You may know how to design packaging to get people to grab items off the shelf, but what if a brand has another goal in mind? Success may not only lie in the number of products sold but also in the appeal a brand has to potential investors or larger companies looking to acquire it.

If the plan is to sell a company, the sooner brand owners and designers know this, the better. You can’t just flip a switch, advised Evan Faber, CEO and chief strategist at branding agency Moxie Sozo, which has helped position several brands for acquisition, including Fourth & Heart and Duke’s. Part of the exit and what the potential return relies on the brand itself—so a better, more realized brand means a stronger exit.