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Ingredients of a Successful Business Sale
November 10, 2014 / in Exit Planning, Sell a Business / by Al Statz
Going to market when you and your business are ready to sell and market conditions are right provides the best opportunity to maximize results. Let’s look at how these three ingredients combine: You, the Owner The Business itself The Market Having these ingredients come together at the same time requires planning. You can prepare personally and you can prepare your company for sale. You can’t control the market, but you can choose market timing. So, basically, it’s up to …
Is your company an add-on candidate?
November 3, 2014 / in Exit Planning, Sell a Business / by Al Statz
Most business acquisitions by private equity firms have been “add-on” deals lately. In private equity jargon, a large company acquisition is usually a platform acquisition, and a smaller company acquistion is most often an add-on (or “bolt-on”, or “tuck-in”) acquisition. Add-on acquisitions are complementary to and synergistic with an existing platform company held by a private equity firm. Platform acquisitions dominate the headlines and represent most of the dollar volume, but add-ons now represent the majority of …
How Big of a Concern is Confidentiality in Business Sales?
October 27, 2014 / in Sell a Business / by Jim Leonhard
All sellers are rightly concerned about confidentiality of the potential sale of their business during the marketing and due diligence processes. Such concerns, while important, should not deter sellers from casting a wide net in pursuit of selling to the right buyer at the highest price. Having more quality buyer prospects means increasing the likelihood of achieving that goal. Professional business brokers (intermediaries, investment bankers, M&A advisors) have rigorous processes and strict procedures for maintaining …
Small Business Transactions Up 18%, Sellers Earn Higher Sale Prices – According to Industry Report
October 16, 2014 / in Acquire a Business, Sell a Business / by Al Statz
It’s a very good time to be a seller. According to a report released on October 16, 2014, U.S. small business sale transaction levels are on pace for a record-breaking year. And while the post-recession market has generally favored buyers, a shift appears underway, with sellers now receiving higher selling prices, higher percentage of asking prices and improved cash flow multiples. The full results are included in BizBuySell’s Q3 2014 Insight Report, which aggregates statistics from …
A Sample Acquisition Due Diligence Checklist
October 8, 2014 / in Acquire a Business, Sell a Business / by Al Statz
In privately-held business acquisition transactions, as soon as a letter of intent or contingent purchase agreement has been negotiated, the buyer’s in-depth due diligence begins. To kick-start this phase of the transaction, the buyer requests from the seller all of the information that they need to conduct their investigations. Once the buyer is satisfied, the transaction proceeds to the closing phase. Due diligence document requests vary greatly in length and content, depending on the type …
The Importance of a Credible and Competent Valuation Expert
September 30, 2014 / in Business Strategy, Business Valuation / by Al Statz
The need for business valuation arises in many circumstances ranging from dispute resolution, to estate planning, to the sale of a business to name only a few. As in all professional disciplines, it is important to hire a practitioner who is fully trained, able to discern relevant facts, and abreast of current best practices. Consider the following New York Supreme Court case.* Adelstein v. Finest Food Distributing Co Two brothers and their uncle each owned …
You’re ready to sell. Is your business?
September 25, 2014 / in Sell a Business / by Jim Leonhard
A recent article in the NY Times caught my attention: “Why Many Small Businesses Cannot Be Sold”, by Josh Patrick. The article cites a statistic that only about 4 to 5% of businesses recently listed on BizBuySell (a popular website that lists businesses for sale) actually sell. That’s an alarming statistic. According to the article there are three fundamental issues business owners need to address if they really want to sell their business: Create a …
Networking for Introverts!
September 22, 2014 / in News / by Al Statz
One exciting aspect of working in Mergers and Acquisitions is that we are always learning. I had a recent learning experience after a colleague invited me to a meeting of The Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), an organization that provides a networking forum for M&A advisors, corporate growth professionals, private equity, finance, legal and other professional service providers. Over the course of this particular meeting, I met and had interesting conversations with at least a …
U.S. Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index rises to highest level since April 2010
September 2, 2014 / in News / by Al Statz
Today, just after a gorgeous Labor Day weekend here in Northern California, I thought I would share some encouraging news for U.S. manufacturers and everyone who serves or invests in them … The U.S. Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) — which is designed to signal changes in prevailing business conditions in the U.S. manufacturing sector — registered 58.0 in August, up sharply from 55.8 in July and the highest reading for over four years. All five components of the Manufacturing PMI had a …
Escrows in California Business Sale Transactions
August 22, 2014 / in Acquire a Business, Sell a Business / by Al Statz
Business “Transaction Escrows” protect the interests of buyers and sellers, and are used extensively by transaction attorneys and brokers in California. Then there is what’s called a “Holdback Escrow” which secures post-closing obligations and adjustments. This blog introduces you to both types of escrows and how they facilitate business deals. What is a Business Transaction Escrow? In California, for business sale-purchase transactions of all sizes and shapes, it is common to have an escrow agent serve …