Financial Planning Expert Greg Harrison Explains Certified Exit Planning for Business Owners in HelloNation

EL DORADO, Ark., Aug. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- How can business owners make sure their companies remain strong and valuable when it is time to step away? In a detailed feature with HelloNation, financial expert Greg Harrison of Harrison Financial Management in El Dorado, Arkansas, outlines the importance of Certified Exit Planning for business owners. His insights show how structured preparation helps protect enterprise value, ensure smooth leadership transitions, and align personal financial goals with business outcomes.

Harrison explains that Certified Exit Planning goes far beyond traditional succession or retirement planning. It is a holistic process that integrates financial, operational, and personal considerations into one clear strategy. Without this structured approach, many business owners face disappointment or regret after a transition, often realizing too late that their enterprise was not ready to thrive without them. Certified professionals help prevent these challenges by guiding owners through the process of setting goals, addressing risks, and creating a workable timeline.

He emphasizes that Certified Exit Planning is fundamentally about preserving enterprise value. Owners who delay planning or treat it only as a financial exercise risk undermining the future of their companies. Instead, a certified advisor looks at all elements of the business, including leadership development, operational continuity, customer and vendor dependency, and system scalability. These factors determine whether a company remains attractive and stable when its founder or key leader steps aside.

Harrison notes that two respected credentials in the field are the Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) and the Certified Exit Planner (CExP). While each approach is rooted in its own framework, both provide business owners with disciplined, structured strategies to achieve an intentional and successful exit. Whether through value acceleration or staged transition planning, certified advisors bring foresight and consistency to a process that is often left until too late.

Personal financial readiness is also central to successful transition planning. Many business owners depend on the proceeds of a sale to fund retirement, philanthropy, or generational wealth transfer. Harrison points out that without proper modeling of income, tax impact, and liquidity, an owner’s future financial security may be at risk. Certified planning accounts for these issues from the start, ensuring that both the business and the owner’s long-term goals are aligned.

Timing is another critical factor. Harrison explains that starting the process years in advance provides time to implement value-enhancing strategies, correct operational gaps, and select the best transfer method. By contrast, a rushed sale often lowers valuation and leaves employees, customers, and stakeholders uncertain about the future. Early preparation allows for flexibility and better outcomes, whether the transition involves a third-party sale, management buyout, family succession, or employee ownership.

A key advantage of Certified Exit Planning is its collaborative nature. Harrison highlights how certified advisors coordinate with attorneys, accountants, estate planners, and wealth managers to create a seamless plan. This avoids conflicting strategies and ensures that legal, tax, financial, and operational elements work together. Such coordination also allows business owners to stay focused on running their companies while the planning takes shape in the background.

The process also considers the emotional side of transition. Harrison acknowledges that many owners struggle with the idea of leaving a business they have built over decades, where identity and purpose are tied to daily operations. Certified planners recognize this challenge and help owners prepare for life after ownership, addressing both the financial and psychological aspects of the shift.

Contrary to common belief, exit planning is not something that should be left until retirement. Harrison emphasizes that businesses should be built with exit readiness in mind from the start. Far from being a signal of leaving, it is a commitment to building a strong, transferable enterprise. Companies that are always prepared for transition are typically better run, more profitable, and more attractive to outside investors.

Harrison concludes that Certified Exit Planning benefits not just the owner, but also employees, customers, and the larger business community. By providing clarity and stability, it ensures continuity and strengthens the legacy of the enterprise. Ultimately, it allows business owners to exit on their own terms while safeguarding the value of what they have created.

The full article, The Importance of Certified Exit Planning for Business Owners, shares more from Greg Harrison of Harrison Financial Management in El Dorado, Arkansas, who details how structured exit planning preserves enterprise value, aligns personal financial goals, and supports smooth business transitions in HelloNation.

About HelloNation
HelloNation is a premier media platform that connects readers with trusted professionals and businesses across various industries. Through its innovative “edvertising” approach that blends educational content and storytelling, HelloNation delivers expert-driven articles that inform, inspire, and empower. Covering topics from home improvement and health to business strategy and lifestyle, HelloNation highlights leaders making a meaningful impact in their communities.

Patrick McCabe
info@hellonation.com
www.hellonation.com

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Financial Planning Expert Greg Harrison Explains Certified Exit Planning for Business Owners in HelloNation

Financial Planning Expert Greg Harrison Explains Certified Exit Planning for Business Owners in HelloNation

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