Value Builder Score
See your business the way a buyer would. You get a score on the factors acquirers actually pay for, and you see where you're leaving value on the table, so you know what to fix first.
A NorthStar Value Group Program
You've Read the Book. Here's Where You Build the Plan.
The Exit Code Mini-Course turns the book into a working program: six video modules, audio and private-podcast versions of every lesson, and guided workbook assignments, so you build your own Master Plan on your own schedule.
$495 one-time · lifetime access
74%
of businesses that go to market don't sell — not because they're bad businesses, but because they were never made ready. The Mini-Course is the do-it-yourself path to changing that.
What's Included
- Six modules of video lessons: 18 lessons across Discover, Protect, Build, Harvest, and Manage
- The audio version of every lesson, playable right in the course
- Private podcast access: listen through Spotify or your own podcast app
- Six guided workbook assignments, one per module
- A digital copy of The Exit Code included
- Access to the NorthStar Value Group community, including four free diagnostic tools (detailed below)
- Lifetime access: revisit any lesson whenever your business changes, plus any new trainings or tools added to the free community over time
Included at no extra cost
4 Business Diagnostic Tools
As part of the free NorthStar Value Group community, you also get access to four assessments used across the NorthStar advisory practice.
PREScore
Find out whether you're personally ready to exit. It looks at your readiness as an owner, not just your company's, so you can spot the gaps in your own preparation before they slow a transition down.
FreedomScore
Know whether you can afford to leave. It shows whether your finances outside the business can already support the life you want after you leave it, so you can set an exit target based on facts instead of guesses.
Owner Intent Profile™
Get clear on what you actually want. A guided, AI-assisted reflection of about 25–30 minutes turns your answers into a personalized clarity document on what you want from the business and from life after it.
Three ways to learn
Video Lessons
Six modules of video lessons — 18 lessons across Discover, Protect, Build, Harvest, and Manage — watch on your own schedule.
Audio & Podcast
Every lesson has an audio player built into the course, plus a private podcast link so you can listen through Spotify or your own podcast app.
Workbooks
Six guided workbook assignments, one per module, turn each lesson into a real working piece of your Master Plan.
What You'll Learn
What You Get in the Exit Code Mini-Course
Six modules. Eighteen lessons. Video, audio, and podcast — whichever fits your day.
Module 01
See Your Business the Way a Buyer Does
- 1.1 Get Clear on Your "Why Now"
- 1.2 Face the Honest Transfer Reality
- 1.3 Learn the Math Behind Your Value
Module 02
Discover: Put a Real Number Behind Your Future
- 2.1 Picture Your Life After the Business
- 2.2 Find Your Number—and the Gap
- 2.3 Bring Everything Into One Master Plan
Module 03
Protect: Find the Risks Before a Buyer Does
- 3.1 Mark Your "You Are Here" Point
- 3.2 Prepare for the Four Ds
- 3.3 Turn Gut Feelings Into a Risk Map
Module 04
Build: Make Your Business Less Dependent on You
- 4.1 Find Your Highest-Leverage Value Driver
- 4.2 Get Your Brilliance Out of Your Head
- 4.3 Prove That Your Future Is Predictable
Module 05
Harvest: Choose the Transfer That Fits Your Life
- 5.1 Compare Your Real Transition Options
- 5.2 Understand Who Might Buy—and Why
- 5.3 Know the Road From Interest to Closing
Module 06
Manage: Work Your Master Plan in 90-Day Moves
- 6.1 Know What Is Pushing—and Pulling—You
- 6.2 Work ON Your Business in Focused Sprints
- 6.3 Put the Right Advisors in Your Corner
By the End of the Mini-Course, You Will Have:
Every workbook is yours to keep. This is not a course you watch and forget; it's a plan you build, module by module, at your own pace.
- A working estimate of what your business is worth today, using the Adjusted EBITDA approach from the book
- A completed "You Are Here" baseline across ownership, people, financials, and risk
- A prioritized risk map, using the likelihood-and-consequence method from Module 3
- One identified highest-leverage value driver, with a defined next step
- A side-by-side comparison of your real transition options: family, management, or third-party
- Your first 90-day sprint, ready to work the day you finish Module 6
Enrollment
Your Investment
$495one-time enrollment
- Six modules · 18 video lessons
- Audio + private podcast for every lesson
- Six guided workbook assignments
- A digital copy of The Exit Code
- The four free diagnostic tools
- NorthStar Value Group community access
- Lifetime access
Satisfaction Guarantee
We stand behind the quality of this course. If you complete Module 1 and don't feel it's right for you, contact us within 30 days of enrolling for a full refund.
The Person Behind the Program
Ray Croff, CEO of NorthStar Value Group
Ray Croff is the CEO of NorthStar Value Group and founder of the Trusted Advisor Collaborative. As a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) and Certified Value Growth Advisor (CVGA) with over 15 years of experience, he specializes in value building, succession planning, and exit strategy. Unlike many advisors, Ray brings firsthand experience as a former business owner who has successfully navigated the complexities and financial stakes of transitioning a company. This lived experience inspired him to create the Growth and Exit Roundtable to help owners prepare for growth and exit. Named one of the top CEPAs in the U.S. in 2020 and a former Dallas Chapter President of the Exit Planning Institute, Ray combines his real-world business background with award-winning advisory expertise to guide owners through their most critical decisions.
Credentials
CEPA · CLU · ChFC | Certified Exit Planning & Business Succession Advisor | Business Valuation Expert | Impact Agent of the Year
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
The full six-module, 18-lesson program, the same NorthStar Value Path taught in the Roundtable. What's not included is live advisor time, the AI tools, and the weekly cohort sessions.
No. A digital copy is included with the course. But if you've already read it, the lessons will reinforce what you learned.
Every lesson has an audio player built into the course, plus a private podcast link so you can listen through Spotify or your own podcast app.
Lifetime. Revisit any module or workbook whenever your business or your plan changes.
You can apply for the Growth and Exit Roundtable any time. If you enroll within 3 months of buying the Mini-Course, we'll apply what you paid for it toward your Roundtable enrollment. Owners who've worked through the Mini-Course usually arrive with a head start.
No. NorthStar Value Group isn't a broker and isn't in the M&A business. This is education: building a business worth owning today and worth selling tomorrow.
Your business is worth more than you think. Let's start building the plan.
Six modules. Audio, video, and podcast for every lesson. Yours for life.