Study Finds That Baby Boomers are Accelerating Exits from Their Businesses

The 2025 National Exit Planners Survey

The First Step in planning for any business owner

Certified ExitMap Coach (CEMC) Badge

With a 70% increase in certified exit planning advisors, Main Street businesses are beginning to seek professional advice.

SAN ANTONIO, TX, UNITED STATES, April 19, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The fifth annual National Exit Planners Survey shows an increase of over 70% in the number of professional advisors who obtained an exit planning certification in the last two years. Despite the rapid growth in the number of practitioners, over 86% reported as many or more planning engagements in 2024 than in 2023.

Some 50% of small employers (5 to 500 employees) in the United States are owned by people over 60 years old. These are the Baby Boomers, born between 1945 and 1964. As a generation they have been characterized by their dedication to work in the pursuit of material comforts. As business owners, they have stayed “on the job” longer and in greater numbers than any previous generation.

An exodus from businesses ownership was predicted when the first Boomers turned 65 in 2010, but only about a third have done so to date. The remaining 2,000,000 business owners with a median age of 70, are creating a surge in demand for financial and business planning services.

The National Exit Planners Survey was first conducted in 2021 by ExitMap LLC, a provider of coaching exercises for advisors to help owners determine their options and objectives in transition. In its first year, it was distributed to fewer than 3,400 advisors. By 2023 that number had grown to 4,288 advisors. In 2025 the surveyed population exploded to 7,346 advisors.

While Private Equity has investments equal to approximately 20% of all equity in mid-market businesses, exit planning is increasingly undertaken by the owners of more Main Street companies. Main Street businesses are defined as having an Enterprise Value of less than $3,000,000, and are more likely to be directly managed by an owner or owners. Over two-thirds of advisors responded that half or more of their clients are in the Main Street category.

According to John F. Dini, Founder and CEO of ExitMap “Exit planning is only beginning to mature. The industry is reaching a critical mass and advisory costs are stabilizing in a range where more successful businesses can afford high-impact help."

Business transition is a complex undertaking, and certified planners include business consultants, financial planners, appraisers, bankers, insurance agents, business brokers, attorneys and accountants. Virtually all practitioners (98%) expect exit planning to lead to additional advisory work in some or all cases.

ExitMap tracks exit planning certifications awarded by three organizations in the industry, the Exit Planning Institute (EPI), Business Enterprise Institute (BEI), and the International Exit Planning Association (IEPA). The 434 survey responses allow a confidence level (that the results represent the industry) of 99% with a 3.6% margin of error.

A copy of the National Exit Planners Survey is available for free download at www.ExitPlannersSurvey.com.

ExitMap LLC provides a system of software-driven coaching exercises to the exit planning industry. Many owners have difficulty adjusting to a retirement that lacks the activity, identity and purpose of being a business owner. ExitMap provides a streamlined framework for advisors to guide business owners through exit planning focused on their goals for life after the business.

Contacts:
John F. Dini, CExP, CEPA, CBEC, CEMC: Founder and CEO of ExitMap LLC. jdini@exitmap.com, (800) 653-5405
Hannah Chalker, CEPA, CVGA, CEMC: Director of Business Development. hchalker@exitmap.com, (800) 653-5405

John F, Dini
ExitMap® LLC
8006535405 ext.
jdini@exitmap.com
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