Journal
Preparing to Leave
There are a handful of questions that nearly every buyer asks when first looking at a business, and one of this is: “What does the owner do?” They want to know whether they can replace the owner, so clearly one of the most important ownership transition planning steps for a small business owner is…
Read More5 Ways To Get Your Business To Run Without You
Some owners focus on growing their profits, while others are obsessed with sales goals. Have you ever considered making it your primary goal to set up your business so that it can thrive and grow without you? A business not dependent on its owner is the ultimate asset to own. It allows you complete control…
Read MoreSmall Business Values – Have They Recovered?
It’s no secret that the value of most businesses tanked during the Great Recession. Many small business owners were not able to survive, losing not only their business but in many cases, a lifetime of savings. Even those businesses that remained post-Recession tended to suffer several years of woeful Profit and Loss statements, making the…
Read MoreBusiness Sale Medians and Multiples
In a recent post I ran through a buyer analysis of a business listed for sale, which we refer to sometimes as a “buyer reality check”. We go through this analysis for every business we represent, before making a recommendation to the owner of an asking price or range for the business. In making our…
Read MoreA Reality Check For Small Business Value
For small business owners contemplating retirement and the sale of their business, determining the value of the business in the market is a starting point. Employees and government workers can enlist a financial advisor to analyze their pension or 401(k) plan to determine whether they have “enough” to retire. For the small business owner, though,…
Read MoreA Good Time To Sell A Business?
A few weeks ago the Wall Street Journal published an article on its online edition (Finally, A Good Time To Sell The Business, October 23, 2013), citing several indications that the market for sale of small businesses, gone missing the past five or so years, has returned. Noted in the article are the following statistics:…
Read More