Essential Questions Every Business Owner Should Ask Themselves

Owning a business means constantly navigating foundational questions about your company's health and future. Whether you're reviewing annual performance, assessing your leadership team, or simply taking stock of where things stand — certain questions surface again and again. Maybe you're realizing you need better systems before you can transition. Maybe you're identifying key person dependencies that need addressing. Maybe you're wondering about cash flow, considering what succession looks like, or recognizing you've been making these decisions in isolation. That moment of clarity? It's your opening.


Three Questions That Matter


Do I have the cash to sustain operations? This is the cash flow question. Pull your actual position. Can you make payroll and pay vendors? That's the question.


Should I be pushing harder to collect on what's owed? If significant money is outstanding, address it before it becomes a crisis.


Is my business positioned right for what comes next? Whether that's growth, stability, or transition — is your business actually set up for your goals?


Here's What Really Matters For Founders


These aren't really three separate questions. They're connected. Your working capital decisions affect your tax strategy. Your tax strategy affects what a buyer sees. Your business systems affect all of it.


Most owners handle these questions in silos. They talk to their CPA or wealth advisor about one thing — their attorney about another. Their trusted investment banker (if they're selling) about a third. And then they're left trying to connect the dots themselves. That's where most owners go wrong.


The Owners Who Get It Right


The ones who transition on their terms — for the right price, to the right buyer — they're not smarter than everyone else. They just have one thing in common: they stop trying to figure it out alone.


They bring the right people into the room at the right time. Not after decisions are made. Before. Because coordinated advice changes everything.


A wealth advisor who understands your goals. Your tax professional. Your attorney. Your investment banker (if you're selling). All aligned. All working from the same understanding of what you're trying to achieve.


That coordination — that's what creates real value.


Now Is Your Moment


You have something valuable: the ability to step back and assess. You know what's working in your business. You know what isn't. You understand your operations, your team, your position better than anyone.


The question is: are you using that knowledge to make informed decisions, or are you making them in isolation?


You Don't Have to Figure This Out Alone


This is your business. Your identity. Your family's future. It makes sense that you'd want to keep it close. But the owners who navigate transitions successfully — who exit on their terms for the right value — they're the ones who realized that bringing the right advisors into the picture makes all the difference.


Not because they're weak. Because they're smart.


Start With Clarity


The first step isn't complicated. It's just honest conversation.


Our free Ready, Set, Sell Assessment is designed to help you understand where you actually stand — and whether it's the right time to think about transition, growth, or staying the course.


More importantly, it starts the conversation about what coordinated advisory support could look like for you.


Start Your Ready, Set, Sell Assessment


For Trusted Advisors Network


Are you a wealth advisor, attorney, CPA, or coach with clients navigating major business transitions? Learn how advisors partner with Founders Capital Network to provide coordinated, integrated guidance that protects their clients' interests and maximizes outcomes.

Explore our Trusted Advisor Network

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Your Deal. Our Mission.

By Michelle parisi • August 22, 2025
Because your life’s work deserves more than just a buyer. Selling your business isn’t just another transaction—it’s a once-in-a-lifetime decision that will shape your future. For many small business owners, the sale of their company is more than an exit. It’s the bridge to retirement, financial freedom, and the next chapter of life. At Founders Capital Network (FCN), we understand what’s at stake. That’s why we don’t treat your business like a listing or a number on a spreadsheet. We treat it like the culmination of years of hard work. Our job is to help you maximize the value of your business, negotiate the right terms, and ensure the outcome aligns with your personal goals. We negotiate like it’s our own business. We champion small business owners. And most importantly—we help you sell right, so you can retire well. What We Deliver Maximize Your Sale Price You’ve worked too hard to leave money on the table. FCN runs a structured, competitive process that brings multiple qualified buyers to the table. We highlight the strengths of your business, address potential risks up front, and use real market data to ensure you never underprice what you’ve built. Structure That Fits Your Retirement Every deal is different. We design a payout mix—cash, equity rollover, or earnout—that supports your retirement goals. The right structure can mean the difference between just selling your business and securing your future. Negotiation You Can Trust We’ve seen every kind of deal—and every kind of pitfall. Our role is to make sure you don’t just close a deal, but that you close the right deal, on the right terms, with your long-term interests protected. A Confidential, Efficient Process Selling your business is a full-time job. But your real job is still running it. We manage buyer outreach, diligence, and documentation with discretion, so you can focus on keeping your business strong through closing. A Team That Works With Your Team Your CPA, wealth advisor, and attorney are critical to your future. We coordinate with them throughout the process so your sale proceeds are positioned for long-term success. Why FCN? Most investment banks ignore smaller deals. Most brokers focus on speed, not strategy. That leaves many small business owners—especially those selling for retirement—without the right partner. FCN was built to change that. We bring investment bank-level sophistication to companies with less than $1M in EBITDA. Our process is designed to deliver the same strategy, care, and attention larger companies receive—tailored to the needs of small business owners. We don’t just get deals done. We get the right deals done. Ready to Talk? Even if you’re only beginning to think about selling, the best time to explore your options is now. Let’s start with a conversation—no pressure, no jargon. Just clarity on what your business might be worth and how we can help you turn it into lasting security. Your Deal. Our Mission.
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The NFL Draft, Your Business and Why the Offer Is Just the Beginning

By Joseph Ashby • June 27, 2025
Every April, the NFL Draft reminds us of what it looks like to reach the top of your game. After years of discipline, long nights and showing up when it was hard, top college athletes get their shot at the pros. But when their name is called, it doesn't mean they've "made it." It means they're stepping into a new chapter that comes with high stakes, complex decisions and the pressure to get it right. That's why every top player has an agent. Someone who's been there before. Someone who understands how much is on the line. At Founders Capital Network, we think business owners deserve the same professional representation. You built it. Let us help you protect it. Selling your business isn't just about numbers. It's about everything you've poured into your company — your time, your identity, your family's future. We've seen too many owners think the offer is the win. But just like the NFL Draft, the offer is just the start . The real outcome is shaped by what happens next—due diligence, negotiations, deal structure. And the truth is, you shouldn't have to navigate that alone. This isn't your average transaction. For athletes, getting drafted means contracts, clauses and performance bonuses. For business owners, selling a company means: Understanding what your business is truly worth Ensuring the letter of intent, which makes you exclusive with a single buyer, has the appropriate amount of detail Making sense of a 70-page purchase agreement Answering many questions during due diligence Negotiating terms that may be new to you Figuring out what your role is (or isn't) after the sale That's where we come in. We sit on your side of the table—translating legal language, pushing for better terms, ensuring the numbers work in your favor and keeping the process moving. We do the behind-the-scenes work so you can stay focused on what matters most—your life, your legacy and your next chapter. You don't need to know how to sell a business. You need someone who does. Founders Capital Network was built for small business owners like you. Most owners have not built their company with an "exit" in mind — but now they realize it's time for a new season. We're not brokers trying to list your business on a website. We're not investment bankers chasing high fees. We're advisors who help: Owners with less than $1M in EBITDA Founders ready to sell but unsure how to start Wealth advisors, CPAs and attorneys who guide their clients through the unknown If you care about getting it right , we're the partner that helps make that happen. You get one shot at this. Let's do it right. The NFL Draft lasts three days. Selling your business takes months. Sometimes longer. There are ups and downs. Offers that look great but don't hold up. Surprises. Delays. Decisions that don't just affect you but your family, your employees and your future. Having the right team around you makes all the difference. At FCN, we treat every client like it's their only deal—because it usually is. Ready when you are Whether you're just starting to explore your options or you've got an offer in hand, let's talk. There's no pressure, no pitch—just a conversation about what a smart exit looks like and how to get there without regrets. Because at the end of the day, your deal really is our mission. Schedule an Assessment

“I Ain’t Fallin’ for No Banana in My Tailpipe” — The LOI Trap That Costs Founders Millions

By Joseph Ashby • June 27, 2025
It’s one of the oldest tricks in the book: A buyer flashes a big number, drops it into a Letter of Intent (LOI), and says, “Let’s move fast.” You’re told this is just a formality. A sign of good faith. A necessary step to get the deal across the finish line. But here’s what they don’t say: Once you sign that LOI, you give up your leverage. At Founders Capital Network, we call this the “banana in the tailpipe moment” - an homage to the misdirection play of Detective Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop . It looks like progress, but it can be a setup. When you sign an LOI, you agree to exclusivity. That means you’re off the market—no talking to other buyers, no new offers, no competitive pressure. Just you and the buyer, locked into a process that now tilts heavily in their favor. And that’s when things start to shift. They slow down the process. The deal timeline starts to stretch. They send waves of diligence requests, and “issues” begin to surface—things that were never a problem before. Then, just as you’re worn out and deep in the process, the buyer comes back with a lower offer. They say it’s because of what they found. But let’s be honest—it is often the plan with preemptive buyers. We’ve seen this too many times. That’s why we built Founders Capital Network—to protect business owners from that playbook. Before you ever sign an LOI, we clarify your numbers, structure your terms, shape the buyer narrative, and run a competitive process. That pressure keeps buyers accountable, timelines tight, and valuations strong. And the results speak for themselves. In a recent study of closed transactions over the last 20 years, as reported by Forbes magazine, founders who worked with firms like ours achieved an average 25% higher sale price, and an average of 1.5 times higher EBITDA multiple compared to those who went it alone. Not because we overhype deals—but because we help sellers keep control when it matters most. And here’s the other part no one tells you: when deals drag, operations suffer. Founders shift focus away from the business. Sales dip. Key people leave. And then the buyer uses that as an excuse to lower the price again. We don’t let that happen. We keep founders focused on performance so the business continues to thrive—even while the deal is in motion. Here’s the bottom line: Signing an LOI too early is one of the costliest mistakes a founder can make. It may feel like progress, but it can be the moment the deal starts to slip away. So don’t fall for the banana in the tailpipe. Talk to us first.