New Book 'Exit Right' Offers Founders an Insider's Guide to Selling

AUSTIN, Texas – March 26, 2026 – For many entrepreneurs, building a company is their life's work, but selling it is an unknown and intimidating frontier. A new book by former investment banker Tim Vorhoff, titled Exit Right: How to Sell Your Company, aims to demystify this complex process, offering a practical roadmap for business owners to navigate one of the most significant financial events of their lives.

The book, released on March 18, 2026, steps away from high-level theory to provide a granular, step-by-step guide based on real-world transaction experience. Vorhoff, a Founding Partner and Senior Vice President at the advisory platform CreoValo, draws on his expertise in guiding owners of businesses with revenues between $10 million and $100 million through exits, recapitalizations, and succession planning.

Addressing a Critical Knowledge Gap

Industry data reveals a startling disconnect between the desire to sell a business and the preparation required to do so successfully. While an estimated 75% of business owners plan to exit within the next decade, studies show that only 20-30% of businesses that go to market actually sell. This high failure rate is often attributed to a lack of preparedness, as many founders have up to 80% of their net worth tied to their company but have no formal transition plan.

This is the gap Vorhoff's work seeks to fill. The book is built on the premise that a successful exit is not an event, but a process that requires months, or even years, of strategic preparation.

"Most business owners spend decades building their company but very little time learning how to sell it," said Tim Vorhoff in the announcement. "This book is meant to change that by giving owners a clear understanding of the process so they can make informed decisions and protect the value they've created."

By failing to plan, owners risk not only a failed sale but also significant value erosion, leaving their long-term security and retirement goals vulnerable. Exit Right confronts this reality by equipping founders with the knowledge to build leverage and command stronger outcomes.

From Theory to a Practical Playbook

While the market offers numerous books on entrepreneurship, from building a sellable company like John Warrillow's Built to Sell to exploring the emotional journey in Bo Burlingham's Finish Big, Exit Right distinguishes itself with its tactical, process-oriented approach. It functions as an operational playbook, walking readers through every critical stage of a transaction.

The guide provides comprehensive instructions on preparing financials for buyer scrutiny, building a robust management team to reduce owner dependency, running a competitive sale process to generate multiple offers, and navigating the high-stakes negotiation phase. This structured approach is designed to translate the sophisticated strategies used by professional buyers and M&A advisors into an accessible format for the average founder.

Furthering its commitment to accessibility, the book is complemented by free online access to its full content via its official website. This digital component ensures the material is widely available and provides a platform for supplementary resources, positioning it as a dynamic tool rather than just a static text.

The Investment Banker's Perspective

The credibility of the advice in Exit Right is anchored in the author's deep industry experience. Tim Vorhoff is not just a writer but an active practitioner in the M&A world, holding Series 63 and 79 securities licenses. He is a Founding Partner at CreoValo, an advisory platform whose name translates from Latin as "creating value."

CreoValo was co-founded by investment banking veterans David Vorhoff—Tim's father—and John Stewart. The firm's leadership brings decades of high-level experience, including David Vorhoff's role in co-founding McColl Partners (later sold to Deloitte) and John Stewart's work establishing Merrill Lynch's Private Sales Referral Network. With over 80 years of collective M&A experience, the team specializes in serving the mid-market, a segment often underserved by bulge-bracket banks.

CreoValo operates as an outsourced investment bank referral service, connecting business owners with the right M&A professionals from a vetted network of over 6,000 professionals and 70 investment banks. This unique position gives Vorhoff and his team a panoramic view of the deal-making landscape, its players, and the common pitfalls that ensnare unprepared sellers. Exit Right effectively democratizes this insider knowledge, distilling complex financial strategies into actionable guidance for its target audience.

Navigating the Modern M&A Landscape

The release of Exit Right is particularly timely. The current M&A market is characterized by a mix of cautious optimism and increased complexity. Economic uncertainty and geopolitical events have led to more comprehensive due diligence from buyers, with a growing focus on factors like ESG criteria. This environment has also created valuation gaps between what sellers expect and what buyers are willing to pay, making a well-executed sale process more critical than ever.

Despite these headwinds, private equity funds remain active in the mid-market, often pursuing buy-and-build strategies that can provide attractive exit opportunities for founders. However, to capitalize on this interest, owners must present a compelling, resilient, and well-documented business.

The principles outlined in Vorhoff's book—early planning, strategic preparation, and professional guidance—are precisely what experts advise for navigating such a market. By teaching founders how to think like a sophisticated seller, the book empowers them to build a stronger negotiating position, anticipate buyer concerns, and ultimately secure the legacy they have spent a lifetime building.