When planning your business exit, selecting the right type of transaction is one of the most critical decisions you’ll make. Each exit type comes with its own opportunities, challenges, and suitability based on your goals and the stage of your business. In this article, we’ll explore the key exit types—trade sale, Initial Public Offering (IPO), private equity (PE), and management buyout (MBO)—and help you identify which might be the best fit for your business.

Every business journey eventually leads to a crossroads: the decision to continue growing, transition ownership, or step away entirely. An exit strategy is your blueprint for navigating this critical phase, allowing you to realize the value of your hard work while setting the stage for future success, whether yours or the business’s.