“Having built and sold four successful companies, John knows the secrets to creating a sellable business. John shares his own experiences and lessons learned, and talks about his new book, Built to Sell.”
E-Myth Worldwide
“What do buyers look for when buying a business, and what should entrepreneurs be doing if they want to sell their firm? If you want to know, I strongly suggest you pick up a copy of Built to Sell, by John Warrillow. Covering every important aspect of the process, from attracting multiple bidders to getting the most for your business, this book easily explains what you must know and do if you want to create a business you can sell.”
Steve Strauss, USA Today
“A terrific boon to all the folks I deal with on a day-to-day basis that are lurching from customer to customer trying to get out of the quagmire. Some terrific lessons which go far beyond my ‘How to catch a Leprechaun’ chapter in my book which chronicles basically the same observation about the lack of preparedness of most business owners for the sale of their business. One of the strengths of the book is the continuity. It was great following Alex through his trials and tribulations. Very real-life. I fully intend on sharing with my customers and TEC. I’m sure it will be a tremendous success!”
Bruce Hunter, Chair, TEC (Vistage) Canada
“John Warrillow’s story gets business leaders to focus on a critical question: If others wouldn’t pay a fortune for your business, do you have a business worth growing? This is essential reading for owners looking to build a valuable business.”
Verne Harnish, founder, Gazelles, and bestselling author of The Rockefeller Habits
“By contrast [to Michael Gerber’s book The Most Successful Small Business in the World], in Built to Sell, Toronto-based serial entrepreneur John Warrillow, a columnist with the Globe and Mail’s Your Business section, is much more grounded, focused and effective on how to turn your business into one you can sell. It’s a well-told, sensible approach, with lots of tips clearly demarcated within the fable for entrepreneurs to ponder and follow as they dress up their business for sale and then take it through that complicated, delicate process, with millions of dollars at stake.”
Harvey Schachter, Globe and Mail (Toronto)
“Your business just might be worthless if you don’t read this book.”
John Jantsch, bestselling author of Duct Tape Marketing
“FANTASTIC! Small businesses need this book. So many business owners have the dream of building a business that’s bigger than themselves, and getting away from the tyranny of constantly putting out fires. John’s book is an entertaining, to-the-point way of showing them how to do it. They might just find they like their business much better and not even want to sell later. But if they do sell, they’ll get much more value from following the book’s advice.”
Anita Campbell, editor in chief, Small Business Trends
“As we’ve always advised at StartupNation, the end depends upon the beginning. Built to Sell, like other great business books, brings into clarity the game-changing importance of clearly envisioning the destiny of your business. But even more, it tells you how to bring that destiny to life.”
Rich Sloan, cofounder and chief startupologist, StartupNation
Built to Sell reminds me of Eliyahu M. Goldratt’s The Goal, in the way that the valuable lessons about successfully exiting a service business are intertwined with Alex Stapleton’s compelling story. Alex’s story drew me in immediately. Any current or aspiring service business owner should read Built to Sell and take heed of John Warrillow’s valuable lessons and Alex Stapleton’s enriching and engaging experience.”