Scaling Out Loud

Build a Business You Could Actually Leave

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What happens to your photo booth business the day you decide you're done running it?

Not the day you sell it. The day you actually try to walk away, even for a few weeks. For most owners, the honest answer is: nothing good.

This week I sat down with my cousin Adrian Salomunovic, mid-rainstorm, on a sidewalk in Ottawa, because that's apparently how we do interviews now. Adrian built an eight figure business completely from scratch, no outside investment, no funding rounds, and sold it for eight figures. Since then he's mentored and coached over 400 founders, many of whom went on to exit their own businesses successfully.

Most of us started this business messy. Maybe it was a side hustle to pay off some bills, and you built it as you went, figuring it out one event at a time. That's exactly what real entrepreneurs do. But somewhere along the way, the goal has to shift from "keep the business running" to "build something someone else could actually run, or buy." Adrian came on to break down exactly what separates the two, and why most photo booth businesses, even six and seven figure ones, would fail the test if you tried to sell them tomorrow. 

In this episode, we covered:

  • The "bus test" Adrian uses to figure out, almost instantly, whether a business is sellable
  • Why documentation and SOPs matter way more to a buyer than how busy you are
  • The accounting habits that quietly kill a sale before it even starts
  • Why naming your company after yourself might be costing you more than you think
  • What it actually means to hit a ceiling in your business, and what to do about it
  • The concept of "optionality" and why it changes how you should think about exiting

    • What You'll Learn: 

    • The exact test buyers use to know if a business can survive without its owner
    • Why "shoebox accounting" is one of the fastest ways to scare off a buyer
    • The branding decision most booth owners make in year one that can tank their exit later
    • How to find an advisor who can actually help you avoid the landmines, instead of learning them the hard way
    • What it means to have "optionality" when it comes to exiting your business, and why it's bigger than just selling or not
    • Adrian's own story of building and exiting an eight figure business with zero outside investment 

      • Mentioned Resources:

      • Illuminate, taking place in Miami, October 11 to 14. Adrian will be speaking in detail about exit strategies and optionality to a room of six figure photo booth owners, with live Q&A and real case studies. 

        • Your Next Steps:

        Work with Me: https://bit.ly/POD-Site2

        Join Photo Booth Mastery Hub: https://bit.ly/POD-Hub

        Connect on Social: https://www.instagram.com/photoboothmastery

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        Scaling Out LoudBy Catalina Bloch