Business Value Booster Program

10/06/2026

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗢𝘄𝗻 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀?

Many owners find themselves digging into their own pockets, or their own credit, if their company hits a rough spot. Keep that up, and you don’t own a business. You own a charity that provides jobs for people and offers goods and services at a loss. At least until you run out of money.

That’s not to say you did something wrong. The industry may be in trouble. The economy may be up the creek. Or the area you’re in may have deteriorated.

It doesn’t change the fact that you’re going to be struggling and then run out of money. Your personal money. Then what?

This is something you want to cue up with the family long before the chips run out. You need to decide what the red lines are. Then you need to act, months before they come due.

You’d be lucky to sell such a business for much more than the book value of the physical assets.
You can, however, make some luck.

If you’re in a business that provides products or services that people want, your business could still be attractive to someone who has economies of scale that you don’t have. They may want a foothold in your market. But they’re not going to give good money to take over a problematic business. If you’re one of the best businesses in your niche in your area, those possibilities are still alive.

To find out how to be one of those best-in-class business, try “The Business Value Booster Method”. You can get it from our website of the same name.

09/29/2026

𝗗𝗼 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗔 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗢𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁?

Running a business is demanding and can lead to significant stress and burnout over time. When owners feel overwhelmed or lose passion for their work, it might be time to consider exiting. Burnout can affect decision-making and overall business performance, making it crucial to address before it impacts the company negatively.

And don't think selling it is the cure for your problems. Buyers will sense that you are not very enthusiastic about your own business and they will reduce their offer accordingly (if they een make one). Then they'll realize that you're desperately seeking relief and the offer goes down even further.

Recognizing the signs of burnout and taking proactive steps to address it can prevent long-term damage to both the owner and the business.

Try our free Someday Risk Assessment tool on the Resources page of our Business Value Booster website.

09/22/2026

𝗛𝗼𝘄’𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵?

Health problems can unexpectedly force a business owner to exit their business. Serious illness or injury can limit their ability to manage daily operations effectively. In such cases, the owner may need to prioritize their health and well-being over business responsibilities. This may involve selling the business or transferring management duties to a trusted partner or family member.

Planning for such scenarios is crucial. A “succession plan” sounds scary, and _is_ necessary if the Someday event is that you – well, are no longer with us.

But even for shorter absences you definitely need one of two things:
• a contingency plan for who can take over for you, or
• better yet, an employee team that is already taking care of business day-to-day so that you can be gone for several days, maybe even a month, and the business keeps on ticking.

There are lots of legal issues if you actually die. Your funds might be frozen and the business has no way to pay bills or employees. You and your business attorney ad your estate attorney need to talk about that.

Hopefully, you don’t need to exercise that plan soon. In the meantime, the Business Value Booster Method shows you how to make your daily operations independent of your daily presence. Just in case.

Check out the free Starter Kit on the Business Value Booster website.

09/15/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝟰 𝗗’𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗬𝗼𝘂

Actually I deviate from the 4D’s used by the industry so we aren’t always dwelling on horrible consequences. A previous post discusses the positive reasons you might decide to step away from the business, even though they can arise unexpectedly: true retirement, pursuing another opportunity, or unexpected purchase offer.

Even though those are positive events, the truth is that they won’t work out well, or may not even happen at all, if your business is not prepared and you are not prepared. But at least you have some choices.

Then there are the 4 D’s. When they show up, you don’t get to choose. You just have to deal with them.

For many advisors, these are Death, Disease, Disillusionment, and Divorce. Some take it to a fine art, adding sub-species of these creatures. And there are other considerations, such as a Downturn in the market. I am sure if you dwell on it a while, you’ll come up with half a dozen other scenarios that could force you to step back from the business for a few weeks if not indefinitely.

And the big question is, will be business still be there when you get back?

Check out the free Someday Risk Assessment tool on our Resources page on the Business Value Booster website.

09/08/2026

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 “𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗮𝘆”?

Someday... someday... someday. Most small business owners are too busy keeping up with today to "waste" time on something that won't affect them until Someday. The problem is that if you're not ready for Someday when it shows up on its own schedule (not yours), it's too late to do anything about it.

And the things you can do to get ready for Someday also make your business more enjoyable to own (less late nights and nightmares, less arguments with the family about when you're going to make time for them) in the meantime.

The exit planning industry uses a "4-D" list, or variations of it with even more causes, but those are all negative (death, divorce, disability, downturns in the industry). It's also possible that something positive comes up. You could be offered the opportunity to become a player in another potentially lucrative business, or take on a fantastic job assignment - but they require you to give them near-full-time attention. Maybe you acquire a dream property on the other side of the country. You'll need to be able to transfer that business to someone else fairly quickly, and that can only happen if the business (and you!) are ready for that transition when the opportunity arises.

Or, of course, the bad-guy versions of Someday could be the ones that show up uninvited.

If you'd like to know whether you and your business are ready for Someday, there's a quick free assessment in the Resouces tab of our website (https://:businessvaluebooster.com).

09/01/2026

Just released the second edition of the Business Value Booster Method. First version was more geared towards people actively thinking about selling a business. This one refocuses on owners who aren't having that thought yet. Many of them will be wondering whether they own their business of it owns them - that's a red flag for being able to keep it up in the long-term. This version shows you how to reduce the business depending on you so much and how to remove some key issues that are posing maybe-unnoticed risks every day. More than worth the price of a fancied-up latte.

Previously published as The Business Value Booster Method, by Douglas M. Brown. This new edition goes beyond just those who are planning to sell their businesses in the near future. It also contains several practical exercises so readers can actually do those steps instead of just reading about w...

08/07/2026

I'm not for everyone.

I’m not the coach who’s going to tell you it’s easy.
Or pretend you won’t have moments when you want to quit.
Or sell you some fantasy that you can have everything you want without showing up for it.

BUT

If you’re TRULY tired of working 50+ hours a week, never taking a vacation, and missing out on family time
If you’re finally convinced that you’re not going to change your habits by yourself…
If you’re ready for someone to stand with you while you figure it out…
And if you’re truly ready for having the time to do what is important to you, not just what is important to your business…

Truly having it, not just nursing the idea of it...

I’ve got 3 spots open next week for Owner Overload Diagnostic sessions.

No pressure. Just a real conversation with someone who cares.
And I won’t even ask you to work with me AT ALL. You decide whether you genuinely believe we should work together.
Drop VACATION below if you feel like it’s time.

I limit the number of clients I can work with effectively. After this next week, I may not be opening up Owner Overload Diagnostic sessions again for a while.

08/06/2026

I’m looking for a few small business owners to work with closely who are:
- Working 50+ hours a week and
- Feel that they cannot possibly take a real 14+ day vacation.
BUT
- Want to regain control of their business to the point that they can (and do) within the next 90 days confidently take a 7-day absence without the business collapsing.

You’ll also gain the skills to make your business much more fun to own, to be able to safely take a full 30 days away from the business, and also more valuable when you do decide to step away, with ongoing support.

So if you...
1. Are ready to start owning your business instead of it owning you
2. Are capable of allowing your employees to do their jobs without you standing over them
3. Are 100% committed to doing the work
4. And you are coachable…
Then this might be for you.

Drop the word VACATION below and I’ll send you the next steps.

08/05/2026

The time I almost gave up...

Even though I have worked with over a hundred owners and buyers and shown them what makes a business valuable many times,

I know what it's like to struggle with being the one that the business depends on.
Because years ago...that struggle consumed me.
I know what it’s like to wake up and think about digging more money out of my personal savings to cover payroll and vendors.
And to lay down at night thinking about how to generate more sales.
Then I found out what “really bad” could be. My Reserve unit got activated with orders to deploy to the Middle East. And there I was with hundreds of thousands of dollars in leases for office space and vehicles – or keep the business going from 10,000 miles away.
So, I know how painful it can be.

And, I know what it’s like to be on the other side of it.
To have a life where you wake up to working on the things that are most important to making your business bigger and better – when you want to; and doing things that aren’t business related at all when you want to – like your children’s big events, your family vacations, your community service activities. Whatever is important to you.
The best part is that business becomes worth something if you do need to step away. Which will put you in a small club of about 6 percent of small business owners.
And I want this kind of life for all small business owners!
Which is why I do the work that I do.

If you, or a business owner you know of, is struggling with long working hours and never being able to step away for a couple of weeks or more, then the business owns you. I'd love to help you get back to you owning it and making it work for you.
I’m opening 5 Owner Overload Diagnosis Sessions this week.
No charge. My gift to you.

If you'd like one of these spots, drop the word "IN" below...or send me a private message

08/04/2026

The Fear That’s Been Holding Me Back...

Even though I have owned and sold my own business and have worked with over a hundred business owners and buyers, I have to admit that I have hesitated to go out and offer help to other business owners because I wanted to make my approach absolutely polished and professional first.

But that changes this week!

It’s professional but maybe not completely perfect. But that can be tweaked over time. That’s not a reason to avoid helping people who need help now.

Because I know there are so many small business owners who are working much too hard (over 50 hours a week) and cannot step away from the business, and want to start owning their business instead of it owning them.

[Crass request: a like or comment to this post might get it to the eyes of the person that really needs that help!]