ASSURE THAT KEY EMPLOYEES STAY AROUND FOR THE EXIT

Make sure that key employees stay around until the exit event and sometime even afterwards.  There are a number of techniques that can be used to incentivize key employees to stay until the exit event. 

Contingent bonuses or the issue of phantom shares in the company are two examples.  Also the buyer of the company may want the owner and key management members to stay for a period after the sale of the business.  This can also be handled with bonuses or phantom shares.