Entries by Don Ross

Success Habits of Optimistic People

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement.  Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” “- Helen Keller The medical community has accepted the heavily subscribed opinion that optimism is a dynamic source of good health, reduced stress, and improved cardiovascular function.  The successes that optimists are able to attain is largely a result of […]

Your December Checklist for a 2015 Business Sale

Thinking of selling in 2015? Here are ten actions you can take this month to achieve a higher price in the New Year.  Finish 2014 strong.  Buyers and their lenders will want to see your last full fiscal year profits on an uptick. Ship and invoice everything you should this month. Resist artificially pushing income into next year […]

Be Prepared!

“Be Prepared” is the Boy Scout Motto that has served young individuals and their character development in over two hundred countries since 1907. It can also be an effective mantra for a business owner who will engage in marketing and selling a business.  A well prepared business owner plays a vital role on the transaction team […]

Normalizing Income Statements for Business Sale Transactions

One of the fundamental roles of a business broker is to properly adjust, “normalize”, or “recast” the income statements and tax returns of a business to determine its true earnings power. Where the business has a track record of profitability and the promise of future earnings, market- and income-based methods of valuation are then applied […]