The Book by Adam D. Parks, CEPA®
The 80% Problem
Why Most Business Owners Don’t Know What Their Company Is Worth—and What It Costs Them
Roughly seventy to eighty percent of a typical business owner’s net worth is tied up in the business itself. Most owners plan to fund the rest of their lives by selling it. Few have ever had it professionally valued, measured the gap between what a sale would bring and what they will actually need, or modeled what taxes take on the way out.
The 80% Problem is a short, practical guide to closing that gap—written for owners who want to leave on their own terms.
Get It on AmazonRequest a Signed Copy
Available in paperback and Kindle editions.
Inside the Book
The questions that decide how an exit turns out.
01What your business is actually worth—and why the multiple you heard is nearly useless
02The value gap: what you will receive versus what you will need
03Why being attractive to buyers and being ready to sell are not the same thing
04De-risking the asset: customer concentration, owner dependence, and management depth
05The exit options, honestly ranked
06The tax bill nobody modeled—and why estate planning has to happen before the event
07Life after the check
08The runway: what to do starting Monday
“The value gap is not a verdict. It is a measurement—and every year you have left is a year you can still do something about it.”
Adam D. Parks, The 80% Problem
Written for owners who are…
Five to ten years from an exit
The time to build value and reduce risk is before a buyer shows up—not after.
Counting on the sale to retire
If the business is your retirement plan, you need to know what it is worth and what you will keep after taxes.
Hearing from buyers
An unsolicited offer is a starting point. The book helps you judge what it is really worth to you.
About the Author
Adam D. Parks, CEPA®, AIF®, CBDA®
Adam is the founder and president of Trinity Wealth Management Group, a private wealth management practice he founded in 2015 with offices in Clearwater and Tampa. As a Certified Exit Planning Advisor, he helps business owners connect the value of their company to the rest of their financial life—investments, taxes, estate planning, and the income they will need after the sale. He is also a U.S. military reserve veteran.
Where does your business stand?
The book lays out the questions. A conversation applies them to your company. Schedule a complimentary exit planning consultation to talk through valuation, your value gap, and your timeline.
The 80% Problem · Paperback, 93 pages · ISBN 979-8234252470 · Published by Trinity Wealth Management Group, 2026
The book is intended for general educational purposes and is not individualized investment, tax, or legal advice. Trinity Wealth Management Group does not provide legal advice; please consult your tax and legal advisors regarding your specific situation.
