3 Non-Negotiables that Reshaped Christa’s Exit
Most founders go into a sale ready to negotiate on everything. Christa Gurka did the opposite. After one deal fell apart on closing day thanks to a surprise non-compete from the bank, she went back to market with three hard lines in the sand: no earn-out, minimal rolled equity, and no ongoing operating role once the deal closed. She still sold her South Florida Pilates and physical therapy business for a seven-figure number.
In this episode of Built to Sell Radio, you discover how to:
- Draw your own “no earn-out” line without scaring off every buyer
- Trade a little headline price for a lot more certainty on closing
- Use clean books and recurring revenue to justify more cash up front
- Roll only a sliver of equity and still get a meaningful second bite
- Explain lifestyle decisions (like keeping your team through COVID) so a buyer sees value, not weakness
- Protect your future by refusing to work for the acquirer, yet still support a smooth transition
- Walk away when a lender slips in last-minute terms that could haunt you years after the sale
If you are the expert in your business and you are worried you will get trapped working for your buyer, Christa’s three non-negotiables offer a clear blueprint for structuring a deal on your terms. Built to Sell Radio is the podcast designed to help you punch above your weight in a negotiation to sell your business.