The Exit - Presented By Flippa

• How I Bought 20 Companies for £1 (And Why Your Business Might Be Unsellable) - Exit and Acquisition Lessons with Lee Smith

  Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth? With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business, and you’ll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business. You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit -- In this episode of The Exit Podcast, host Steve sits down with Lee Smith, an acquisition entrepreneur at Verdani Capital with 12 years of M&A experience. Lee shares hard-won lessons from acquiring 20+ businesses and reveals what buyers really look for when evaluating companies for acquisition. KEY TOPICS COVERED: The #1 Red Flag Buyers See (And How to Fix It) Lee reveals why owner-dependency kills deals and how to build transferability into your business 2-3 years before exit Inside the Valuation Process Real multiples for blue-collar businesses (2-4x true profit, not EBITDA) and why adjusted earnings can backfire Deal Structure That Works How Lee structures acquisitions to align incentives: buying 60-80% stakes with future upside potential that often doubles the founder's payday The Biggest Deal Mistakes From buying distressed companies to discovering hidden equity agreements 30 minutes before closing—lessons learned the hard way The £1 Business Acquisition Strategy How Lee has purchased 20 businesses for just one pound, including a remarkable turnaround that saved a founder from £500K in debt When Concentration Risk Isn't a Deal-Breaker Strategic approaches to handling clients that represent 60-70% of revenue, including key customer clauses in SPAs Building Trust in M&A Deals Why "two ears, one mouth" matters more than spreadsheets when structuring successful acquisitions The EOS Framework for Integration Using simple systems to manage acquired businesses without disrupting teams or culture -- Lee Smith is a values-driven entrepreneur and dealmaker with more than 25 years of experience and a respected track record in UK M&A. After completing his first acquisitions in 2014, he went on to buy and turn around nine underperforming companies before founding Verdani Capital, where he continues to acquire and scale larger UK businesses. To date, Lee has completed 26 acquisitions across sectors such as Manufacturing, Professional Services, Construction, HVAC, and IT Services, supported by training from leading M&A mentors in the UK and US. His current portfolio generates over £2M in annual profit with a clear path toward £10M, strengthened by three strategic exits in 2024. Grounded in spirituality and conscious leadership, Lee combines substance, strategy, and long-term thinking in every partnership. Website - https://www.leeasmith.co.uk/ -- The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/

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• You Just Sold Your Business. Now What the Hell Do You Do? Common Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make with Carolyn Nolan

  Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth? With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business, and you’ll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business. You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit -- Most founders obsess over the deal - valuations, terms, negotiations. But few ever ask the most important question: What comes next for you? In this episode of The Exit, Steve chats with Carolyn Nolan, CEO and Private Wealth Advisor at TNG Private Wealth, about what really happens after you sell. From emotional comedowns to tax traps, Carolyn reveals why the money is actually the easy part—and how to build a life that’s just as successful as your exit. 🎯 Key Takeaways: Why entrepreneurs struggle to “switch off” after selling The one question that reframes your entire next chapter The two extremes that destroy post-exit happiness Avoiding the tax blindside that catches almost everyone “Workhorse vs. racehorse” investing explained Why your discretionary expenses probably aren’t Passing wealth down—without raising entitled kids The surprising loneliness that follows exits ⚠️ Common Post-Exit Mistakes: Ignoring tax implications Overspending on real estate Gifting too early Freezing up and spending nothing out of guilt Waiting until after the exit to plan your life -- Carolyn Nolan’s superpower is igniting positive energy and meaningful action by brainstorming what could be, unapologetically speaking her truth, and creating tools for the taking in her ‘CNo toolbox’. She helps people stay strategically prepared, simplify life’s juggling act, and embrace change with confidence, inspiration, and a sense of adventure. LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynlaunienolan/ Website - https://www.ameripriseadvisors.com/team/tng-private-wealth/ -- The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/

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• From Startups to the Stock Exchange: How Callum Laing Took 100 Companies Public and Redefined the Exit Gam

  Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth? With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business, and you’ll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business. You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit -- In this episode of The Exit, host Steve sits down with Callum Laing, partner at Unity Group, author, and serial entrepreneur who has helped take more than 100 companies public. With decades of experience across Asia, Europe, and beyond, Callum shares his contrarian approach to growth, exits, and how founders can use the capital markets as a scaling tool, not just a finish line. From his first recruitment business during the dot-com boom to running a global group that helps small businesses access public market advantages. Callum has seen it all, from booms, busts to breakthroughs. He explains why most entrepreneurs under-optimize for profit when gearing up to sell, how boards can fast-track business maturity, and why timing the market is less about prediction and more about preparation. Callum’s insights extend beyond valuation multiples. He talks candidly about common M&A mistakes, the power of strategic positioning, and why founders should sell “as soon as they can” to regain their most valuable resources: time and capital. This episode is a masterclass in scaling smart, negotiating with leverage, and learning faster through failure. -- Callum Laing is a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and M&A specialist with over two decades of experience building and scaling companies across multiple industries. As a Partner at Unity Group and Founder of the Global Investment Leaders Directive (GILD) and the Veblen Director Programme, he helps business owners unlock liquidity, accelerate growth, and gain access to global capital markets. A passionate advocate for ethical capitalism and entrepreneur-led innovation, Callum has worked extensively with private equity firms, family offices, and public markets to bridge the gap between fast-growing private enterprises and institutional investors. LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callumlaing/ Website - https://callumlaing.com/ -- The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/

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• The Eight-Figure Miss: Hard-Won Lessons From Multiple Exits with Danny Davis

  Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth? With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business, and you’ll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business. You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit -- Danny Davis, CEO of Hyperfi, shares hard-won lessons from multiple exits including taking a cannabis tech company public and missing an eight-figure investment in Loom. Key Topics: • How a hospital bed insight led to patenting the world's first cannabis cartridge filling system • Why board control is make-or-break for successful exits (and what happened when he lost it) • The revenue vs. investment dilemma: when to kill your cash cow for the bigger bet • Being Loom's first customer, offered to be first investor, and saying no—an eight-figure miss • Why he only invests in founder-led companies now (even controversial ones like Travis's Uber) • Building Hyperfi: applying Ben Horowitz's People → Product → Profit formula • The "N+1 strategy" for risk management every entrepreneur needs • Why timing is everything: two years makes the difference between too early and too late Biggest Takeaway: "For every person I talk to that has hindsight, they always had an inkling. The mistakes happen when you sell yourself short or get out too early." Danny went from 13 years in corporate IT to multiple successful exits by spotting pattern-breaking opportunities in taboo markets. Now he's building Hyperfi, an AI-powered IT procurement platform solving a $1.5 trillion problem. -- Danny Davis is a multi-exit founder, technologist, and hands-on operator known for building companies that push industries forward. From taking Convectium public at a $100M+ valuation to leading W3Box.io’s blockchain and AI-powered membership systems for global brands, his ventures bridge the physical and digital worlds. Holding eight patents across connected packaging and authentication, Danny’s work sits at the intersection of design, code, and commerce. Now founder of HyperFi, an AI-native enterprise IT platform, he leads with precision, purpose, and his guiding motto: “Break to Fix.” LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannydavis12/ Website - https://hyperfi.ai/ -- The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/

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• De-Risk, Delegate, and Deliver a Great Exit: How Certified Exit Planner Julie Keyes Helps Founders Sell Smart

  De-Risk, Delegate, and Deliver a Great Exit: How Certified Exit Planner Julie Keyes Helps Founders Sell Smart Business Valuation Text Ad: Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth? With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business, and you’ll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business. You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit -- In this episode of The Exit, Steve welcomes Julie Keyes, a serial entrepreneur turned Certified Exit Planner and faculty member at the Exit Planning Institute (EPI). Julie shares how her own difficult exit nearly two decades ago inspired her to guide business owners toward smoother, more profitable transitions. Julie breaks down exit preparedness into two core pillars: owner readiness and business readiness. She stresses that true readiness starts long before a sale: owners must update legal, tax, and estate plans, and ensure their personal finances and mindset are aligned with life after the exit. On the business side, she focuses on transferability, decentralizing the owner’s role, building strong teams, and creating a company that can thrive without its founder. Julie also discusses timing the sale, navigating the “five Ds” (death, divorce, disagreement, disability, and distress), and structuring negotiations with the help of skilled M&A advisors. Her message is clear: “Don’t wait for an offer to learn what your business is worth.” This episode is a practical masterclass on planning early, reducing risk, and protecting your life’s work. -- Julie Keyes is the founder and owner of KeyeStrategies, an advisory firm helping entrepreneurs build enterprise value and prepare for successful business transitions. A lifelong entrepreneur turned Certified Exit Planning and Value Growth Adviser, Julie brings firsthand experience from starting, growing, and selling multiple companies. Recognized twice as EPI’s “Thought Leader of the Year,” she’s a national speaker, faculty member for the CEPA Program, and author of Poised for Exit: A Woman Entrepreneur’s Guide to Business Transition. LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliekeyes/ Website - https://keyestrategies.com/ Podcast - https://keyestrategies.com/podcast/ -- The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/

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