The document discusses strategies for business owners to maximize the value of their companies and achieve "CEO Emeritus" status. This would allow them to: 1) Sell the company for a high price since it is profitable and can run without them, or 2) Continue drawing a salary by remaining involved in a less hands-on role. It recommends business owners delegate tasks to increase profits while reducing their involvement. This prepares the company to operate independently and be highly valuable upon sale. The document outlines specific roles of a "CEO Emeritus" and strategies to transition a business up a chart through "vertical, horizontal, or diagonal thrusts."

1. The CEO Emeritus
© Business Model Institute 2013

2. Maximizing business value
• For mid-sized and small businesses, the business
will never have much value if:
• The company cannot run for an extended time without
the direct involvement of the owner
• Profits are not sufficient to fund the purchase of the
business and a reasonable salary for the new owner
• This paradox is shown on the next slide
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3. Too low on either aspect yields a low sales price and a
poor exit strategy
You
3

4. What’s the solution?
• Get the business profitable and running well without
the owner. This yields two options:
• Sell the company for a maximized value
• Continue to run the business as the CEO Emeritus
4

5. What is a CEO Emeritus?
• Does the work she wants to do
• Doesn’t do any work she does not want to do
• Draws an excellent paycheck
• May sell the business or simply continue collecting
“royalties”
• More importantly, the CEO Emeritus can always
sell the business for an excellent price at a later
time
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6. Becoming a CEO Emeritus
• You may have an opportunity to help clients
move towards CEO Emeritus status
• If the client is not currently a CEO Emeritus,
much work needs to be done including:
• The owner is not doing Emeritus work. The current
work is part of the problem.
• The owner needs to delegate this work and do the work
of the CEO Emeritus
• Most likely, this Emeritus work is not being done at all,
or being done far too infrequently
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7. The CEO Emeritus Work (The 16 Hats)
1. Super-closer 9. Chief Model Officer
2. True CFO 10. Model Implementer
11. Key Relationship
3. Visionary Holder
4. Chief 12. Decider
Strategist/Planner 13. Marketing
5. Mentor Mastermind
14. Frontman
6. Chief I.P. Officer
15. High-level Floater
7. Cheerleader 16. Technology
8. Standard Bearer Mastermind
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8. How to get there?
• Most businesses will have two issues – they need
to increase profits and do it while the owner is less
involved day-to-day.
• Use the chart on the following slide to determine
where to start and move up the chart vertically or
horizontally.
8

9. Best opportunity for improvement
CEO
Emyth
Emeritus
You
Yikes Business
Model
9

10. Vertical Thrust
CEO
Emyth
Emeritus
You
Business
Model
Yikes
Vertical
Thrust
10

11. Horizontal Thrust
Emyth
CEO
You
Horizontal Emeritus
Thrust
Yikes Business
Model
11

12. Diagonal Thrust
CEO
Emyth
Emeritus
You
Yikes Business
Model
12

13. Winning the Game
• Once you have achieved CEO Emeritus status, it’s
time to sell or collect a nice paycheck from the
business as your reward.
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