WHY 2026 IS THE YEAR BUSINESS OWNERS MUST TAKE CONTROL OF THEIR EXIT, ACCORDING TO LINDA JENSEN

Linda Jensen, Founder of Heart Financial Group and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), is calling on business owners to make 2026 the year they take control of their exit plan, warning that “someday we’ll sell” is not a strategy when life events or market realities intervene.

Research from the Exit Planning Institute (EPI) indicates that only around 20–30% of businesses that go to market actually sell, leaving a majority of owners without a clear way to harvest their life’s work. EPI also highlights that roughly 50% of owner exits are not voluntary, often driven by the “5 Ds”: Death, Disability, Divorce, Disagreement and Distress.

“The biggest risk I see is not that an owner chooses the wrong exit date,” said Linda. “It’s that life chooses it for them. Exit planning is how you protect what you’ve built, create real options, and stop running your business like you have unlimited time.”

For Linda, the consequences of not planning are personal. Her father, who owned a jewellery store, passed away unexpectedly and had no exit plan in place. The family was forced to sell the inventory quickly, at a deep discount, simply to care for her stepmother, and the business he had spent years building could not be transitioned thoughtfully or strategically.

“My early experiences are why I do this work,” Linda added. “I never want another family to be backed into a financial corner because there was no plan.”

Exit planning, she emphasises, is not about leaving tomorrow; it is about building a stronger, more profitable, more transferable business today. A well-designed exit plan can help owners increase enterprise value by reducing owner dependency and strengthening operations, protect key relationships, develop leadership and succession options in advance of urgency, and align business, personal and financial goals so every major decision builds toward a clear outcome.

One widely used framework is EPI’s Value Acceleration Methodology, which is designed to systematically build transferable value while integrating business, personal and financial planning. When done correctly, exit planning can drive measurable improvements long before an owner is ready to leave. Linda notes that clients of one strategic partner in the exit planning ecosystem reported significant increases in profits and revenue while moving into a stronger state of exit readiness.

“As owners look ahead to 2026, hope is not a strategy,” said Linda. “If your retirement, your family’s security or your next chapter depends on your business value, you cannot afford to find out at the finish line that your business was not transferable. The question is not whether the 5 Ds could affect you. The question is whether you’ll be ready if they do.”

Heart Financial Group is inviting business owners to take a confidential first step toward exit readiness in 2026, focused on clarifying options, identifying blind spots and building a plan that supports value, control and peace of mind. To learn more or request a confidential conversation, visit heartfinancialgroup.com.

Notes to Editors

Linda R. Jensen is the Founder of Heart Financial Group and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA). She has been helping individuals and business owners with their finances for nearly three decades and holds multiple credentials, including CFF, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF, CLTC, CSA and CFEd. Her work focuses on coordinated planning strategies designed to protect wealth, reduce preventable risk and support long-term goals.

About Heart Financial Group

Heart Financial Group provides planning strategies for business owners and individuals, with a focus on coordinated financial planning, tax-efficient strategies and exit planning readiness. The firm’s mission is to help clients find peace in their finances and hope in their future by combining technical expertise with a deeply client-centred approach.

For more information go to https://www.heartfinancialgroup.com/ 

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