There is the old saying that the time to develop an exit strategy is the day you open for business. Sounds good, but it’s not very realistic. Further, it also isn’t very optimistic. On the day you open for business, thoughts about how you get out of it aren’t pleasant, or helpful, thoughts. However, as you get the business to a place where you have a bit of extra time to plan, you will find that the things you need to do to improve your business are some of the very things you will need to work on to plan an exit strategy. You can’t predict misfortune, but you can plan for it. One never knows when an accident or illness will force one to sell. When the drive to your business becomes filled with dread, maybe it’s time to consider selling. The following ideas will improve your business, even if you’re not currently considering selling. Dealing with these areas will also supply the information a buyer will most likely be looking at when the time does come to sell. Buyers want cash … [Read more...]
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Advantages of Buying an Existing Business
1. Established. An existing business is a known entity. It has an established and historical track record. It has a customer or client base, established vendors, and suppliers. It has a physical location and has furniture, fixtures, and equipment all in place. The term “turnkey operation” is overused, but an existing business is just that with ALL these items in place and ready to go. For start-ups, you are starting from scratch and you need to ramp up and therefore the risk is higher. 2. Business Relationships. In addition to the existing relationships with customers or clients, vendors, and suppliers, most businesses also have experienced employees in place who are a valuable asset. Buyers may already have established relationships with banks, insurance companies, printers, advertisers, professional advisors, etc., but if not, the existing owner does have these relationships, and they can readily be transferred. 3. Not “A Pig in a Poke”. Starting a new business is … [Read more...]
Five Kinds of Buyers
Buyers are generally categorized as belonging to one of the following groups although, in reality, most buyers fit into more than one. The Individual Buyer This is typically an individual with substantial financial resources, and with the type of background or experience necessary for leading a particular operation. The individual buyer usually seeks a business that is financially healthy, indicating a sound return on the investment of both money and time. The Strategic Buyer This buyer is almost always a company with a specific goal in mind -- entry into new markets, increasing market share, gaining new technology, or eliminating some element of competition. The Synergistic Buyer The synergistic category of buyer, like the strategic type, is usually a company. Synergy means that the joining of the two companies will produce more, or be worth more, than just the sum of their parts. The Industry Buyer Sometimes known as “the buyer of last resort,” this type is … [Read more...]
Why Deals Don’t Close
Sellers · Sellers don’t have a specific reason for selling. · Sellers are testing the waters to check the marketplace and the price. (They are similar to the buyer who is “just shopping.”) · Sellers are completely unrealistic about the price and don’t understand the marketplace for their business. · Sellers are not honest about their business or their situation. The reason they want to sell is that the business is not viable, revenues are declining, possible environmental problems, new competition is entering the marketplace or some other serious issues that the seller has not revealed. · Sellers don’t disclose that there are more than one owner and they are not all in agreement. · Sellers have not checked with their outside advisors about possible financial, tax or legal implications of selling their business until an offer is presented. · Sellers are unprepared or misinformed about providing seller financing to complete a transaction. This is key since according … [Read more...]
Seller Financing: The Basics
Seller financing has always been a mainstay of Business Brokerage. Buyers typically don’t have the capital necessary to pay cash, are unable to borrow the money, or are reluctant to use all of their capital. Buyers also feel that a business should pay for itself and are wary of a seller who wants all cash or who wants the carry-back note secured by additional collateral. What sellers seem to be saying, at least as perceived by the buyer, is that they don’t have a lot of confidence in the business or in the buyer or perhaps both. However, if you look at statistics, it’s apparent that sellers usually receive a much higher purchase price if they accept terms. Studies reveal that, on average, a seller who sells for all cash receives only about 80 percent of the asking price. Sellers who are willing to accept terms receive, on average, 86 percent of the asking price. The seller who asks for all cash receives, on average, a purchase price of 36 percent of annual sales while the seller … [Read more...]
What Would Your Business Sell For?
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 – in the cash register, and his invoices and paid bills in a cigar box on the right side of his cash register. When his youngest son graduated as a CPA, he was appalled by his father’s primitive bookkeeping system. “I don’t know how you can run a business that way,” his son said. “How do you know what your profits are?” “Well, son,” the father replied, “when I came to this country, I had nothing but the clothes I was wearing. Today, your brother is a doctor, your sister is a lawyer, and you are an accountant. Your mother and I have a nice car, a city house and a place at the beach. We have a good business and everything is paid for. Add that all together, subtract the clothes, and … [Read more...]
Selling Your Business? Expect the Unexpected!
According to the experts, a business owner should lay the groundwork for selling at about the same time as he or she first opens the door for business. Great advice, but it rarely happens. Most sales of businesses are event-driven; i.e., an event or circumstance such as partnership problems, divorce, health, or just plain burn-out pushes the business owner into selling. The business owner now becomes a seller without considering the unexpected issues that almost always occur. Here are some questions that need answering before selling: How much is your time worth? Business owners have a business to run, and they are generally the mainstay of the operation. If they are too busy trying to meet with prospective buyers, answering their questions and getting necessary data to them, the business may play second fiddle. Buyers can be very demanding and ignoring them may not only kill a possible sale, but will also reduce the purchase price. Using the services of a business broker is a … [Read more...]
Rating Business Buyers in Today’s Market
Making the initial decision to sell is tough, but once that decision is made, there are many diverse options. Small businesses are more sophisticated than ever, and the individuals purchasing these businesses are complex and come from varied backgrounds. Here is an overview of the most active categories of business buyers in today's market: Groupings of Family Members People within a business owner’s own family often opt to buy the family business. In fact, this stands as one of the more common types of small business buyers. One reason is that business owners are more comfortable with a relative taking over the prized business, as they often built it up from nothing. Quite often the family member looking to take over the family business has been carefully groomed and tested over the years to ensure that he or she is ready to be the true "heir apparent." In this kind of situation, the family member truly is the best person to buy the business. However, there is a downside. … [Read more...]
What Does a “Unique Business” Mean?
Quite commonly, business owners feel that their business is unique, but is it really? There are a variety of different ways that businesses can be unique. Yet, there are some key variables and factors that simply must be in place if a business is to be simultaneously unique and valuable. This leads us to an important question, are these unique and valuable factors transferable to a new owner? Here are five key factors to look for in a business. Factor One-The Assets Having an intangible asset, such as the perfect location with a locked in long-term lease (which would, of course, transfer to a new owner) is of vital importance. However, this is not the only example of critical intangible assets. Other examples would include a robust mailing list of past and current clients that was built up over a series of years, a popular franchise relationship, trademarks and copyrights or a respected and known product line. Factor Two-Is the Business Easily Replicated? If a … [Read more...]
Who Are Potential Buyers?
Once a business owner has made the decision to sell, he or she should be aware of the variety of possible business buyers. Just as small business itself has become more sophisticated, the people interested in buying businesses have also become more divergent and complex. The following are some of today's most active categories of business buyers: Family Members Members of the seller's own family form a traditional category of business buyer – a category of buyers that is “tried” but not always "true." There is something appealing about a family member taking over the business. There is a sense of keeping the business in the family and an assumption that such an arrangement will translate into the prime advantage of continuity. Continuity may in fact be the result as long as the family member buying the business treats the role as something akin to a hierarchical responsibility. This can mean years of planning and diligent preparation, involving all or many members of the family … [Read more...]
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