In 1999 I was diagnosed with a degenerative muscle disease (Spinal Muscular Atrophy -adult onset) which forced me to rethink how hard I could continue to work and what my future looked like. This got me thinking about my own succession plan and preparing my businesses for sale. At the same time I attended a seminar that gave some pretty scary projections regarding the demographics of business owners. And I had a friend who’s brother destroyed his life because he didn’t plan for the transition of his business. This story is in the beginning of the book.

When I looked around to see what services/books/courses were available to help someone like him, I couldn’t find anything. As a writer with decades of experience in coaching/training business owners I felt that I could make a contribution that would help the millions of other business owners who go through this difficult stage of life. I went on a sabbatical for six months with my wife and we did a road trip around north America in a small RV. Along the way, I met with and interviewed about 35 business owners who had sold their business to learn whatever lessons they gleaned from that experience. Their experiences are shared in the book.

The reality is that the content, if followed, would benefit any business that needs to get its act together, run better, and free up the owner to do whatever he/she wants. The focus on the ‘crisis’ was to create a sense of urgency. Part of my rationale for the book is to help owners avoid Franklin’s plight. (See the preface of the book.) Another was that in every business owner peer group I participated in, the majority of the peers had gray hair, and we talked about everything BUT exiting business. I truly believe it is a tsunami in the making when all the old guys either die, become disabled or just get tired. I recognize that some of the stats and data need to be updated but the problem of getting owners to prepare for their transition is still out there. I spoke recently at an association meeting for business owners in the HVAC industry and it is surprising that it is still a timely subject. I’ve been told it is an important book and well written.

Wayne Vanwyck is an entrepreneur, trainer, business coach, speaker and writer.In 1984 Wayne founded The Achievement Centre, a firm dedicated to sales and leadership development. In 1996 he started Callright Marketing Services, an inbound and outbound call centre, and in 2009, The Achievement Centre Franchise Inc., a company that helps successful business professionals set up their own Achievement Centres. He recently transitioned away from ownership and now focuses on coaching others who are preparing their business for transition or sale.He is the author of the bestselling book Pure Selling™, has written columns for a number of business magazines, and has published over 400 articles on sales, leadership, entrepreneurship, and succession planning. He is also the creator of the Pure Selling Sales Course, an internationally distributed program available in English and French and The Business Transition Coach Forum™ a process for helping business owners prepare themselves and their business for transition.In 2008, Wayne and his wife Dawna took a six-month sabbatical and traveled across North America in an RV. During that time, Wayne interviewed over 35 entrepreneurs who had sold their businesses. Their stories are shared throughout this book.Active in his community, Wayne is a two term president of the Kiwanis Club of Elmira Ontario and earned the Kiwanian of The Year Award; a founding director of the Waterloo Region Dragon Boat Festival, and a former director on the board of Junior Achievement.The Vanwycks have been married for over four decades and have two children and one grandchild.

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