It might seem contradictory, but decisions about how to end a company are just as important as the dreams that give birth to it. There may even be reasons that make a pre-planned exit strategy mandatory, such as the specific needs of investors. This video explores various end-game scenarios for business owners, helping to clarify long-term goals for anyone on the verge of creating a company while detailing the possibilities and challenges that each type of conclusion involves. Viewers are introduced to the pros and cons of being bought out in installments; selling a company outright to a friendly party or a competitor; merging with another firm, including the option of staying on in some capacity; going the IPO route, an expensive and rarely pursued option but one worth discussing; and liquidation, with its need for proper record-keeping, government paperwork, and asset sell-offs or storage. In all cases, the focus is on walking away with the best possible outcome.

Encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on October 02, 2011. Learn360 is distributed by Infobase for Films for the Humanities & Sciences, Cambridge Educational, Meridian Education, and Shopware.

Exiting a Business (1:14) -- Planning Your Exit Strategy (4:59) -- Types of Exit Strategies: Sell (3:08) -- Types of Exit Strategies: Merge (2:46) -- Types of Exit Strategies: IPO (1:06) -- Types of Exit Strategies: Buyout (1:33) -- Types of Exit Strategies: Liquidation (3:11) -- Implementing Your Exit Strategy (1:12) -- Closing a Business (1:50) -- Closing Activities (2:41) -- Review Exit Plan (1:51) -- Credits: 'Looking Ahead: Exiting Your Business' (1:01).