Show notes
Apr 28, 2025
In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, I sit down with Alexis Sikorsky, an experienced entrepreneur, coach, and author of the bestselling book Cashing Out. Alexis co-founded New Access in 2000, growing it into a €45-50 million business with 500 employees before successfully exiting to private equity between 2015 and 2019. Now, through Knight Scale, he provides coaching and advisory services to help fellow entrepreneurs navigate the challenges of scaling and exiting their businesses.
This conversation is packed with hard-won lessons on what it takes to build, scale, and ultimately sell a business for maximum value. Alexis shares the critical mistakes to avoid, how to prepare for an exit from day one, and what founders should know before working with private equity.
Key Takeaways:
✅ Focus on what's
important, not just urgent – carve out time for strategic
planning rather than just firefighting.
✅ Have a clear business
strategy but be prepared to pivot when necessary.
✅ Maintain a "war chest"
with at least 9 months' worth of expenses to ride
out downturns.
✅ When seeking private equity, do
your due diligence – vet firms thoroughly and create
competitive tension.
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For now, continue listening for the full story from Alexis.
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Most founders I speak to feel busy but stuck; plenty happening, but not always clear on what genuinely matters most this quarter. If that’s you, the G90 Summit is worth a look. A structured half-day where we work through everything competing for your attention, get clear on the three to five things that must happen in the next 90 days, then commit to them and build the system to make sure they actually happen. Quarterly, virtual, £97 a seat.
Alexis can be found here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexis-sikorsky-consulting/
Resources:
Cashing Out by Alexis Sikorsky - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/cashing-out-the-business-owner-s-guide-to-selling-to-private-equity-alexis-sikorsky/7660646?ean=9781781338476