Part 6 of 10 in the Exit Strategy Series

You’ve got the revenue. You’ve got the team. Maybe even a buyer nibbling at the bait.

But there’s one invisible factor that could kill your sale dead in its tracks—and it’s one almost no one talks about.

🧨 That Silent Killer? Owner Dependency.

Let’s get brutally honest.

If your business can’t run without you—
If you’re still signing every check, closing every deal, or solving every problem—
You don’t have a business. You have a job.

And here’s what you need to know:

💣 Buyers don’t want your job. They want your asset.

They’re not paying millions for your presence—they’re paying for your absence. For a company that continues to grow without you.

🧠 The Business Dependency Test

Here’s a quick test I run with clients:

• Can you take a 30-day vacation with zero contact, and the business still runs smoothly?

• If you disappeared tomorrow, would your leadership team know exactly what to do?

• Are your systems so clean that someone could step in without your help?

If the answer is no… it’s time to fix that. Fast.

💡 How to Remove Yourself from the Business

Here’s what we do in coaching sessions:

• Identify all owner-dependent tasks

• Build a delegation plan and restructure org charts

• Install processes and playbooks

• Develop a leadership bench

• Set up reporting systems that run without micromanagement

🛑 Bottom Line

Buyers won’t pay top dollar for a business that only works with the owner still in it. The more you’re needed… the less they’ll offer.

Let’s reverse that.

📘 Want the full roadmap to building a hands-off, high-value business?
Download your free eBook at OptaProfit.com

Or book a free Exit Strategy Assessment and I’ll show you exactly how to free yourself from your own company.

About Don VanPool
Don VanPool is a strategic operations expert helping business owners build companies that scale, systematize, and sell—without burning out. His coaching turns chaos into control and founder-dependence into true freedom.