In our business coaching with hundreds of business owners around the world, we’ve rarely seen “common consensus” to be accurate — especially when it comes to women business owners. Conventional wisdom used to be that women business owners are more “attached” to their businesses than men. As a result, some “experts” felt that women business owners were less open to a clear exit strategy than their male counterparts.

Now there’s tangible proof that once again, the experts are wrong…

In a survey of successful business owners (firms more than five years old with more than $1 million in annual revenue), researchers found few differences between men and women in terms of their development of a long-term exit strategy. In the study by the Center for Women’s Business Research and MassMutua, both men and women business owners had developed a viable exit strategy, and both groups deemed price to be the key factor in determining whether to sell a business.

One difference that I found interesting is that women business owners did express a greater concern about the sale’s impact on their employees. And although first time women business owners were more reluctant to sell their companies, serial women entrepreneurs showed no differences compared to men when it comes to the willingness to sell their business.

Learn more about the October 2006 Center for Women’s Business Research Report here at Exit Strategies of Men and Women Business Owners.

Deborah Cole Micek, (the Motivation M.D.) and her partner John Paul Micek (the Commando Capitalist) are founders of the business coaching company RPM Success Group ® Inc.

Deborah is an expert in negotiation, team building, and leadership. With over 17,500 hours of research and study working with thousands of business owners around the world — Deborah and John Paul have created a simple scientific system that maximizes your performance, persuasion, and wealth in just 60-Seconds. They both are in demand speakers, published authors, and certified trainers in persuasion and Self Influence™, and experts in Marketing with New Media. Their latest book ‘Secrets Of Online Persuasion’ is the definitive guide on getting more customers and cash online with New Media. You can reach Deborah by contacting [support@rpmsuccess.com]

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