Every new year, business owners resolve to “get organized,” “know their numbers,” or “see what the business is worth.” The fact is, most of those intentions don’t make it past Q1. Plan now to make 2026 different by taking action to prepare your business for a potential sale.

Across Western North Carolina, more owners are assessing their timelines and exploring the idea of selling their businesses. As the leading business brokers in WNC, Viking Mergers & Acquisitions (MA) guides business owners through the process of creating an effective plan to capitalize on the value of their business.

A Fresh Start for Business Owners

The old approach was to sell your business when you’re ready to retire. The new, and better, approach follows two principles:

• Sell to fund what’s next in your future. 
• Sell when the business is operating at peak performance. 

Together, these principles represent a smarter, more proactive approach.

The Old Mindset: Sell to Retire

For decades, most business owners viewed selling as the final act before retirement. That mindset led to missed opportunities: the owner waits too long and is forced to sell due to health issues or burnout; or an owner assumes conditions will improve, holds out for the “top” of the market, and must instead react to a market downturn or other external pressures.

Waiting for “someday” is not a strategy. Holding out for perfect conditions often proves a far more costly strategy than making a timely, well-informed decision. And selling only as an endgame strategy can mean leaving money on the table or selling in less-than-ideal conditions. History has proven that waiting for the perfect time is extremely risky.

The New Mindset

Principle 1: Sell to Fund What’s Next

Today’s entrepreneurs view selling as a strategic move, not necessarily as a retirement plan. Rather than selling to retire or because they're burned out, many sell to fund their next business venture, improve their lifestyle, or pursue a passion project.

Viking M&A data shows the shift.

Viking deals closed in the past five years indicate a shift to younger business owners selling for reasons other than traditional retirement.

The average seller age is 56. Still in their prime years, many younger sellers plan to engage in other business ventures or pursue other interests. 

• 59% were aged 60 or younger, indicating a shift away from selling for retirement. 

•  52% of Viking clients were Gen X and Millennials, compared to 45% Baby Boomers, dispelling the myth that only older owners are selling.

The data clearly illustrates a generational handoff, not just from one age group to another, but from one mindset to another. For some owners, selling supports a thoughtful transition into retirement. But many aren’t retiring. They’re capitalizing on momentum and reinvesting in new opportunities. 

Regardless of age or generation, the strategy remains the same: plan early and sell when the business is strong.

The New Mindset

Principle 2: Sell into Strength

Selling into strength means selling while macro-economic conditions and business performance are trending positively instead of holding out for the elusive “top of the market.”

Often, business owners try to time the market, thinking that future conditions will be better. The COVID years were a perfect example. Business valuations were at all-time highs for top-performing companies, but some owners thought the future would be even better. It wasn’t. Valuations declined across many industries, and liquidity tightened. Attempting to time the market proved a flawed strategy.

We’re now in a phase of improved conditions. Interest rates are trending down, buyers are lining up to acquire great businesses, and lenders are providing capital with favorable terms. Signs indicate 2026 could be a seller’s market. 

Today’s business owners have a window of opportunity to sell into strength. 

(Bonus tip: For Viking-represented deals, the average time from listing a business for sale to closing the sale is 8 months, so going to market sooner rather than later is best.) 

Early Planning Pays Off

Even with the new mindset, you may be years away from executing an exit strategy. That’s okay. Developing a strategy gives you more control, the opportunity to improve your business valuation, and get better deal terms. The goal is to ensure you and your business are well-prepared before listing the business for sale.

 See our 2026 Business Checklist for some practical action items.

 

Bio: Jeff McKeehan is the Managing Partner for Viking Mergers & Acquisitions in Western North Carolina. With 25+ years of M&A experience, Jeff enjoys guiding clients through the process of selling their business.