Companies can be in trouble or headed for it for many reasons. However, most of them can be linked to one or more of the following: • Lack of proper focus • Poor management • Poor financial controls • Loss of key employee(s) • Loss of important customer(s)/client(s) • Not keeping up with technology • Quality control or other...
In the proverbial “perfect world,” business owners would plan three to five years ahead to sell their companies. But, as one industry expert has suggested, business owners very seldom plan to sell; rather, selling is “event driven.” Partner disputes, divorce, burn-out, health, and new competition...
Valuation of private companies is much more subjective than public companies because there is no free trading marketplace for the private companies’ stock. Just like a champion Olympic figure skater, the performance has to be flawless. Take a look at the following check list –...
Who best understands my business? When interviewing intermediaries to represent the sale of your firm, it is important that you discuss your decision process for selecting one. Without this discussion, an intermediary can’t respond to a prospective seller’s concerns. Are there any potential buyers? When dealing with intermediaries,...
• They neglect to run their business during the sales process. – The owner of a business with sales under the $20 million range can get so involved in the selling process that they neglect the day-to-day operation of the business. • They don’t understand the “real” value...
Since one often hears the term “fair value” or “fair market value,” it would be easy to assume that “fairness opinion” means the same thing. A fairness opinion may be based to some degree on fair market value, but there the similarities end. Assume that...
Many business owners are unfamiliar with the dynamics of selling a company, because they have never done so. There are numerous possible “deal breakers.” Being aware of the following pitfalls and their remedies should help prevent the possibility of an aborted transaction. Neglecting the Running of...
The deal is done and you have completed the closing. Now what do you do? You help the new owner because chances are that you have some vested interest in the new entity, and it is in your best interest that the new owner is...
If you are seriously considering selling your company, you have no doubt considered using the services of an intermediary. You probably have wondered what you could expect from him or her. It works both ways. To do their job, which is selling your company; maximizing...
One of the most frequently-asked questions by those looking at the independent business scene is: "How many are for sale?" Right on the heels of that question comes another: "How many actually sell?" To determine how many of these businesses are for sale at any one...