Value Acceleration Methodology | Exit Planning Institute

The Value Acceleration Methodology™ is your strategic framework for executing exit planning. Through the three-gate framework, a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®) works with the business owner to navigate a comprehensive process of discovery, preparation, and decision-making. Value Acceleration is exit planning in action, focused on building transferable value today. It begins with assessing the business’s current worth, implementing proven strategies in focused 90-day sprints, and asking a critical question: Is it time to grow or exit? This approach, taught through the five-day CEPA® course, emphasizes what can be done now to increase business value and drive income. By building a company around the factors that create value and aligning the owner’s personal and financial goals in the process, owners gain the flexibility to exit on their own timeline and terms.

The business owner’s most valuable asset is their business, and with 80% of their wealth tied up in it, they may not truly know its actual value. The Value Acceleration Methodology offers a clear view of the business's value and how to increase its transferable value over time. If an owner lacks alignment among the Three Legs of the Stool, which are their personal, financial, and business goals, the Value Acceleration Methodology empowers the owner and the CEPA to align these goals through actionable strategies, leading to a more fulfilling life overall and a significant exit.

Exit planning is good business strategy.

Exit planning is a comprehensive strategy that combines planning, process, and execution to build a business that is transferable through strong Human, Structural, Customer, and Social capital. It creates value today while addressing the future of the business, the owner, and their family.

More than a plan, exit planning is a results-driven strategy that grows value and expands options, enabling the owner to transition on their terms. It aligns the business, personal, and financial objectives of the owner. CEPAs provide guidance on all exit options from an objective, owner-focused perspective and collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to ensure the owner’s goals are fully supported.

The Methodology guides owners through three critical gates with their CEPA. First, they conduct a Business Valuation and Assessment of the personal, financial, and business value factors, creating the Triggering Event and the Prioritized Action Plan. In the Prepare gate, that plan is implemented in 90-day sprints to execute personal financial planning and business improvements on parallel paths with the advisory team, including a financial advisor and value advisor. Finally, in the Decide gate, the owner and the advisory team reach the pivotal moment to determine whether to move on to advanced value creation or move toward the exit.

DISCOVER

The Discover Gate engages both the CEPA and the business owner in a comprehensive assessment of the company’s current value, as well as the owner’s personal and financial objectives. This stage serves as the Triggering Event—the foundation upon which the strategic action plan is developed. From this point, the CEPA and owner collaborate to establish a Prioritized Action Plan designed to address value gaps and implement targeted, achievable goals that align with the owner’s long-term vision.

PREPARE

During the Prepare Gate, the CEPA and the advisory team implement strategic initiatives through a series of structured 90-day sprints designed to drive measurable value growth. This phase emphasizes key components of the Methodology, including the de-risking process, the systematic decentralization of the owner from daily operations, and other targeted initiatives that strengthen the enterprise. As these initiatives progress, the business’s Intangible Capitals (Human, Social, Structural, and Customer) are intentionally developed and fortified, thereby enhancing overall organizational value. Upon completion of this phase, the team compiles supporting evidence and outcomes to inform and shape a comprehensive strategic plan.

DECIDE

At each 90-day interval, the business owner evaluates whether to continue pursuing value growth or to initiate an exit. If further opportunity for growth exists, the owner and advisory team proceed with additional preparation cycles to enhance enterprise value. When exit readiness is achieved, the owner may consider a range of transition options such as family succession, an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), or a third-party sale, made possible through the value creation accomplished in prior stages. Central to this decision is ensuring alignment among the Three Legs of the Stool, which are business, personal, and financial goals, so that the owner’s objectives are supported by a strong, transferable, and financially sustainable enterprise.

Walking to Destiny is not only your essential resource to understand what makes your business attractive and ready for transition; it is a business owner’s handbook to know HOW TO rapidly grow value and ultimately unlock the personal wealth trapped in your most significant financial asset: Your Business. Walking to Destiny was written to arm business owners and their advisors with the knowledge and understanding needed to recognize their potential, execute growth tactics, and harvest the wealth locked inside a business.