Profits & Pints Recap — August 2025

Strategic Business Coaching
Aug 28, 2025
4 min read

What’s It Worth?

How to Build a Business That Pays You Back (Now and in Retirement)

Watch the Full Workshop Replay

If you missed this month’s Profits & Pints, you’re in luck, we recorded the entire session for you. Catch the replay and learn how to calculate what your business is really worth, what drives that value higher, and how to set yourself up for long-term flexibility.

Download the Workshop Tools:

What's it Worth?

Another packed evening at Sixth Street Grill! We had an incredible turnout of business owners ready to roll up their sleeves and tackle a question that too often gets ignored: What’s my business actually worth?

SBC’s own Samantha Doyle led the conversation, breaking down the numbers, the drivers, and the decisions that impact business valuation. While valuation might sound like something you only worry about when it’s time to sell — we discovered it’s actually one of the most important measures of overall business health.

The Big Idea: Your Business Is Likely Your Biggest Asset

For most owners, the business is the largest piece of personal net worth. Understanding its value isn’t just about a potential exit — it’s about leverage with banks, creating options for the future, and making sure all the hard work pays off when it really counts.

Highlights from the Session

🔹 Two Ways to Value a Business

We broke down the two most common valuation methods:

SDE (Seller’s Discretionary Earnings): For businesses under $1M profit. Start with net income, add back owner compensation and personal expenses that wouldn’t carry forward to a new buyer.
EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization): For larger companies, often valued at higher multiples.

🔹 Multiples Matter

Once SDE or EBITDA is calculated, a multiple (typically 1–4x for smaller businesses, 4–8x for larger) determines the business’s worth. The stronger the business' systems, planning, profitability, recurring revenue — the higher the multiple.

🔹 Eight Drivers of Business Value

We walked through the eight areas that can dramatically move the needle:

Entrepreneur independence
Can your business run without you? The less dependent it is on the owner, the more valuable it becomes. Buyers (and banks) want a machine that keeps running even when the founder is out of the picture.
Strategic planning
Businesses that meet regularly to set goals, review progress, and adjust course are more predictable and scalable. A clear plan signals discipline, and disciplined businesses command higher multiples.
Customer concentration
If one client makes up 40% of your revenue, that’s a risk. Diversifying your customer base creates stability — and reduces fear for lenders or future buyers.
Recurring revenue
Monthly retainers, contracts, memberships, or subscription income all increase value. Predictable revenue streams make your business more attractive because they lower risk and improve cash flow.
Systems and processes
Documented systems turn “tribal knowledge” into repeatable workflows. This makes onboarding easier, quality more consistent, and operations less reliant on individual people.
Key performance indicators (KPIs)
You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Having clear KPIs (and actually using them in decision-making) shows that your business is managed by numbers, not gut instinct.
Profitability and margins
Revenue growth is exciting, but profitability is what drives value. Strong margins demonstrate a healthy model and make every additional dollar of sales worth more.
Visibility of metrics to the team
Do your employees understand the score? Sharing key metrics with your team fosters accountability, alignment, and motivation. Businesses where everyone knows what winning looks like tend to perform — and value — better.

Tip: Don’t try to fix all eight at once. Pick one or two drivers to focus on this quarter. Over time, small improvements compound into a healthier, more valuable business.

Action Steps You Can Take

✔️ Estimate your business’s value using SDE or EBITDA.

✔️ Pick 1–2 drivers from the list above and focus on improving them this quarter.

✔️ Ask yourself: does your business create enough for your retirement — or will you need additional investments?

✔️ Start documenting your processes and tracking key metrics now, before you need them.

Big Giveaway 🎉

One lucky attendee won a free Seat in our Scaling Up Essentials Workshop - A focused, small-group workshop for growth-minded business owners who are ready to stop reacting and start leading with more clarity, more confidence, and a plan that works.

Didn't win?

What You’ll Walk Away With

90-Day Strategic Priority Plan
Focus your energy on what actually moves the business.
Accountability Chart Template
Clarify who owns what now—and what you need next.
People & Profit Tools (Worksheets)
Hire smarter, price more profitably, and simplify decisions.
Power of One Cash Flow Exercise
See how 1% shifts can unlock massive financial gains.
Peer Learning & Expert Facilitation
Learn alongside other owners solving similar problems.

Save the Date!

Our next Profits & Pints is happening on Tuesday, September 23rd at Sixth Street Grill. The topic? The topic? Think Bigger! Why 10x Growth Might Be Easier Than 2x

We'll Explore: