Building Enterprise Value Before You’re Ready to Sell

Most business owners only start thinking about their company's worth when they’re ready to put it on the market. By then, it's often too late to build the true foundations of enterprise value.

That’s why I sat down with Dustin Engel, Founder of Elegant Disruption and the U.S. Director at WY Partners on the Bender CFO Podcast. With over 20 years leading strategy, growth, and M&A (mergers and acquisitions), Dustin shared practical advice on how founders can start building value right now, long before an exit is even on the table.

🎥 For more context watch the full conversation below!

1. Start Building Value Now

Value creation isn't a pre-sale chore. It's what you build into your business every single day. The best exits belong to companies already operating with discipline, foresight, and solid structure.

Enterprise value (a comprehensive measure of a company's total worth that includes debt and cash, not just market cap or stock price), should be seen as a measure of overall business health. When you prioritize efficient systems, manage resources wisely, and lead effectively, value becomes a natural side effect of a strong business.

Building structure early allows you to address gaps proactively.

As Dustin noted, "If you address gaps early, you’ll already know exactly what to fix and what to highlight when the time comes."

2. Optimize Your Operations

Most people think strategy is about big ideas. In reality, strategy is an expertise, just like finance or marketing. Creating frameworks and processes help companies solve complex problems and operate more efficiently.

Key takeaway: When improving your enterprise value, it’s not about doing everything at once. It’s about focus, prioritization, and saying no to some things so you can say yes to others.

Avoiding time spent on the wrong activities is often the easiest win.

Achieving Financial Clarity

When it comes to preparing an agency for acquisition, partnerships with financial professionals can make a large difference and even create structure.

With strong structure, a solid financial plan, and reliable reporting, you can clearly see opportunities and inefficiencies. This visibility allows consultants like me to address the root causes of your financial performance.

Fractional executives (senior leaders you hire on a part-time basis), including CFOs (Chief Financial Officers), can bring high-level expertise without the cost of full-time roles. They help implement structure, optimize processes, and provide insight that strengthens operational efficiency.

3. Embrace Agility and AI

Two forces are reshaping how companies create value: AI adoption and organizational agility. Buyers increasingly see competence in these areas as a key advantage.

Building AI-Native Proficiency

Being AI-native means embedding automation and intelligence into daily operations, not just using tools occasionally. The goal is to make every role more efficient and every decision more informed.

You can use AI tactically for things like:

• Transcription & Summaries: Automatically transcribe calls and generate email summaries.
• Research: Use AI for client or market insights.
• Personal Assistance: Equip every team member with AI tools to streamline daily tasks.

Prioritizing Organizational Agility

This is about flexibility. The ability to pivot quickly, adjusting resources or processes to seize new opportunities. Companies that can do this are better positioned to navigate uncertainty.

As Dustin says, "CEOs are heavily focused on agility now. It’s about creating the ability to move quickly and make smart, long-term decisions when necessary."

Final Take: Creating Value That Lasts

Enterprise value is the result of consistent and disciplined progress, not a last-minute sprint. The businesses that command the best multiples in an acquisition are the ones that are already running efficiently, forecasting accurately, and adapting quickly.

Ready to gain the clarity and control that buyers value?

📅 Book a Free CFO Strategy Call with Shane

Bender CFO Services works with growth-minded businesses that want the clarity, forecasting, and insight of a full-time CFO — without the cost. From profitability strategy to cash flow, Shane and his team provide the systems and insights you need to lead with confidence and improve results month over month.