Commandment 7 - Know Your Numbers

The 10 Commandments of Selling Your Business: Commandment 7 - Know Thy Numbers

“Revenue is vanity. Margin is sanity. Cash is reality.”

When it comes to selling your business, numbers don’t just tell your story — they are your story. Buyers and investors make decisions based on facts, not feelings. The owners who command the best valuations are the ones who know their metrics cold.

The Insight

Buyers trust owners who understand their unit economics, including margins, retention rates, acquisition costs, and cash flow dynamics. These aren’t just accounting figures — they’re indicators of scalability, efficiency, and risk.

The Problem

If you can’t clearly explain your profitability, customer retention, or working-capital trends, someone else will define your value for you — and it likely won’t be flattering. Weak financial fluency leads to undervaluation, tougher negotiations, and lost leverage.

The Truth

To achieve a premium exit, you must master your metrics and speak the buyer’s language. Show that you understand how value is created and sustained in your business model. That confidence builds credibility — and credibility earns better offers.

Know your numbers, and you’ll grow your worth.

At Exit Advisors Group, we help business owners uncover the metrics that drive valuation and prepare for sophisticated buyer conversations with clarity and confidence.

Request a financial performance review today.

Learn how knowing your numbers can directly increase your business’s sale price.