Exit Factor President Jessica Fialkovich was featured in Inc. in an article titled “How AI and Automation Are Reshaping Business Worth,” published February 26, 2026. The piece explains how artificial intelligence and automation can increase business value faster, but only when a company has complete, current, and usable data.
In the article, Fialkovich encourages business owners who may sell in the next few years to start preparing now. Incomplete or outdated information can prevent a true picture of what the business is worth and can lead to a lower exit price. She also highlights a real example of a company using a custom AI tool to accelerate standard operating procedure documentation, with a clear takeaway that AI depends on the quality and completeness of what you put into it.
Fialkovich outlines practical lenses owners can use to evaluate AI’s impact on business valuation. These include validating ROI through financial performance, using time relevant comparable data from similarly sized businesses, avoiding “free” valuation tools that are designed to generate leads, and recognizing that valuation still requires experienced human judgment to interpret what is truly happening in day-to-day operations.
For prospective franchise owners, the article reinforces what Exit Factor helps business owners do every day: build transferable value through stronger systems, clearer documentation, improved operational performance, and disciplined exit planning. If you are exploring a business coaching and exit planning franchise, learn more about the Exit Factor franchise opportunity and how this framework translates into a repeatable client service model.
