About Exit Planning & Simple Mystery
Q1: What is exit planning and why do I need it?
Exit planning is the strategic process of preparing your business—and yourself—for a successful transition, whether that's a sale, succession, or other exit. It aligns three critical elements: your personal goals, financial readiness, and business value.
Most founders focus solely on the transaction itself, but that's often too late. Exit planning ensures:
Your business is valued accurately and positioned for maximum multiple
Your financials are clean, defensible, and buyer-ready
Your company can operate without you (the #1 factor buyers evaluate)
You know your 'Live on Four' number—what you need financially and personally post-exit
You have options when opportunity knocks, rather than being forced to sell out of necessity
Think of it this way: Exit strategy IS growth strategy. The decisions you make today directly impact your exit value tomorrow.
Q2: When should I start exit planning?
The ideal time to start exit planning is 3-5 years before you intend to exit. This gives you time to:
Increase business value through strategic improvements
Clean up financials and operations
Build transferable systems and leadership
Optimize for tax efficiency
Create competitive tension among buyers
That said, even if your timeline is shorter—or you're not planning to exit for 10+ years—strategic preparation today creates optionality and value. Many of our clients aren't ready to sell; they're building readiness so they have options when the time comes.The ideal time to start exit planning is 3-5 years before you intend to exit. This gives you time to:
Increase business value through strategic improvements
Clean up financials and operations
Build transferable systems and leadership
Optimize for tax efficiency
Create competitive tension among buyers
That said, even if your timeline is shorter—or you're not planning to exit for 10+ years—strategic preparation today creates optionality and value. Many of our clients aren't ready to sell; they're building readiness so they have options when the time comes.
Q3: How is Simple Mystery different from a business broker?
Great question. Here's the key difference:
Brokers list and sell businesses. They focus on the transaction itself—finding buyers, facilitating the deal, and closing.
We prepare and position founders for strategic outcomes. We work with you long before the transaction to ensure you're truly ready—personally, financially, and operationally.
Simple Mystery:
Focuses on readiness first, transaction second
Aligns personal, financial, and business goals
Works as a strategic partner, not a volume-driven intermediary
Provides M&A representation when you're ready, but also exit planning, buy-side advisory, coaching, and fractional leadership
Built by a founder who's lived through multiple exits—not just observed them
We're not trying to rush you into a sale. We're ensuring that when you do exit, it's on your terms and for maximum value.
Q4: What's a CEPA and why does it matter?
CEPA stands for Certified Exit Planning Advisor. It's a professional designation earned through the Exit Planning Institute that demonstrates expertise in the comprehensive, multi-disciplinary process of exit planning.
A CEPA is trained to align the three legs of the stool:
Personal readiness — Your goals, vision, and life after exit
Financial readiness — Valuation, tax strategy, wealth preservation
Business readiness — Transferability, scalability, and value optimization
Most advisors focus on just one leg (accountants focus on financials, brokers focus on transactions). A CEPA ensures all three are aligned—which is critical because if one leg is weak, the entire exit fails.
Michael Contento's CEPA designation, combined with his real-world experience building and exiting multiple companies, means you get both proven methodology and lived expertise.
Q5: Do you only work with founders planning to exit soon?
No. In fact, many of our clients aren't planning to exit for 5-10+ years. They're working with us to build a stronger, more valuable, more transferable business—which benefits them whether they exit or not.
We work with three types of founders:
Active Exit (1-3 years out) — Ready to explore or execute an exit and need strategic preparation and representation.
Strategic Readiness (3-7 years out) — Building value, optimizing operations, and positioning for optionality.
Growth & Scale (7+ years out) — Focused on growth, leadership, and building a business that could exit successfully—whenever the time comes.
Exit readiness isn't just for founders planning to sell. It's for founders who want to build better businesses.