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Only 30% of business owners have an exit plan—roughly the same percentage of Americans who floss daily. In this episode of the Exit Ready podcast, Ryan Ray sits down with Will Fry, Founder of American Operator, to discuss why most owners are woefully unprepared for a sale.
Will is on a mission to preserve American small businesses by partnering with local operators (often veterans) rather than selling out to traditional Private Equity.
They discuss the hard truths of valuation (why revenue does not equal value), the "J-Curve" of acquisition performance, and why bringing a corporate MBA mindset to a blue-collar business is a recipe for disaster.
In this episode, we cover:
- The Strike Zone: Why American Operator targets businesses in rural America worth $2M-$5M.
- The Unicorn Trap: Why holding out for a "whale" buyer often destroys your retirement timeline.
- The J-Curve: Why earnings almost always dip in the first 12 months after a sale.
- Redneck to Redneck: Why using terms like "EBITDA" makes you look like a jerk, not a genius.
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https://www.rgahub.com/exitready