Rule #1: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” Most buyers are eager to “make their mark” once they’ve acquired a business.  But unless the business is losing money, or employees and customers alike despised the previous owner, it is…

Most discussions about determining the value of a business, start — and frequently end — with an analysis of historical earnings and/or cash flow.  Many buyers & quite a few brokers are most comfortable expressing their valuation as a multiple…

One of the most frequently asked questions in my business is “How can I determine/improve the Fair Market Value of my business?”  When we talk about the Fair Market Value, we’re referring to the value of your business as seen…

As the generation of Baby Boomers approaches retirement, it has been estimated that over the next twenty years retiring business owners with be seeking to successfully exit their businesses, with an aggregate value in the trillions of dollars. Without the…

Almost without exception, all business sellers would prefer to get 100% of their selling price in cash at closing – and for some very good reasons.  Most sellers have heard horror stories about other sellers who sold their business for…

A nightmare scenario for most business owners is to learn that rumors are spreading among their employees, customers, vendors, bankers and competitors that their business is for sale. It’s only human nature for most people to suspect the worst until…

Selling a business you’ve spent most of your working life to build is one of the most important personal and financial decisions most business owners will ever make, and for that reason, it’s important not to wait too long. The…

Selling a business can be the largest and most important deal of an entrepreneur’s career. Yet, most business owners prepare very little if at all.  In the best of all worlds, the owner begins to prepare his or her business…

Thousands of small- to medium-sized businesses sell privately every year, so why use an M&A Professional?  There are several reasons, but in my experience most of my clients say they chose me to help them get the best possible result…

Have you considered an ESOP Trust as a possible buyer for your company? Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOP) have been around for over 25 years, and many well known, national companies have them, but many misconceptions still exist, such as:…