My guest today is Sabina Teshler. Sabina is the founder and current chairperson of SET Creative. SET is a consulting agency for businesses wanting to take their brand recognition to the next level. The company was sold to WPP as an attempt to bring SET to a wider audience. The choice was the right one and now Sabina works to keep her business culture the same as it was when she was CEO.

During today’s show, we discuss how Sabina and her business partners decided to sell the business. She explains why she chose to sell the business when it was “on top” and why she recommends that to any entrepreneur. She stresses the importance of building a good team and knowing which direction you want to move in as a company. Her confidence in her team and business is inspiring.

SET Creative is a rare story that has a happy ending at the end of the sale. That’s not by accident. Sabina shares how she and her team negotiated and challenged their deal to their optimal outcome. Tune in to hear how to sell your business the right way.

What you will learn about:

Sabina’s journey to entrepreneurship.

The importance of meeting the client’s needs.

The difference in “working on the business” and “working in the business.”

The importance of hiring the right team.

Building an executive leadership team that will add value to the business.

Why Sabina and her partners sold SET Creative.

How the sale affected the company’s vision.

When to create an exit plan.

When to call an advisor.

How to negotiate a favorable deal.

The importance of knowing what questions to ask.

Why you need to be able to “walk away.”

The 3 assets Sabina and her team brought to the negotiations.

The deal structure that Sabina negotiated.

Why business owners should expect some turn-over after a sale.

Sabina’s new role as a cultural leader.

What Sabina would have done differently during the negotiations.

Sabina’s advice to the listeners.

Today we are talking to Sabina Teshler who has gone through a rather successful exit which she managed to keep in line with her own vision and needs. Not only that, but she got the full value she was looking for to keep her solvent for the future. It wasn’t rocket science that allowed her to achieve all these things; rather, it was preparing early and not being afraid to sell when the time was right.

Prepare For a Business Exit Early

Sabina is not the only person who has told you that preparation is key in life and business. However, perhaps her story of being prepared equalling lots of cash and a happy business transition will be the motivation you need to start your own preparations today.

When you start thinking about the integral aspects of your business that add to your life, the key things you want to continue when you’re gone and other such considerations, you can figure out what you want and need to get out of your eventual exit. Bo Burlingham talks about this in his book Finish Big because so many people undervalue how important knowing what you want and why you want it is when you go to sell your business. You will see greater happiness knowing what you’re after and going for it from the start than if you sell without the end in mind a