MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS
Full access to the Value Builder System
Professional advisor-led guidance. Over 80,000 companies have gone through the Value Builder System seeing their values by an average of 71%. From benchmarking your value, to unpacking and building growth.
Private Advisory
With your membership, you receive an hour of professional and private advisory with one of SAF’s Certified Business Advisors who will walk you through each of the 12 modules of the Value Builder System. Each month, at your convenience, we will unpack a module that is chalked full of tutorials, videos, and homework assignments. Our clients can literally see their score (and business value) increase month over month and year over year. These sessions last for an hour and are delivered over a live Zoom.
Access to all webinars, newsletters, and podcasts
You’ll have login privileges to our community of valuable resources. Webinar topics address every important topic in business
Free initial consultations with all SAF Preferred Partners
In addition to free initial consultations, members receive special pricing from SAF Preferred Partners (legal, accounting, marketing, HR, sales, etc). We’ll work with you once a year to calculate the ROI on this valuable feature of membership.
Webinar Wednesdays
SAF Webinars are live or recorded online presentations designed to educate, inspire, and equip business owners with actionable insights. These sessions typically last an hour and focus on critical topics like scaling a business, improving cash flow, navigating legal issues, leveraging technology, or preparing for an exit. Members receive the full recording of each webinar for their educational library.
Led by industry experts, advisors, or fellow entrepreneurs, webinars offer a convenient and interactive format for learning—without leaving the office. Business owners can participate in real-time Q&A, access valuable resources, and connect with peers who share similar challenges and goals.
Whether you’re a startup founder or a seasoned CEO, webinars provide high-impact education that’s timely, relevant, and easy to access—from strategy to execution.
“Ask the Expert”
Join the SAF panel of experts that cover all aspects of business (Legal, Accounting, Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, HR, etc) as we openly and confidentially discuss any business question on the planet. Participate, or simply ask you question confidentially to get your questions answered.
Special enrollment into the SAF CapClub
With this innovative and unique service, we help business owners identify and acquire capital for growth, acquisitions, etc. SAF serves as a conduit to capital, from high net worth individuals to funding resources not readily available to the public. We’ll advise you on how to build and deliver your pitch deck and make the introductions when the time is right. Your membership provides tips, templates, etc to build compelling business cases. Additional fees may apply for more hands on advisory and member-resource meetings.
* Accelerated Growth: Capital allows you to invest in new products, expand operations, hire talent, or enter new markets faster than organic growth would allow.
* Increased Cash Flow: Access to capital helps ease cash constraints, smooth out operational cycles, and provide a cushion for large expenditures or unexpected downturns.
* Strategic Flexibility: With more financial runway, you can pivot strategically, invest in long-term initiatives, or respond quickly to market opportunities.
* Enhanced Credibility: Securing capital—especially from reputable investors—can boost your business’s reputation, making it easier to attract top talent, strategic partners, and future funding.
* Ownership Retention (Depending on Structure): Raising capital through debt instead of equity allows you to fund growth without diluting ownership, though it comes with repayment obligations.
Monthly Mastermind Group
The SAF team, along with special speakers, conduct monthly virtual/onsite events in Charleston, Raleigh, Charlotte, Greenville, and Atlanta with food and drinks provided. Learn “best of breed” expertise in an intimate setting (max of 10 per group). Topics change every month and are critical to the growth and success of any business. Can’t make every month? No worries, you can Zoom in. Learn, grow, and network with people in the trench like yourself.
Leadership Lab – quarterly content & networking events
In our mission to Build Better Business, members can enjoya dynamic and highly focused networking events designed exclusively for business owners who are scaling their companies or preparing for a successful exit.
Whether you’re looking to double your revenue, attract investors, or position your business for acquisition, SAF events bring together the right people and the right conversations. We believe iron sharpens iron.
Always over drinks and food, connect with fellow founders, M&A advisors, private equity partners, strategic buyers, and growth experts in a setting built for meaningful dialogue—not just business cards. Through facilitated discussions, peer insights, and targeted networking, you’ll gain real-world strategies and trusted connections that can accelerate your next move.
Whether you’re 2 years from exit or just beginning to scale, these events give SAF members the opportunity to build relationships that matter and leave with a roadmap to greater value.
Events are scheduled by member interest around the Southeast.
Annual conference
At the annual SAF conference in Charleston, SC, members join hundreds of other members and forward-thinking business owners for a powerful, high-impact day of growth, strategy, and connection. This annual 1-day conference is designed for entrepreneurs who are ready to scale smarter, lead stronger, and build businesses that are not only profitable—but sellable.
From expert-led keynotes and interactive workshops to panel discussions and peer-to-peer networking, the conference delivers actionable insights across leadership, finance, operations, marketing, and exit planning. Learn from successful founders, advisors, and industry influencers who have been where you are—and know what it takes to grow, protect, and eventually sell your company.
Whether you’re building for the next level or planning your ideal exit, this is your day to get clarity, confidence, and community. Members $199, Non-members: $699.
Our 2026 conference will be held in downtown Charleston, SC and will feature best-selling author, featured speaker, and enormously successful John Warrillow, Founder of Built to Sell Radio and The Value Builder System.
A sought-after speaker, John has keynoted Fortune magazine’s Growth Summit, Entrepreneur’s Organization New York City and Toronto chapters, and the Inc. 5000 conference. He is also the author of two bestselling books, Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You, recognized by both Fortune and Inc. magazines as one of the best business books of 2011, and The Automatic Customer: Creating A Subscription Business In Any Industry. John also hosts Built to Sell Radio, which is ranked as one of the world’s 10 best podcasts for business owners by Forbes.
Personal development (beyond business) workshops*
These workshops will help you focus on family, mental health, work-life balance, relationships, and personal goals. Holistic growth, not just P&L’s.
Team building*
SAF team building events for business leaders are immersive experiences designed to strengthen leadership teams, enhance collaboration, and align business goals with culture. These events go beyond simple activities—they are strategic engagements that foster trust, improve communication, and ignite innovation among business leaders and their teams.
Whether it's a high-energy retreat, a leadership challenge course, or a workshop focused on vision alignment, these experiences help owners step out of day-to-day operations and into deeper connection with their team. The result? Stronger unity, clearer direction, and a more resilient company culture.
For business owners aiming to scale, retain top talent, or prepare their team for a future exit, intentional team building is not a luxury—it’s a multiplier. Our events are customized for each member.
Access to tools*
The SAF team will work closely with you as you deploy tools that will help you grow the value of your business. The goal – 2x your company’s value. Tools include:
- KPI Builder & Tracker
- Foundational Tools – Google, Microsoft 365, Dropbox, Slack, Zoom and others.
- CRM and other sales tools – Hubspot, Calendly, etc.
- Finance & Accounting – QuickBooks, Freshbooks, Gusto
- Operations & Project Management
- Cybersecurity & Compliance.
- Salary Survey. Stay competitive and retain A-level talent.
- Behavioral Interviewing Guide. Ask the right questions to hire the right team members. Attrition is incredibly costly!
- IRS Contractor Guidelines – stay in compliance with checklist guidelines.
- New salesperson handbook – lower attrition by giving the newbie a successful track to run on.
- Basic and advanced public speaking courses. Learn how to build and deliver rock-star pitches and presentations.
- Company Intranet*. Great for centralized communication and knowledge management.
*** Most of the subject matter expertise is in-house to SAF, but occasionally outside partners are required to deliver products/services. These costs are always approved by you before any work is started.At the Strategic Advisory Forum (SAF), we are on a mission to help business owners and leaders like you build a more profitable and valuable business by helping our members get the right things done. Whether you’re scaling to new heights or planning for an exit in the near future, we are here to provide the knowledge, tools, insights, and connections you need to unlock the full potential of your business.
