Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You

by John Warrillow, Bo Burlingham (Foreword by)

Overview

Run your company. Don’t let it run you.

Most business owners started their company because they wanted more freedom—to work on their own schedules, make the kind of money they deserve, and eventually retire on the fruits of their labor.

Unfortunately, according to John Warrillow, most owners find that stepping out of the picture is extremely difficult because their business relies too heavily on their personal involvement. Without them, their company—no matter how big or profitable—is essentially worthless.

But the good news is that entrepreneurs can take specific steps—no matter what stage a business is in—to create a valuable, sellable company. Warrillow shows exactly what it takes to create a solid business that can thrive long into the future.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781591845829
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	12/24/2012
Pages:	176
Sales rank:	146,468
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.47(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

John Warrillow is the author of Built To Sell: Turn Your Business Into One You Can Sell. Throughout his career as an entrepreneur, John has started and exited four companies. Most recently he transformed Warrillow & Co. from a boutique consultancy into a recurring revenue model subscription business, which he sold to The Corporate Executive Board (NASDAQ: EXBD) in 2008. He is the author of Drilling for Gold and in 2008 was recognized by BtoB Magazine's "Who's Who" list as one of America's most influential business-to-business marketers.

Table of Contents

Foreword vii

Preface xi

Acknowledgements xv

1 A Company in Chaos 1

2 A Worthless Business? 9

3 Putting the Process into Practice 19

4 Pressure from Within 27

5 The Test 36

6 The Candidates 44

7 Growing Pains 52

8 The Number 64

9 Gaining Momentum 70

10 A Blank Check for Growth 82

11 Telling Management 90

12 The Question 97

13 A Sellable Company 104

14 The Finish Line 110

Implementation Guide: How to Create a Business That Can Thrive Without You 115

Summary of Ted's Tips 147

Recommended Reading and Resources 151

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“John does a masterful job of illuminating the qualities that business buyers look for in a company, and he does it in a thoroughly enjoyable and engaging manner.”
—Bo Burlingham, author of Small Giants (from the Foreword)

“There is no tooth fairy for selling a business. It takes planning and a real understanding of what works. I bet you’ll find yourself (like me) recommending this book to your friends who want to sell their businesses one day but don’t understand what that’s going to take.”
—Seth Godin, author of Linchpin

Editorial Reviews

John does a masterful job of illuminating the qualities that business buyers look for in a company, and he does it in a thoroughly enjoyable and engaging manner.”
—Bo Burlingham, author of Small Giants (from the Foreword)

“There is no tooth fairy for selling a business. It takes planning and a real understanding of what works. I bet you’ll find yourself (like me) recommending this book to your friends who want to sell their businesses one day but don’t understand what that’s going to take.”
—Seth Godin, author of Linchpin

From the Publisher