Business owners and investors often turn a blind eye to business exit strategy planning, opting instead to focus on the short-term and the issues that need dealing with immediately.

They either do not have the time, or they simply do not want to devote any time to the exit strategy-building process. This is one of the worst mistakes an entrepreneur or investor can make.

Let’s ask a question. Why did you invest in, or establish, your business? Was it to make the company money? Was it to deliver superior customer satisfaction in your industry? Was it to deliver great quality products and/or services?

No.

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Every once in a while, I go out to give an estimate to a unsuspecting predator who wants to barter for my materials and services. The word predator is probably a little too harsh, but most of the time, these types of people are only interested in bartering, if there going to be getting a better deal than you are.

It was probably about 2003 when I had a well mannered gentleman contact me, who needed a lot of work done on his home. He started to ask me about my investments and how much money I have in the bank. I told him,” I’m supposed to be selling you, you’re not supposed to be selling me, what’s wrong with this picture.”

I told him that I wasn’t interested in his proposition, nor was I about to tell him about any of my finances. He laughed and said,” That’s okay, I still want the work done on my house and would love to get an estimate, when can you come out.” I never should’ve left my home, but I figured that he was sincere and like most contractors, I needed to work.

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Some clients can make your life a living nightmare, if you choose to work for these people, they could make your life extremely miserable. Here’s a story about a man that called me one time for an estimate, but didn’t seem to understand, how to treat people, especially people that don’t need to work for people like him..

I once had a man call me for an estimate, and he requested that I give him at least three referrals, before I went to his house. He was sarcastic and seemed to treat me like a possession. This is one of the reasons why I am self-employed, I don’t like being treated as someone else’s possession and there are quite a few people that are self-employed, that don’t want or expect to be treated as a child.

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