Laurie Barkman, a seasoned business transition expert and former CEO of a $100 million annual revenue company, has announced the launch of The Endgame Entrepreneurship™ Masterclass. This online course targets business owners, entrepreneurs, and family business leaders in the lower middle market who aim to increase their enterprise value and sell on their own terms in the future.
Barkman is a certified mergers and acquisition advisor, Amazon best-selling author of The Business Transition Handbook: How to Avoid Succession Pitfalls and Create Valuable Exit Options, and host of the award-winning podcast Succession Stories. Her extensive experience makes her well-equipped to guide business owners through successful transitions, helping them avoid the common pitfalls associated with business exits.
The importance of this masterclass cannot be overstated. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 45 percent of companies fail to celebrate their fifth anniversary, and only 20 percent of small businesses that attempt to sell actually succeed. Furthermore, the Exit Planning Institute projects that 4.5 million small businesses worth $14 trillion will face owner retirement over the next decade. With such significant wealth at stake, the need for structured guidance in succession planning has become crucial.
"Buyers want to acquire companies on their timing, but many sellers are not prepared. The Endgame Entrepreneurship Masterclass is developed for entrepreneurs who want to be more in control of their transition and improve opportunities to sell," said Barkman, who also serves as an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business. "The online masterclass provides immediate value to entrepreneurs to utilize the information now for value-driven growth with their future endgame in mind."
The masterclass offers more than 70 lessons, 45 exercises, 10 tools and assessments, and 5.5 hours of short video modules. It includes three primary courses: "Personal and Financial Readiness," "Measuring and Maximizing Value," and "Scale, Succession, and Exit." Participants can further enhance their learning experience through a peer-to-peer online forum, live mentor training, and monthly group coaching and advisory sessions led by business transition experts. Access to these resources is included for 12 months at no additional cost for a limited time.
Barkman explained that the course was developed from three perspectives: providing a financial foundation and understanding of the mergers and acquisition process, sharing real-world experiences from other companies, and highlighting opportunities for growth and value creation to increase marketability to potential buyers. "We have included all of these aspects in the online course, with no content expiration, so you can learn at your own pace. If you own a small business and want to avoid falling into the 80 percent who fail to have an exit, this course is inherently unique and valuable for you," she said.
For more information about the Endgame Entrepreneurship Masterclass, please visit https://thebusinesstransitionsherpa.com/course.
