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In the first eighteen months after Mondino and Zocco had sold their credit rating firm to Standard & Poor (S&P), business had soared. The young entrepreneurs had not only received a decent sum for their company, they had also been given considerable support to grow their business and their own talents. All of the analysts, including the two managing directors, were participating regularly in S&P's highly regarded educational programmes. Furthermore, their experience in rating committees with analysts from around the world was broadening them immeasurably. On balance, the acquisition had worked out well. However, the economic situation of the last three months was taking its toll. The workload had increased as more companies faced difficulty and needed to be reassessed. The very unpleasant work of downgrading a company inevitably increased in times like these as well. Furthermore, the major market for ratings, the industrial sector, was maturing. To continue to grow the business would now require extensive education of prospective clients in new markets, like insurance and managed funds. As Mondino and Zocco discussed their own expectations for the coming year, they wondered if this might not be the time to exit the company they had built.