Category: For Sellers

Business appraisals are not one-dimensional.  In fact, a good business appraisal is one that factors in a wide range of variables in order to achieve an accurate result.  Indisputable records ranging from comparables and projections to EBITDA multiples, discount rates and a good deal more are all factored in. It is important to remember that while an ...

In a recent December 2018 article in Divestopedia entitled, “Options for Business Real Estate When Selling a Company,” the topic of business real estate was explored at length. One of the key points of the article was that understanding one’s business real estate options would ultimately help in achieving “the goals desired in a ...

The process of selling a business can be very complex. Whether you’ve sold a business in the past or are selling a business for the very first time, it is imperative that you work with an expert. A seasoned business broker can help you navigate through what can be some pretty rough waters. Let’s take a closer look at four issues any seller needs to keep ...

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, burn-out, health, and new competition are examples of events that can ...

Pepperjam CTO, Greg Shepard recently published “Planning Your Exit Should Begin When You Launch” in Entrepreneur magazine.  In this article, Shepard puts forward a variety of thought-provoking ideas including that entrepreneurs should be thinking about partnering early on with those they believe will ultimately want to buy their business. Thinking ...

There are a myriad of reasons why the sale of a business doesn’t close successfully; these multiple causes can, however, be broken down into four categories: those caused by the seller, those caused by the buyer, those that just happen (“acts of fate”), and those caused by third parties.  The following examines the part each of these components ...

Putting your strengths first will help you sell your business.  While this may seem obvious, a surprising number of business owners will either improperly index the strengths of their business or fail to emphasize those strengths adequately.  In this article, we will examine five key business strengths that you should focus on when it comes time to ...

The business sale process can be complex, which is part of the reason why it makes sense to have expert help in the form of a business broker.  Legal mistakes can be very costly mistakes.  A legal mistake can also bring the entire sale process to a sudden and complete halt.  Let’s take a closer look at what you can do to avoid these kinds of ...

The odds are that you’ve put a great deal of yourself into your business.  Inevitably, the day will come when you have no choice but to walk away from your business and begin a new chapter of your life.  Quite often, businesses are transferred from one family member to another.  In this article, we will examine 5 of the key factors you’ll ...

No one works forever.  Regardless of how much you love your business, sooner or later you will have to step away.  Owning a business can be very demanding.  This fact can be doubly true for owner-operators of businesses.  The simple fact is that you’ll have to embrace retirement at some point. Most business owners have never sold a 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 the similarities end.  Assume that you are president of a family business and the other members are ...

Placing a price on a privately-held company is usually more complex than placing a value, or a price, on a publicly-held company.  There are many reasons for this fact, but one of the top reasons is that privately-held companies don’t have audited financial statements. Why are Audited Financial Statements Lacking in Privately-Held Companies? Preparing an ...

Are you looking for a way to perfect your presentation?  Understanding what the typical serious buyer wants will help you get your business ready for selling. Let’s turn our attention to looking at what these types of individuals and entities really want.  After all, your time is precious. 1. An Interest in the Industry First, prospective buyers ...

Like many things in life, timing can be everything when it comes to selling your company.  Every day more and more baby-boomers are now reaching retirement age.  Soon, the market will likely be flooded with companies looking to sell. According to a 2016 survey of business brokers, 54% plan to exit in the next ten years.  We may be on the ...

Many experts agree that the best time to prepare to sell your business is when you start your business.  That may sound extreme. However, few business owners reach that level of preparedness.  A simple fact of life and owning a business is that most sales are event-driven.  Factors such as problems with a partnership, health issues, ...

Owners often neglect understanding their leases and this can be problematic.  If your business is location-sensitive, then the status of your lease could be of paramount importance.  Restaurants and retail businesses, for example, are usually location-dependent and need to pay special attention to their leases.  But with that stated, every business ...

Having a letter of intent signed by both the buyer and the seller can be a very good feeling.  Everything can seem as though it is moving along just fine, but the due diligence process must still be completed.  It is during due diligence that a seller decides whether he or she is going to finalize the deal. Much depends on what is discovered during this ...

When it comes to selling a business, sellers simply must pay attention to red flags.  Problems can always pop up, and that’s why they need to keep their eyes open. Rarely does a “white knight” ride in and rescue a business with no questions asked.  And if this were to happen, you should be asking, “Why?”  Until a deal is ...

When you're hoping to sell your business there are a number of things to be concerned about. There are a few ways you can get a step-up on your buyer and anticipate their moves before they have thought them up themselves. If you want to swim with the piranhas you're going to have to nip a few toes; if you want to sell your business, you're going to need ...

Selling a business is a complicated and an intricate procedure. However, business brokers play a fundamental role in getting along the process to make it a successful deal. There are several factors and cautions involved that should to be considered before stepping out to sell your business. Finding the exact potential buyer and to avoid scams you need to hire a ...