Exiting a business is not something you do overnight – it’s a process that requires foresight, structure, and preparation.
Oxygen8 Business Consultant Ann Gibbard explains why business owners should start thinking about exit strategy early, even if selling isn’t on the horizon yet.
There’s no one-size-fits-all path. You may consider:
Each path requires different preparation – and timelines.
Before deciding how you’ll exit, clarify:
Once your direction is clear, it’s time to optimise your business:
“Oxygen8 gave us a new direction, better systems, and the confidence to evolve. Our business has grown, and we’ve even found time to breathe again.”
– Greg & Debbie, Canoe & Kayak North Shore
Greg and Debbie inherited a long-standing retail business that needed modernisation. With Oxygen8’s support, they restructured operations, refreshed their store layout, and focused on systems that supported growth and future succession planning.
The result? The best year in the store’s 25-year history, a surge in commercial sales, and new digital marketing efforts that helped them reach more customers – while giving them more personal time and long-term direction.
Don’t wait for burnout or a buyer to force your hand. The best exits are planned, not rushed.
Oxygen8 can help you prepare your business, increase its sale value, and exit with confidence – whether you’re aiming for retirement, reinvestment, or reinvention.
With a rich background in SME ownership and general management, Andy Burford knows how easily business owners can become overstretched-so consumed by day-to-day operations that they lose sight of the bigger picture. That broader perspective is where opportunities lie-the same ones that inspired the business in the first place.
Andy provides dedicated business consulting support that helps owners stay focused on what really matters: driving stronger profits, increasing business value, and realising long-term vision.
