The Exit Window: Why Timing Shapes the Value of Your Brand
At Van Driel Capital, we’ve seen both ends of the spectrum. Founders who exit while their brand is still climbing, and walk away with life-changing outcomes. And others who hold on too long, watching their valuation fade as momentum slips away.
E-com brand owners assume they’ll recognize the right moment to sell when it comes. But in practice, timing rarely feels obvious.
Why Founders Miss the Exit Window
Most founders are wired to build, not to exit. They push through challenges, ride out volatility, and stay locked in on growth. It’s a mindset that serves them incredibly well, but can become a liability when the time comes to exit.
Exits aren’t guided by gut feeling. They’re guided by data, and buyers know exactly what to look for. They evaluate your growth trajectory year over year, the stability of your EBITDA, the strength of your team structure, and whether your operations run efficiently without your constant involvement. They assess how much long-term potential remains in your niche.
If those indicators are already slowing, it shows. And buyers don’t pay premiums for brands in decline, no matter how much promise they once had. We’ve seen brands once valued at $8M end up selling for half that just 12 months later. Momentum is fragile and in this market, it’s everything.
The Best Exits Don’t Happen at the Top
It may sound counterintuitive, but the most competitive offers are made before you hit your peak. When the business is still growing, profitability is strong, systems are clean, and the founder is still involved, but no longer essential. That’s when your brand looks most attractive. It signals scalability. Stability. A clean handover and that’s exactly what buyers are looking for.
Don’t Wait Until the Spark Is Gone
Trying to sell when your energy is gone is like running a marathon on no sleep. The team feels it. The performance slips. And buyers pick up on it immediately. We’ve worked with founders who came to us already drained. We still got the deal done, but the negotiations were harder, the timeline longer, and the offers lower. Selling from fatigue puts you on the back foot. The best exits happen from a position of strength.
So, When Is the Right Time?
Timing your exit isn’t just about numbers or market conditions, it’s also about you. Scaling a business from $10M to $50M sounds exciting, but doing so requires serious investment, expanded teams, tighter systems, and in many cases, giving up more control to attract outside capital. It’s not just a question of potential, but of personal capacity.
A simple framework we use with clients is this: Scaling Requirements + Time (2–3 years) = Energy + Passion + Experience.
In other words, do you have what it takes: emotionally, financially, and strategically — to lead your business through its next stage of growth? Are you energized by the path ahead, or starting to feel a shift in motivation? Are you still the right person to take the brand further, or would someone else with deeper resources or a fresh perspective be better positioned to unlock its next level? If the business is beginning to require more than you’re willing or able to give, it may be time to consider an exit. Selling while you're still sharp, engaged, and your brand is growing puts you in control, not just of the process, but of the outcome. That's the power of timing it right.
Having Optionality
The real power is in having options. When your business is exit-ready, you’re not forced into a timeline. You don’t have to sell—but you can, when the timing and the offer are right. This is how smart founders protect their upside. They choose how and when to exit, and they do it on their terms, not someone else’s.
At Van Driel Capital, we work with founders to think carefully about one of the most overlooked parts of the exit journey: Timing. It’s not always about acting quickly, but about knowing when the conditions are right.
Contact Van Driel Capital to have an open conversation about what your timing could look like.
