Why buyers price against it
Every buyer is really buying one thing: cash flow they can count on after you have gone. Owner independence is their read on whether that cash flow survives your departure. When the owner is the top salesperson, the key relationship, the final approver and the person who solves every non-routine problem, the business is not an asset that can change hands. It is a job that happens to have staff.
What weak looks like
The signs are familiar to any acquirer. Customers who buy because of you rather than the company. Decisions that stall when you are away. Pricing, hiring and supplier terms that live in your judgement instead of a policy. No second-tier manager who could run the week without you. When due diligence surfaces these, most buyers do not walk. They reprice, and they structure the deal so you stay tied in until the risk has passed.
How to strengthen it
Start by making yourself replaceable in the work only you do today. Move customer relationships onto named account owners. Put a management layer between you and the day-to-day, and let them make the decisions you would currently make. Write down the judgement calls still in your head. The test is simple: could the business run, win a new customer, and handle a real problem during a month when you are unreachable? Build until the answer is yes.