill building (membership), intensive value creation (Value Accelerator), personal guidance (Exit Coaching), and transaction support (M&A Concierge). Use what makes sense for your situation and timeline.

If you're accepted into the program, yes. We'll connect you with members or alumni who can share their real experience.

We can connect you with clients who've completed Value Baseline assessments or worked through our Value Accelerator program. We'll arrange a brief call with someone who can tell you about their experience.