Thousands of small- to medium-sized businesses sell privately every year, so why use a professional M&A Advisor? Why not save the professional fees and do it yourself?
There are several reasons, but in my experience most of my clients say they chose me to help them get the best possible result from the years they invested in building their business, while managing the whole process with maximum confidentiality.
An experienced M&A professional can more than earn his/her fee by improving the price, terms, and ultimately, the net proceeds an owner will realize from selling his business.
Our process begins with analyzing and recasting the company’s financial statements. Traditional financial statements for privately held companies – even audited, GAAP statements – are not prepared with the intent to sell the business for the best possible price. Mostly, they are prepared to file tax returns and pay the least amount of income tax.
As an example, one business owner asked me to take over the sale of his business after he had attempted to sell it himself for almost a year. He reported that even after lowering his asking price by a third, his trade journal ads hadn’t produced a single offer.
After working with the owner to recast his financial history, then creating fresh marketing materials to show his business in the best possible light, and then exposing his business through blind ads to our network of buyers, within 8 months we successfully closed with a strategic buyer for 50% more than the seller’s last asking price. The deal also so included several perks that made the deal even sweeter for this seller.
At Legacy Advisors Group, we’re in regular, direct communication with hundreds of qualified & motivated, individual and corporate buyers – both domestic and international – for small- to medium-sized companies. We’re experienced in CONFIDENTIALLY finding just the right buyer for your business, negotiating a win-win deal, and getting it closed.
If you know of a business owner who’s thinking of selling or buying a business and who might benefit from a complimentary, confidential, consultation with us, have them contact me at: mertel@lmaallc.com
By: Mike Ertel, Transworld M&A Advisors