Most companies sell at subpar or par value, meaning that their ultimate price tag is somewhere between three to five times EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization).  Poorly run companies sell for a smaller multiple, while companies that are run about as well as their average competitors might go for four or five times their net earnings.  But just as superpremium ice creams command a higher price in the marketplace, some companies sell for a super premium of nine to ten times EBITDA.  It's like the difference between generic ice cream and Häagen-Dazs. 

So the questions are these:  Why do some companies command that super premium price while others don't?  And if you are a C-level executive of a $10 million to $100 million enterprise, what do you need to be doing right now to prepare your business for an exit at a super premium price?

And just as important, what do you need to stop doing?

Download our whitepaper 'Defying Gravity' - a list of the 25 mistakes businesses make that practically ensure sub-par valuations when the founders or the C-level executives are ready to exit.  Keep in mind, building business value should be top-of-mind for every leadership team and is not just associated with an exit strategy.  So, since building value is your number one priority, how many of these issues apply to your business?