How to Double Your Chances of a Premium Acquisition Offer
If you’re serious about selling your business for top dollar, there’s one move you can’t afford to ignore:
Make your business run without you.
According to Value Builder Analytics, based on data from over 80,000 business owners, companies that can operate independently for at least three months are twice as likely to receive an acquisition offer above 6x EBITDA.
The concept sounds simple.
The execution? That’s where most founders struggle.
From Operator to Architect: Kristie Shifflette’s Playbook
When Kristie Shifflette launched her first Orangetheory Fitness location, she did it all.
Marketing, hiring, construction headaches—you name it, she was knee-deep in it.
And it worked… for one location.
But as she expanded to two studios, then three, the cracks started to show.
Kristie realized what so many business owners eventually do:
The model only worked because she was the model.
That’s when she made the shift from being the operator in the business to being the architect of the business.
Systematizing for Scale—and for Sale
Kristie began documenting everything—every process, every customer touchpoint, every operational standard.
She built playbooks that any team member could follow, ensuring consistency whether she was there or not.
She also reimagined her leadership structure.
Studio managers weren’t just hired to “run things”—they were incentivized like owners.
Modest base salaries paired with meaningful bonuses tied to net member growth and total revenue gave managers real skin in the game.
Top performers could double their pay—and they operated their studios like true CEOs.
The result?
When Kristie sold her business, she had built a 13-location empire generating well over $10 million in annual revenue, with some studios, like Chapel Hill, pulling in $2 million per year with EBITDA margins around 40%.
The Lesson: Your Business Is More Valuable Without You in the Middle
Here’s the mindset shift:
If you’re still the one opening the doors and locking up at night—figuratively or literally—you’re capping your valuation.
Ask yourself:
What would break if I stepped away for 90 days?
The honest answers will show you exactly where to start systematizing, delegating, and scaling.
Because every step you take toward making your business less dependent on you makes it:
- Easier to run
- More attractive to buyers
- And a lot more fun to own in the meantime
Ready to build a business that buyers fight to own—not just one they tolerate?
Let’s talk about how to turn your company into a premium acquisition target.
📩 Email: paulwildrick@provengain.com
📞 Call: 925.963.9665
🌐 Visit: www.provengain.com
