Before answering the question, it makes sense to first ask why people want to be in business for themselves. What are their motives? There have been many surveys addressing this question. The words may be different, but the idea behind them and the order in which they are listed are almost always the same. Want […]
Owners are often asked, “do you think you will ever sell your business?” The answer varies from, “when I can get my price” to “never” to “I don’t really know” to everything in between. Most sellers may think to themselves when asked this question, “I’ll sell when the time is right.” Obviously, misfortune can force […]
Know the value of your business.  Don’t even think about selling until you know what your business should sell for. Get a formal Valuation or, at minimum, a Broker Opinion of Value. Call us to explain. Get prepare to sell. Have your financials properly prepared. There is an often-quoted statement in the business world: […]
In many cases, the sale of a small company is “event†driven. That is, the reason for sale is often an event such as a health decline or illness, divorce, partnership issues, or even a decline in business. A much more difficult reason for selling is one in which the owners simply want to retire […]
Surprise #1: Substantial Time Commitment In the real estate business, once the owner engages the broker there is very little for the owner to do until the broker presents the various offers from the potential buyers. In the M&A business, there is a substantial time commitment required of the CEO/Owner in order to complete the […]
Take two seemingly identical companies with very similar financials, but one of the companies was worth substantially more than the other company. One company will sell for $10 million “as is†or some changes can be made and the same company can be sold for $15 million. Following is a partial list of potential company […]
There are several key factors on the acquirer’s side of a sale, most of which are necessary to achieve a successful closing. Just as a seller has to deal with quite a few factors, the acquirer must also. Some of the more important ones on the acquisition side are: Sufficient financial resources to complete the […]
I am currently working with two buyers with two totally different motivations for buying a business. One buyer already owns a successful business and has the resources to purchase another in Orange County as an investment with either minimal involvement in day-to-day or hands off. The other buyer is from another state and wants to […]
There is the oft-told story about Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonalds. Before he approached the McDonald brothers at their California hamburger restaurant, he spent quite a few days sitting in his car watching the business. Only when he was convinced that the business and the concept worked, did he make an offer that the brothers […]
There is the old anecdote about the immigrant who opened his own business in the United States. Like many small business owners, he had his own bookkeeping system. He kept his accounts payable in a cigar box on the left side of his cash register, his daily receipts – cash and credit card receipts – […]
