Scale to Sell

The Business Owner's Podcast to Grow and Exit Your Business.We share with entrepreneurs like you the tactical and practical things to scale your business and create an exit strategy that maintains your lifestyle and fits your retirement income plan.

Scale to Sell is a business podcast hosted by Steve Burton and Adam Burton, with 73 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Steve Burton and Adam Burton hosts Scale to Sell, a business show with 73 episodes published.

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  Episode #71

  071: How to Beat the IRS Legally: Tax Planning Strategies for Business Owners

  Sep 16, 202623 min

  Episode Summary "My CPA of almost 30 years has never brought me anything that's helped me save anything in taxes." That's not a stranger talking. That's Steve Burton, describing his own accountant, before he spent two decades looking for someone who actually did tax planning instead of tax reporting. In this episode, Adam and Steve sit down to talk about How to Beat the IRS, Legally , the new book Steve wrote the foreword for alongside tax planner Ed Lyon. They break down the real difference between a CPA who keeps you compliant and a tax planner who actively works to reduce what you owe, using real examples, including one where a $500,000 capital gains bill on a piece of real estate was legally brought down to $50,000. Adam and Steve discuss: Why Steve spent over twenty years looking for a CPA who actually did tax planning, and the "red light, green light" distinction the book uses to explain the gap between compliance and strategy. A real example where a business owner's CPA told him to write a $500,000 check on a real estate sale, and how proactive tax planning brought that bill down to $50,000. Why $400,000 in income tends to be the pain point where tax bills start to sting, and why tax planning has to happen in the current year, not the one you're filing for. Why these strategies, once reserved for the ultra-wealthy, are becoming available to business owners and upper middle class individuals who are paying more than they realize. And more! Resources: Get your free copy of How to Beat the IRS Legally (while supplies last) at scaletosell.com/discovery Get your free personalized report at www.scaletosell.com/value Unlock your business's potential with our free Scale to Sell self-assessment What Your CPA Isn't Telling You About Your Exit (Ep. 69) Connect with Our Team: Website: Scale to Sell info@scaletosell.com LinkedIn: Scale to Sell Facebook: Scale to Sell YouTube: Scale to Sell Instagram: Scale to Sell Connect with Adam Burton and Steve Burton: LinkedIn: Adam Burton LinkedIn: Steve Burton

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  Episode #69

  069: What Your CPA Isn't Telling You About Your Exit

  Aug 19, 202619 min

  Episode Summary Your CPA has never gotten you in trouble with the IRS. Deadlines are met, forms are filed, and everything looks fine. So why does the exit conversation still end with a massive, avoidable tax bill? Most business owners assume that when they sell, the tax hit is just something they'll deal with when it comes. Their CPA rarely brings it up first, because a CPA's job is compliance and reporting on what already happened, not proactive planning for what's ahead. In this episode, Adam and Steve Burton break down the difference between a CPA who prepares your taxes and a team that plans them, using a real client example where proactive tax strategy took a projected $3.4 million capital gains bill down to roughly $100,000. Adam and Steve discuss: Why most CPAs are historians, not strategists, and why that distinction only becomes expensive at the moment of exit. The difference between tax preparation and tax planning, and why timing (years before a sale, not after) determines which options are even available. A real client example where proactive planning reduced a projected $3.4 million capital gains tax bill to around $100,000 on a $13.1 million business sale. Why paying hundreds of thousands or millions in income taxes is itself a signal that it's time for a specialized tax planning team, not just a compliance-focused CPA. And more! Resources: Get your free personalized report at www.scaletosell.com/value Unlock your business's potential with our free Scale to Sell self-assessment Book your free discovery call with us today! Revenue vs. Enterprise Value (Ep. 65) Connect with Our Team: Website: Scale to Sell info@scaletosell.com LinkedIn: Scale to Sell Facebook: Scale to Sell YouTube: Scale to Sell Instagram: Scale to Sell Connect with Adam Burton and Steve Burton: LinkedIn: Adam Burton LinkedIn: Steve Burton

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  Episode #68

  068 - How Buyers Actually Value Your Business (and What You Can Do to Increase It) - with Jeff Snell

  Aug 5, 202623 min

  Episode Summary You've built a business worth millions. So why does a lender's spreadsheet get the final say on whether your deal actually closes? Business valuation is not just a number for a business owner's own curiosity. It is the foundation of every conversation that follows, from what a buyer is willing to pay to what a lender is willing to finance. Too many business owners skip this step entirely, tracking cash flow and growth without ever finding out what their business would actually sell for. In this episode, Steve Burton talks with Jeff Snell, Founder and Principal Broker of ENLIGN Advisors, about what really drives a business sale, from risk mitigation and add-backs to the debt service coverage ratio that can cap a deal regardless of what a seller thinks their business is worth. Steve and Jeff discuss: Why most business owners have never had a real valuation done, and why that gap becomes a problem the day they decide to sell. How buyers evaluate risk across culture, employee relationships, client contracts, and vendor dependencies, and why ENLIGN tracks 141 separate risk mitigation touch points. The difference between Seller's Discretionary Earnings and EBITDA, and why the crossover point around $750,000 in profit changes how a business should be valued. Why the debt service coverage ratio can cap a deal even when buyer and seller agree on a price, and the creative structuring options (rollover equity, seller financing, seller forgivable notes) that bridge the gap. And more! Resources: Get your free personalized report at www.scaletosell.com/value Unlock your business's potential with our free Scale to Sell self-assessment Book your free discovery call with us today! Solving for the Debt Service Coverage Ratio in a High Interest Rate Environment (ENLIGN case study) Connect with Our Team: Website: Scale to Sell info@scaletosell.com LinkedIn: Scale to Sell Facebook: Scale to Sell YouTube: Scale to Sell Instagram: Scale to Sell Connect with Adam Burton and Steve Burton: LinkedIn: Adam Burton LinkedIn: Steve Burton Connect with Jeff Snell: Website: ENLIGN Advisors LinkedIn: Jeff Snell

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  Episode #67

  067: Why Founder Dependency Is Limiting Your Growth, Freedom & Business Value

  Jul 15, 202626 min

  Episode Summary You started your business to create freedom. So why does taking a vacation, stepping away for a few days, or even unplugging for an afternoon still feel impossible? If your business depends on you to make every important decision, solve every problem, or keep operations moving, you've likely built an owner-dependent business. While that may feel like a sign of success, it can quietly limit your growth, reduce your business valuation, complicate succession planning, and create unnecessary stress for you and your team. In this episode, Adam and Steve Burton explain why building a business that runs without you isn't about doing less. It's about creating stronger leadership, better systems, and a more transferable business that gives you greater freedom today while increasing your options for tomorrow. Adam and Steve discuss: Why owner dependency is one of the biggest barriers to building a scalable, valuable, and sellable business. How to identify the systems, processes, and leadership gaps that keep you stuck as the bottleneck in your business. Why buyers place greater value on businesses with documented processes, empowered teams, and operational consistency. Practical strategies to reduce founder dependency, strengthen business continuity, and build an exit-ready company that can thrive without your daily involvement. And more! Resources: Get your free personalized report at www.scaletosell.com/value Unlock your business's potential with our free Scale to Sell self-assessment Book your free discovery call with us today! AI Adoption Is a Leadership Problem, Not a Technology Problem (Ep. 66) Connect with Our Team: Website: Scale to Sell info@scaletosell.com LinkedIn: Scale to Sell Facebook: Scale to Sell YouTube: Scale to Sell Instagram: Scale to Sell Connect with Adam Burton and Steve Burton: LinkedIn: Adam Burton LinkedIn: Steve Burton

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  Episode #66

  066: AI Adoption Is a Leadership Problem, Not a Technology Problem

  Jul 1, 202631 min

  Episode Summary Most business owners see AI as a technology opportunity. Adam Burton sees it as a leadership opportunity. The businesses that get the most value from AI won't necessarily have the newest tools. They'll be the ones that build cultures of learning, adaptability, and continuous improvement. In this episode, Adam Burton explores why successful AI adoption starts with leadership, not software. He discusses how business owners can help teams embrace change, create psychological safety around learning, and use AI to build stronger systems that support long-term growth and transferable value. Adam discusses: Why successful AI adoption starts with leadership, not software How creating psychological safety encourages innovation and learning The difference between AI dabblers, operators, builders, and architects How AI and stronger systems can reduce owner dependency and increase transferable business value And more! Resources: Get your free personalized report at www.scaletosell.com/value Unlock your business's potential with our free Scale to Sell self-assessment Book your free discovery call with us today! Connect with Our Team: Website: Scale to Sell info@scaletosell.com LinkedIn: Scale to Sell Facebook: Scale to Sell YouTube: Scale to Sell Instagram: Scale to Sell Connect with Adam Burton and Steve Burton: LinkedIn: Adam Burton LinkedIn: Steve Burton

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