The Inside Game
Most business owners believe exiting means selling to an outsider. That belief eliminates one of the most powerful exit options available without being noticed.
The Inside Game, authored by BTS founder Michael DeSiato, CPA, CExP, CEPA, CVGA, explores the internal exit path many owners overlook. The book reflects how we think about exits. Not as transactions, but as outcomes shaped by preparation long before ownership changes hands. Transitioning ownership to family members or key employees can preserve value, protect legacy, and create flexibility, but only when structured correctly.
The Inside Game explains what must be in place for an inside transfer to work, and why proper preparation determines whether it succeeds or fails unnoticed.
What Owners Really Want from Exit Planning
Most exit plans fail because they focus on the transaction instead of the business realities that matter years earlier.
Owners are not starting with a sale in mind. They are starting with pressure, uncertainty, and questions about profitability, control, value, and what comes next.
Effective exit planning addresses what owners care about now. Stronger cash flow, a business that does not depend on them, clear priorities, honest value insight, real options, personal readiness, and execution that actually happens.
Exit planning is not about preparing to sell. It is about building a business that creates choices.
The right time to start is while you still have them.
Articles
Are You Truly Ready to Exit Your Business?
Most owners believe they are prepared for a transition, yet very few have taken the disciplined steps required to protect value, reduce risk, and transfer a business on their terms. This article outlines the practical realities behind exit readiness, the common gaps that erode value, and the structured approach required to build a company that is transferable, not just sellable.
The Two-Step Exit Plan: Build Value Before You Transfer It
Most exit plans focus on the transaction. The disciplined approach focuses on building value first. This article explains the Two-Step Exit Plan framework, helping owners strengthen cash flow, reduce operational risk, and increase company value before any transition conversation begins. Exit planning is not about timing the market. It is about preparing the business.