When one sells their house, the best deal is usually the highest price.  When one decides to sell their business, there may be other factors to consider.  Many buyers are similar to the “overlooked” buyer described below, serious and qualified;…

A recent article in INC magazine titled”Street Smarts,” by Norm Brodsky (his column is worth the price of the magazine) addressed the subject of the title above.  However, in the very first paragraph of the article, Mr. Brodsky stated, “Unfortunately,…

Does your business have an orphan product or service that is doing okay, but doesn’t seem to fit into your core business?  Many companies, private equity groups and even some individual buyers are seeking product lines to augment existing ones,…

The first key is to have your accountant take a look at your accounting procedures and make recommendations on how to improve them.  He or she may also help in preparing financial projections for the coming year(s).  Getting your company’s…

Every company has weaknesses; the trick is to fix them.  There is a saying that the test of a good company president or CEO is what happens to the company when he or she leaves.  Some companies–on paper–may look the…

Companies can be in trouble or headed for it for many reasons.  However, most of them can be linked to one or more of the following: • Lack of proper focus • Poor management • Poor financial controls • Loss of key employee(s) • Loss…

In the proverbial “perfect world,” business owners would plan three to five years ahead to sell their companies.  But, as one industry expert has suggested, business owners very seldom plan to sell; rather, selling is “event driven.”  Partner disputes, divorce,…

Valuation of private companies is much more subjective than public companies because there is no free trading marketplace for the private companies’ stock.  Just like a champion Olympic figure skater, the performance has to be flawless.  Take a look at…

Who best understands my business? When interviewing intermediaries to represent the sale of your firm, it is important that you discuss your decision process for selecting one. Without this discussion, an intermediary can’t respond to a prospective seller’s concerns. Are…

• They neglect to run their business during the sales process. – The owner of a business with sales under the $20 million range can get so involved in the selling process that they neglect the day-to-day operation of the business.…

Since one often hears the term “fair value” or “fair market value,” it would be easy to assume that “fairness opinion” means the same thing.  A fairness opinion may be based to some degree on fair market value, but there…

Many business owners are unfamiliar with the dynamics of selling a company, because they have never done so. There are numerous possible “deal breakers.”  Being aware of the following pitfalls and their remedies should help prevent the possibility of an…