How to Make Your Business More Salable in 2026.
(When 3 Out of 4 Don’t Sell)
As business owners look ahead to 2026, one reality deserves attention: most privately held businesses that go to market never sell. Despite years, sometimes decades of effort, many owners discover too late that their companies are not positioned to attract buyers or command the value they expected.
This matters because for many owners, their business represents the majority of their personal net worth. When salability is low, wealth remains locked inside the company.
The good news is that salability is not a mystery. It can be intentionally built over time.
The Reality Behind Business Sales
Two statistics help frame the challenge:
Only about 25% of businesses under $10M in revenue that go to market actually sell.
Many business owners have a significant majority of their net worth tied up in their businesses.
Together, these facts highlight a critical issue: owning a valuable business does not guarantee a successful exit. Preparation not timing is the differentiator.
Salability Starts With Value Creation
A business becomes salable when it demonstrates predictable performance, manageable risk, and the ability to operate without heavy reliance on the owner. Buyers, whether third parties or family successors, are evaluating future results, not past effort.
Improving salability requires a disciplined focus on value creation using proven frameworks rather than reactive, last-minute decisions.
Focus on What the Business Does Best
One of the most effective ways to strengthen value is to concentrate resources on areas with the greatest return.
Narrow the Focus
Businesses often dilute value by spreading time and capital evenly across products or services. Concentrating on one or two offerings with strong margins or growth potential improves clarity and performance.
Fewer priorities lead to better execution, and buyers value businesses that do a few things exceptionally well.
Let Go of Unprofitable Relationships
Not all revenue contributes to value. Customers that drain resources, reduce morale, or generate minimal profit often create more risk than reward.
Removing these relationships can improve margins, simplify operations, and make the business more attractive to future owners.
Build Independence From the Owner
Owner dependence is one of the most common reasons deals fall apart.
A salable business must function effectively without the owner’s constant involvement. When decision-making, customer relationships, and operational knowledge sit with one person, buyers see risk.
Practical Steps Toward Independence
Delegate lower-value tasks to capable team members, even if execution is not perfect
Document how work gets done so knowledge lives in the business, not the owner
Step away periodically to test how the business performs without direct oversight
A business that runs without the owner signals stability, scalability, and continuity.
Align Expectations With Market Reality
Buyers evaluate businesses based on future cash flow and risk not personal sacrifice or retirement needs. Understanding this early helps owners make better decisions.
Establish a Value Baseline
A professional valuation provides clarity on current value, key drivers, and areas of risk. It also creates a benchmark for tracking progress over time.
Allow Time for Value to Mature
Improving salability rarely happens quickly. Most value acceleration efforts unfold over several years. Owners who start early maintain leverage and flexibility when opportunities arise.
The Role of Exit Planning and Transition Advisors
Improving salability is not a one-time initiative, it’s a structured process. Value and Transition Advisors help business owners move from intention to execution by:
Assessing current readiness and risk
Identifying high-impact value drivers
Implementing strategies that improve performance and transferability
Creating a clear roadmap toward a successful transition
This disciplined approach reduces uncertainty and increases the likelihood of unlocking the wealth built inside the business.
Looking Ahead to 2026
As markets evolve and buyer expectations rise, salability will increasingly favor businesses that are focused, independent, and prepared. Owners who act early gain more than a future transaction they gain control.
By strengthening what the business does best, reducing reliance on the owner, and aligning expectations with reality, owners can materially improve the odds of a successful transition.
The path to a salable business starts long before a sale.