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You believe your business would grow faster, if you had more cash. Or, perhaps you’d buy out that partner who’s not in sync with the direction the company is going in, if you had more cash. Or, perhaps you’d take some cash home to diversify your wealth and sleep better at night, if you had more cash. Whatever your specific need is, perhaps you’d do it—if you had more cash. That’s just the thing though. How do you get more cash to accomplish your business needs, without giving up too much in return, or taking on more risk than you should?

Time after time, client after client, research study after research study, the answer remains the same—business owners’ number one goal at exit is to achieve their financial win, whatever amount that might be. In our experience, the most common financial goal is to reach financial freedom, which we define as getting to the point where working is a personal choice, not a necessity. Money cannot buy happiness, but business owners who have successfully reached financial freedom seem to smile on a regular basis.

Take two Mercedes-Benz sedans of the same make and model, offer them both for sale, and one vehicle will sell at a higher price than the other. There are many reasons this occurs: one car may be newer, have lower mileage, include more amenities, be more collectible, or has a better service record. This phenomenon, of course, is not unique to Mercedes-Benz automobiles. The same reality happens with cars of every brand. Some conditions will universally (at least nearly so) make one car more valuable at sale than a peer of the exact make and model.

Maybe your business partner has reached normal retirement age and wants out. Maybe your business partner simply desires to do other things in life. Maybe your partner has a different vision of where to take the company. Maybe your partner spends money differently than you would prefer. Maybe your partner runs the business differently than you prefer. Maybe your partner works less hard than you.

Like many parents who own a successful family business, you may be thinking of passing the business to your children. You have built a great operation, and you are proud to present this opportunity to your family.