Business For Sale: How To Get Paid What You Want (From a Business Buyer and Investor)

Most business owners believe their business will fund their retirement, until an investor opens the books and the numbers don’t stack up.
In this episode, Dr Lewis Haydon breaks down the brutal truth about selling a business, why most owners wait too long, and how poor planning destroys exit value.

In this raw boardroom-style conversation, Lewis Haydon shares real investor insight from buying and selling businesses, explaining how business coaching, business mentoring, and intentional planning years in advance can mean the difference between a seven-figure exit and walking away with nothing.

Takeaways:

• Every business owner exits — by sale, succession, or shutdown
• Businesses treated like “babies” rarely become sellable assets
• Investors don’t buy effort — they buy numbers, systems, and future upside
• EBITDA, margins, and process maturity drive valuation
• A business is only worth what someone is willing to pay
• Lack of dashboards and forward indicators kills deal confidence
• Most owners plan their exit six months too late instead of six years early
• The right investor matters as much as the price
• People without processes increase buyer risk
• Building to sell gives freedom — even if you never sell