West Palm Beach – October 15, 2026 -- Fifty-seven percent of U.S. small business owners say they are very or completely reliant on their business to reach their next stage of life, yet only 15% hold a formal, written exit plan, according to a Researchscape International survey commissioned by Exit Factor.
Sixty-four percent of respondents report that at least half of their personal net worth is tied up in the business. The survey covered 1,104 owners and was fielded between August 24 and September 11, 2026. Respondents were sole owners/founders or co-owners with significant decision-making authority at companies with 1-99 employees. Responses were not weighted.
Confidence in exit readiness outstrips concrete preparation among owners
Fifty-two percent say they are very or completely confident they could exit successfully if they started the process tomorrow. One-third (33%) have taken no steps toward exit planning.
Only 23% have formally valued their business as part of exit preparation, and just 18% have set a written timeline or target exit date.
Only 18% of owners hold a paid professional valuation of their company
Another 27% rely on their own rough estimate of value. The survey also found:
- 28% have thought about exiting but taken no steps.
- 26% have an informal or partial plan, but nothing formal or written.
- 18% have not thought about exit planning or are unsure where they stand.
- 13% are actively working with a paid exit planning advisor.
Peter Giese, president of Exit Factor, said that waiting until an owner is ready to sell to learn the business's value can leave little time to address issues that affect it.
Nearly half of owners say it is too early to plan an exit
Forty-seven percent say it feels too early to think about an exit, and 29% say they are too busy managing day-to-day operations. Twenty-five percent cite the emotional difficulty of letting go as a barrier.
Forty-four percent say uncertainty about who they would be or what they would do without the business has at least somewhat affected their planning.
Health scares are the top trigger for starting exit planning at 45%
Reaching a specific age or life milestone would prompt 35% of owners to begin or accelerate planning, and burnout would prompt 32%.
Asked what they would miss most about stepping away, owners ranked sense of purpose or daily meaning highest overall, ahead of financial security and income.