Business transition expert Laurie Barkman has launched The Endgame Entrepreneurship™ Masterclass, an online course designed to help small business owners in the lower middle market increase their enterprise value and sell their businesses on their own terms. The launch addresses a critical gap in business education, as many entrepreneurs lack exit planning skills despite being adept at starting and running companies.
According to the Exit Planning Institute, approximately 4.5 million small businesses, valued at $14 trillion, will face owner retirement over the next decade. However, only 20 percent of small businesses that attempt to sell actually succeed. The masterclass aims to improve these odds by providing comprehensive training on exit strategies.
Barkman, known as The Business Transition Sherpa®, brings significant experience as the former CEO of a $100 million annual revenue company sold to a Fortune 50 firm. She is a certified mergers and acquisition advisor, Amazon best-selling author, and host of the award-winning podcast Succession Stories.
The masterclass offers over 70 lessons, 45 exercises, and 10 tools and assessments across three sections: "Personal and Financial Readiness," "Measuring and Maximizing Value," and "Scale, Succession, and Exit." The curriculum incorporates real-world case studies and insights from other companies to provide practical learning.
A unique feature is the access to a peer-to-peer online forum, live mentor training, and monthly group coaching sessions led by business transition experts. These resources are available for 12 months at no extra cost for a limited time. The course has no content expiration, allowing participants to learn at their own pace.
With 45 percent of companies failing to reach their 5th anniversary, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the need for exit planning is evident. The masterclass aims to empower entrepreneurs to protect and maximize the value of their life's work. More information is available at https://thebusinesstransitionsherpa.com/course.
