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Day Zero Guide

  1. Day Zero Guide

See how every exit path compares for your business

12 questions. 10 minutes. A personalized analysis across three exit paths, completely free.

Get Your Free Guide
Day Zero Guide: interactive exit path comparison with AI-powered insights

Your Day Zero Guide covers all exit paths

Employee ownership

Often the most flexible and controllable path, yet widely misunderstood. See how it scores for your situation.

Strategic sale

Can command the highest price, but most businesses won't attract a strategic buyer. Find out if yours can.

Financial sale

Fastest route to liquidity, but buyer priorities may conflict with yours. Understand what you'd be signing up for.

Question 1 of 12

How would you describe the profitability and growth of your business?

Profitable 3+ years, high growth (20%+)
Profitable 3+ years, modest growth
Became profitable in last 2 years
Not profitable yet

Answer 12 questions in 10 minutes

A few thoughtful questions about your business and what matters to you. That’s all it takes to unlock a complete picture of your options.

EO
SB
FB
Buyer Feasibility
A
B-
B+
Operational
A+
B-
B+
Selling Price
B+
B
A
Liquidity
B
A
A
Employee Prosperity
A+
C
C

See how each exit path scores for your business

The Guide grades each path across 9 dimensions — selling price, employee prosperity, transaction cost, and more — tailored to your answers and priorities.

What's driving your scores
Steady profitsStrong managementNo outside buyersGradual transitionLegacy matters
HelpsHurtsNeutral

Understand which gaps are easiest to bridge

Even if one path scores lower today, you can see exactly what it would take to change the outcome. Adjust your answers and watch all three paths recalculate instantly.

Ask Zolid AI
  • How ESOPs work for small businesses
  • Exit Planning Basics (Episode 12)
  • Define: Employee Stock Ownership Plan
  • Structuring a partial sale for liquidity
More questions

Go deeper on anything that matters to you

The Guide connects to glossary terms, research reports, and podcast episodes that match your results. Ask Zolid AI to summarize any resource or explore follow-up questions.

Comments
AA
You2 hours ago

I think we should explore the partial sale option more — the liquidity timeline works for us.

SP
Sarah P. (Advisor)1 hour ago

Agreed. Let’s look at how that affects the employee prosperity score before our next call.

Make it a shared decision

Leave comments on any section for your advisor, spouse, or key employees. Everything syncs in real time so your team stays aligned.

Did you know?

Most owners struggle to sell even after multiple attempts. Exploring all your exit options, including employee ownership, from the start boosts your chances of success.

In Good Company

WealthManagement.com article: Zolidar Equips Advisors with Tools to Guide Business Owner Clients Through the Succession LabyrinthImpactAlpha article: For retiring business owners, employee buyout options can go head-to-head with private equityThe Stakehold article: Making employee ownership the obvious choice for millions of businesses
Project Equity - Zolidar and Project Equity Partner to Make Employee Ownership Actionable at Scale
Google Startups for Sustainable Development - Zolidar selected for Google's program supporting startups advancing UN Sustainable Development Goals
CAFE - Center for Accelerating Financial Equity Fintech Accelerator
Project Equity - Zolidar and Project Equity Partner to Make Employee Ownership Actionable at Scale
Google Startups for Sustainable Development - Zolidar selected for Google's program supporting startups advancing UN Sustainable Development Goals
CAFE - Center for Accelerating Financial Equity Fintech Accelerator

Ready to see how your exit options compare?

Free, 10 minutes, no strings attached.

Get Your Free Guide
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A California based company on a mission to grow the wealth of everyday Americans. Zolidar is the easy button for employee ownership.

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