<![CDATA[The Baton Beat: The Exit Side]]>https://baton.substack.com/s/the-exit-sidehttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6dyK!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8e7ed452-95b9-413d-88fa-abd1b47f7713_1000x1000.pngThe Baton Beat: The Exit Sidehttps://baton.substack.com/s/the-exit-sideSubstackWed, 08 Jul 2026 18:00:15 GMT<![CDATA[Find out your Exit Readiness Score]]>https://baton.substack.com/p/find-out-your-exit-readiness-scorehttps://baton.substack.com/p/find-out-your-exit-readiness-scoreThu, 23 Apr 2026 18:02:25 GMTWe've sat across from hundreds of small business owners who want to sell.

And after a while, you start to recognize the patterns.

There are really only four types.

The first has a great business, but it lives entirely in their head. Their best customers call their cell phone. Nothing is documented. The financials tell a story, just not a clean one. They'll think about selling "someday." Someday never comes.

The second knows they need to get ready. They've started thinking about it. A few things are in place. But a buyer doing due diligence today would find enough gaps to either walk away or chip the price down significantly. They have time, if they start now.

The third is closer than most. Operations mostly run without them, the team is solid, and they have a rough sense of what the business is worth. But there are still details that aren't locked in. And at this stage, the gaps are easy to miss, which is exactly what makes them dangerous.

The fourth has done the work. Clean books. A strong team. A plan for what comes next. They're not thinking like an operator anymore. They're thinking like a buyer. When the time comes, they'll be ready.

Most owners we meet are somewhere in the first two. Most of them think they're the third.

Are you ready to ask yourself where you actually stand?

Take the Quiz Now

]]><![CDATA[Is Your Business Financially Ready To Sell? Get the Checklist to Prepare for Smooth Due Diligence]]>https://baton.substack.com/p/is-your-business-financially-readyhttps://baton.substack.com/p/is-your-business-financially-readyMon, 20 Apr 2026 21:42:54 GMTThe most consistent advice from SMB owners who have successfully sold their business? Clean up your financials earlier than you think you need to.

Coming to the table prepared changes everything. Clean, well-organized financials create clarity for buyers, credibility with lenders, and confidence throughout the entire process. It reduces friction, speeds up diligence, and puts you in a stronger position to defend your valuation.

Get started with our pre-sale financial checklist. Built specifically for small business owners, it helps you bring clarity and order to your financials in a way that’s actionable, not overwhelming. This checklist is especially valuable if you are:

  • Thinking about selling in the next 12–36 months

  • Starting conversations with buyers or advisors

  • Planning to pursue an SBA-backed sale

  • Unsure if your financials would hold up under buyer or lender scrutiny

  • Looking to maximize valuation and avoid last-minute surprises

The earlier you start, the more control you have over the outcome. Get started now.

Download Now

]]><![CDATA[Do You Know All of the Major Tax Deadlines This Year?]]>https://baton.substack.com/p/do-you-know-all-of-the-major-taxhttps://baton.substack.com/p/do-you-know-all-of-the-major-taxMon, 20 Apr 2026 21:32:02 GMTCalendar quirks are shifting familiar tax due dates this year. For example, the usual March 15 deadline for S-corps and partnerships moves to March 16.

Shifts like that are easy to miss. Here are the ones coming up fast:

• March 16th: File partnership and S corporation returns or request extensions

• April 15th: File individual and C corporation returns or request extension; Q1 2026 estimated tax payment

• April 30th: Q1 quarterly FUTA tax (if your liability is $500 or more)

Those are just the next few months. There are dozens more throughout the year—quarterly estimated payments, FUTA deposits, year-end filings—and keeping track of all of them is its own part-time job.

We built a free 2026 Tax Deadline Calendar so you don’t have to track it all yourself—download it and sync every key date straight to your calendar.

Get the Calendar

Key takeaway: Nearly 40% of all buyer questions are about financials and tax returns. Combined with SDE/add-backs (#6) and YTD requests (#9), financial transparency accounts for ~46% of all buyer inquiries.

That means clean, current filings aren’t just a box to check. They’re one of the clearest signals a buyer has that the business behind them is organized, profitable, and worth a closer look. And it goes beyond just filing on time—things like how you categorize your expenses can affect how lenders evaluate your business, and there are a few retroactive changes from the OBB worth knowing about before you file.

If you want to go a step further, the right moves at tax time— retirement contributions, timing of deductions, year-end bonuses—can lower your bill today and strengthen your position down the road.

Owner Spotlight: Advice from Greenway Painting

“Just trust the process. There are ups and downs, but it'll happen!

Erik and Kass Hansen, Greenway Painting · Jackson, MI

Read their story
]]><![CDATA[What does financial prep before a sale actually change?]]>https://baton.substack.com/p/what-does-financial-prep-before-ahttps://baton.substack.com/p/what-does-financial-prep-before-aMon, 20 Apr 2026 21:26:42 GMT

  • First-time business seller explains the biggest moments that tested her, the ones that surprised her, and what ultimately carried her through.

    • The highest offer isn't always the right one. First-time seller Robyn learned that and two other hard-won lessons selling her business in 2.5 months. Here, she shares her advice for small business owners looking to retire: what to do before you list, what to expect along the way, and what she wishes she'd known sooner.

    1. Pre-Sale Financial Checklist for Small Business Owner

    If there's one piece of advice we consistently hear from first-time sellers, it's this: coming to the table financially prepared changes everything. Clean, well-organized financials create clarity for buyers, credibility with lenders, and confidence throughout the entire process. They reduce friction, speed up diligence, and put you in a stronger position to defend your valuation.

    Expenses & Cost Structure

    Can you clearly explain what you spend and what goes away after the sale? Break out your cost of goods sold by category, and separate fixed from variable expenses. Vendor-level detail is especially valuable here, as buyers and lenders will want to understand exactly where the money goes and how the cost structure might shift under new ownership.

    Tax Statements

    Do your returns match your books? Confirm that sales tax filings and compliance records are current and reconciled. Tax clearance is almost always required at closing, so getting ahead of any discrepancies now will save you significant time and stress later in the process.

    Financial Reconciliation

    Can you show that your books and bank accounts tell the same story? At a minimum, books should be reconciled quarterly, but monthly reconciliation is best practice. Buyers and their advisors will scrutinize this, and clean records signal that your business has been run with care and attention.

    Download the Full Checklist

    1. Before you benchmark against your competitors, an expert says there's something you need to understand first.

    1. What today's small business buyers actually want, and what their mindset tells us about where the market is heading.

    Read the full article

    1. A look at what the tariff chaos is really costing small business owners, and the question it’s forcing many of them to ask.

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