Here is the scenario that plays out constantly among industrial and distribution business owners: the owner decides it is time to sell, calls an advisor, receives a valuation, and discovers the business is worth significantly less than expected — or is not meaningfully saleable in its current form. The problem is never the valuation. The valuation is just the messenger. The problem is timing. The decisions that determine your exit outcome are not made during negotiations. They are made in the years before. This guide provides a year-by-year roadmap for the three to five years before your planned exit — and makes the case for starting before you think you need to.