Selling the family business is an emotional experience, often completed on short notice and without effective preparation. Family owned and/or middle-market company executives, often inexperienced in preparing a company for sale, sell a company at a discount when compared to one 'prepared for sale.' It requires at least 1-2 years to effectively prepare a company for sale - having the right people, ingrained processes, and a history of well-executed plans creates value. The sale value of a company is not built exclusively on past performance, but value represents the acquiring company's...