Every business leader faces a defining moment – when their vision turns into action, and plans lead to real growth and achieving the desired exit. Some leaders create their own success stories, while others build systems that help many people achieve success. True mastery in business is not just about growing and exiting your own company but also about guiding others to do the same with clear direction, confidence, and care.
Leading this philosophy is Eric Tjoeng, the CEO and Founder of Business Growth and Exit Specialists (BGES), a leading boutique business consulting and advisory firm based in Sydney. Eric is an experienced entrepreneur and strategic advisor with many years of experience in building, growing, and successfully exiting businesses. Through BGES, he and his team work closely with business owners from various industries to provide practical, results-focused solutions. These include accelerating growth, future-proofing, and a successful exit. Eric’s approach is strategic, blending personalised, holistic strategies with practical execution to support leaders at every stage of their business journey.
A Lifetime in Business and a Mission to Support SME Owners
Eric Tjoeng began his professional career in 1981 with Deloitte in Sydney, where he built a strong foundation for a distinguished and impactful career. Over the following decades, he held senior management and general management roles at several leading multinational companies in Australia, including Avis Budget Group and Astre Automotive Group. Throughout this time, Eric earned a reputation for his strategic leadership, commercial insight, and practical approach.
In 2005, Eric Tjoeng joined CAD Partners, one of the top SME business advisory and financial control firms in Australia and New Zealand, as a Partner. He was recognised multiple times for his outstanding contributions, receiving awards such as Australia and New Zealand Partner of the Year, Best Performer, Marketer of the Year, Team Player of the Year, and the Community Contribution Award. His leadership at CAD Partners culminated in his appointment as Joint CEO.
Drawing from his extensive experience and a deep personal understanding of the challenges faced by small and medium-sized business owners, Eric founded Business Growth and Exit Specialists Pty Ltd (BGES) in 2015. He observed a clear gap in the market: many SME owners work incredibly hard but often struggle to build businesses that are truly valuable, scalable, and ready for exit. Most are not given the guidance needed to achieve successful growth or exit outcomes.
Eric Tjoeng’s vision with BGES is to change this by providing proven, evidence-based, and comprehensive strategies to SME owners. He is passionate about simplifying complex business challenges and helping owners build stronger, more profitable, and sustainable businesses that are prepared for growth or exit. Many of his friends who owned SMEs were facing difficulties with cash flow, profitability, and long-term sustainability and exit options, often without access to the resources available to larger corporations. Through BGES, Eric aims to empower these business owners to succeed with clarity, confidence, and care.
Changing Mindsets Around Growth, Value, and Exit Planning
“One of the biggest challenges in building BGES was changing mindsets,” Eric Tjoeng explains. Many SME owners initially see growth and exit planning as separate processes or believe that exit planning should only happen at the very end.
An important lesson came early when Eric Tjoeng worked with a profitable business owner who wanted to “test the market.” Although the financial figures looked strong, the business was heavily dependent on the owner, lacked documented systems, and faced risks due to a very small number of highly concentrated customers. As a result, buyer interest was low, and the valuations were much lower than expected.
This experience reinforced a key principle that now guides BGES’s approach: Value is not determined by effort or intention; it is determined by structure, risk profile, and transferability.
Since then, BGES has focused on frameworks that reduce owner dependency, improve systemisation, strengthen leadership, enhance value drivers, and lower risks well before an exit takes place.
BGES at a Glance
- Established: 2015, celebrating 10 years of impact
- Recognition:
- 2025 Best Business Growth Services & Advisors in Australia
- Top 10 SME business advisors to watch in 2024
- Top 10 Strategic Planning Services Companies in Australia in 2023
- Top 10 Australian Business Strategists & Experts to Watch in 2021
- Team: 9 partners
- Business Exit Engagement Duration: 18–38 months for most exit assignments
- Business Exit Advisory Results: Average 130%+ increase in business value; 90%+ successful exits
- Industries Served: Professional services, trades, manufacturing, distribution, and hospitality
Adapting to the New Rules of SME Business Exits
BGES identifies several important changes shaping the SME exit landscape. First, there is an imbalance between sellers and buyers, with supply exceeding demand. Buyers have become more risk-sensitive and tend to penalise businesses that are heavily dependent on their owners or lack strong systems. As a result, good and fair exit offers are generally reserved for businesses that are well-structured, de-risked, profitable, and strategically attractive.
Additionally, earlier exit planning is now essential to prepare businesses to be exit-ready and easily transferable. Succession planning, especially in family businesses, is becoming more complex. Furthermore, many successful exits are achieved through off-market mergers and acquisitions, management or employee buyouts, and financing deals facilitated by business exit advisory firms.
Eric Tjoeng explains, “BGES prepares clients by embedding exit readiness into everyday business strategy rather than treating it as a future project. Being exit-ready early allows businesses to capitalise on any good opportunity that arises and be ready for any unforeseen circumstances.” This proactive approach helps business owners position themselves for success in a changing market.
A Value-First Approach to Business Growth and Exit
A successful business exit is not just about completing a sale. For BGES, it means:
- The owner exits on their own terms
- The business achieves a fair or premium valuation
- The process is carefully planned, not rushed or forced
- Risks are minimised well before due diligence begins
- The owner has options without feeling pressured
BGES sets itself apart with a value-first, exit-ready-by-design approach. As the company says, “We don’t start with ‘How do we sell?’ We start with ‘How do we build a business that someone would want to buy?’”
Its proprietary frameworks focus on:
- Reducing owner dependency
- Strengthening financial clarity and predictability
- Systemising operations
- Developing leadership and management capabilities
- Aligning growth with key valuation drivers and de-risking the business
At BGES, exit is seen as a strategic outcome, not just a single event.
Defining Success Beyond Financial Results
BGES measures success by more than financial results alone, placing strong emphasis on providing clients with clarity, confidence, and positive outcomes. The firm is dedicated to helping build sustainable and transferable businesses that can continue to thrive beyond the owner’s exit.
Central to BGES’s approach is enabling owners to leave their businesses with dignity and a true sense of choice. This comprehensive perspective demonstrates its commitment to supporting both the business and its owner throughout the entire exit journey.
To maintain the highest standards of ethics, privacy, and compliance, BGES follows strict confidentiality protocols and secure data management practices. The firm consistently upholds strong ethical principles in all advisory services.
Eric Tjoeng highlights that exit planning depends greatly on trust, and BGES handles all client information with the utmost professional care. This unwavering commitment ensures that sensitive information remains fully protected throughout the process.
A Practical Example of BGES’s Exit-Ready Approach in Action
A professional services firm sought BGES’s support as its owner planned to exit within three years. Although the business was profitable, it depended heavily on the owner for sales, delivery oversight, and managing key client relationships.
Over a 26-month period, BGES collaborated closely with the client to focus on value drivers and reduce risks, preparing the business to be exit-ready. This involved understanding the likely strategic buyers and their expectations; establishing structured management roles; documenting and systemising core delivery processes; improving pricing discipline and profit margins; reducing customer concentration; strengthening financial reporting and forecasting; and enhancing operational efficiency.
The outcomes were significant. Net profit increased by over 68%, owner involvement, reliance, and customer concentration were significantly reduced with accurate and up to date financial reporting, and potential buyers’ interest and confidence improved substantially. Ultimately, the owner successfully exited the business at a valuation more than double the initial expectation.
As Eric Tjoeng emphasises, “Most importantly, the owner exited with clarity, confidence, and choice – not desperation .” This example highlights BGES’s dedication to helping business owners achieve well-planned and rewarding exits.
Expanding Partnerships to Better Serve Business Owners
BGES actively works in partnership with a range of professionals, including accountants, CFOs, advisory firms, commercial lawyers, financial advisers, business brokers, and merger and acquisition specialists. These collaborations ensure that clients receive coordinated and consistent advice covering business growth, future planning, and exit strategies.
Looking ahead, BGES plans to expand the number of partners and its network and strengthen collaborations to deliver even more effective results. By increasing its resources, building these connections, and offering customised solutions, BGES aims to support its long-term vision of helping SME owners successfully grow and exit their businesses with confidence.
Speaking, Features, and Industry Recognition
Eric Tjoeng and Business Growth and Exit Specialists (BGES) have been featured across several notable industry platforms for their thought leadership in SME growth, value creation, and exit strategy.
In 2025, Business Growth and Exit Specialists was recognised among the Best Business Growth Services & Advisors in Australia by Digital Reference.
Eric appeared on the Consulting Leaders podcast, where he discussed strategies to scale businesses, enhance value, and prepare for successful exits.
Eric and BGES were featured at the Australian Business Show, where Eric presented the seminar “Blueprint for Scalable Growth & Profitable Business Exits” and joined the expert panel discussion “Exit Ready: Building a Business Buyers Want.”
Earlier recognitions include Eric Tjoeng being named among The Enterprise World’s Top 10 SME Business Advisors to Watch in 2024 and BGES being listed among Australia’s Top 10 Strategic Planning Services Companies in Business Management Review.
A Five-Year Vision for Stronger, More Valuable Businesses
BGES’s vision for the next five years is to change how SME owners approach growth and exit, moving away from reactive decisions toward intentional value creation and successful exits. The company aims to continue leading the development of best practices, education, and frameworks that elevate standards throughout the SME sector.
In doing so, BGES hopes to play a key role as a thought leader, guiding business owners and the industry toward more strategic and effective exit planning.
An Open Letter to Emerging Leaders and Entrepreneurs
Dear emerging leaders,
As you embark on your business journey, remember this: build a business that creates options, not obligations. Every decision you make should expand your choices, your freedom, and your capacity to grow, and exit not tie you down.
Think beyond day-to-day operations. Focus on short-term wins, mid-term growth, and long-term strategies that prepare your business for a successful exit. It’s not just about effort; it’s about direction and intention.
Build strong teams, not dependencies. Cultivate shared values, manage risks early, and always keep your long-term vision in sight, even as you execute in the present. The businesses that truly endure – and exit well – are those designed deliberately, with the end in mind from the very start.
Warm regards,
Eric Tjoeng, CEO & Founder
Business Growth and Exit Specialists (BGES)
5 Key Takeaways from Eric Tjoeng and BGES’s Impact on SME Growth and Exit Planning
- Business value must be built early and intentionally. Successful exits come from strong systems, reduced risk, and clear structure—not just hard work or profitability.
- Growth and exit planning should happen together. Building an exit-ready business from day one creates more options, better valuations, and less pressure later.
- Reducing owner dependency is critical to real value. Businesses that can operate without relying heavily on the owner are more attractive to buyers and easier to transfer.
- Exit success is about clarity, choice, and confidence. A good exit allows owners to leave on their own terms, with dignity and without urgency.
- Trust, ethics, and people matter as much as numbers. BGES focuses on long-term sustainability, ethical advisory, and supporting both the business and the owner through the entire journey.
