Client Concentration Risk: What Varta’s Collapse Teaches Every Service Business Founder
A Varta battery went to the Moon. Before that, Varta batteries went with Roald Amundsen to the poles. The company started in 1887. Over 130 years of engineering nobody could question. On 24 July 2026, Varta filed for insolvency. Sit with that for a second. A company that survived the Moon didn’t survive one lost […]
Stop Saying “I’ll Keep It in Mind” and Start Building Exit-Ready Documentation Systems
“I’ll keep it in mind.” “My mind is full of thoughts.” “I need to remember that.” Recognise these? They’re the mantras of founder dependency. Every time you say “I’ll remember,…” you’re building a business that can’t function without your brain as the central operating system. Buyers don’t pay premiums for what lives in your head. […]
Exit Readiness: Operational Independence Guide – Build a Business That Works Without You (2026)
M&A activity is surging in 2026, but most service businesses aren’t ready. The reason? Founder dependency. Your business might be profitable, growing, and delivering excellent work, but if it can’t run without you for three months, it’s not exit-ready. Buyers pay premiums for predictable operations, not chaotic genius that lives in one person’s head. The […]