Why 80% of Businesses Don’t Sell — And How You Can Beat the Odds | Evan Poling on Exit Strategy & BizRetire

Most business owners spend decades building their company—only to discover that when it’s time to sell, no one wants to buy it. In fact, 80% of businesses listed for sale never sell, leaving owners with nothing to show for years of hard work.

That’s not just a missed payday—it’s a financial nightmare that could derail your Freedom Day plans. Add in shady brokers, outdated marketplaces, and unqualified buyers, and it’s no wonder small business owners are feeling stuck with no clear exit strategy.

In this episode, Jeff Kikel sits down with Evan Poling, founder of BizRetire.com, to talk about how he's shaking up the broken world of buying and selling businesses. Evan shares how his background in anti-money laundering and finance led him to create a commission-free, seller-first marketplace—and how his model helps both buyers and sellers avoid the pitfalls of traditional exit strategies.

Whether you're planning your exit, looking to acquire a business, or just want to understand how to build something worth selling, this episode is packed with insight, strategy, and straight talk.

Key Takeaways:

• Why 80% of businesses listed for sale don’t sell—and what you can do to avoid that fate.

• How Evan’s background in anti-money laundering (AML) shaped his approach to evaluating businesses.

• The dark truth behind traditional business brokers and the hidden “failure tax” sellers pay.

• Why BizRetire is designed to be the “baby” of a good business broker and a quality marketplace.

• Why low-revenue “boring” businesses are a massive opportunity for future entrepreneurs.

• The emotional cost of poor planning: widows, lost homes, and buyer exploitation.

• The buyer bottleneck myth—it’s not buyers that are hard to find, it’s sellers who are unaware.

• How seller-financing and advisory partnerships can make or break a deal.

• Why your business isn’t a “baby”—and why the market doesn’t care unless it’s prepared to sell.

About the Guest:

Evan Poling is a lifelong learner and optimizer, driven by curiosity and a passion for doing things better. From earning a black belt in Hapkido to managing a full house remodel, building a business, owning rental property, and serving in the military, Evan's diverse experiences bring a unique lens of clarity, depth, and innovation to every challenge.

Now, as the founder of BizRetire.com, Evan is on a mission to disrupt the 300-year-old business brokerage industry. While traditional brokers operate like Blockbuster, Evan is building the Netflix of business sales—modernizing how entrepreneurs transition out of their businesses with smarter, more streamlined solutions.

With a background rooted in adaptability and insight, Evan brings a fresh perspective to an industry in need of reinvention.

Links:

https://www.bizretire.com/

Fast Five Questions:

1. If you woke up and your business was gone, you have $500, a laptop, a place to live, and food, what would you do first? "I'm going to log on to Facebook Marketplace and find some stuff that I can buy and resell... I'm going to make some money."

2. What is the biggest mistake that you have made in business? "There's a thing called Iron Triangle: speed, quality, and price. You can only have two. I chose price and quality—and it took me six to seven months to launch my website. I should have just paid the extra $3,000 or $4,000."

3. What is a book that you would recommend? "The Bible. If you're not right spiritually, physically, emotionally, you're going to chase after the wrong things. My business is not about profit. It's about impact."

4. What is a tool that you use every day that you would recommend? "I've been using video editing software a lot—Premiere Pro—for shorts and videos and stuff."

5. What is your definition of freedom? "Freedom? This is one I struggle with. I thought it was being a business owner... but that's a different type of slavery. My definition of freedom is heaven, man. Eternal bliss."

About Jeff:

Jeff spent the early part of his career working for others. Jeff had started 5 businesses that failed before he had his first success. Since that time he has learned the principles of a successful business and has been able to build and grow multiple seven-figure businesses. Jeff lives in the Austin area and is actively working in his community and supporting the growth of small businesses. He is a board member of the Incubator.Edu program at Vista Ridge High School and is on the board of directors of the Leander Educational Excellence Foundation

Connect with the Freedom Nation podcast at https://freedom-nation-podcast.captivate.fm/

Connect with Jeff:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freedomnationpodcast/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeffKikel

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffkikel/

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