Archives

You’ve decided to sell. Now how can you get the most for your business?

Real estate principles apply, so you’ll want to clean house and maximize your curb appeal. But that’s not all that goes into a successful business sale. You need to “clean up your act,” so to speak, and address some operational issues that may not have been a priority for you over the years.

No matter how motivated the buyer and seller, selling a business is always a challenge. There’s a lot that can go wrong, and deals can fall through at any time.

Delays are one of the biggest problems contributing to deal failure. The longer the process drags on, the more likely it is that a) someone gets fed up and moves on or b) something big will happen,

The M&A world isn’t quite sure what to expect in the next recession. Private equity players weren’t nearly as dominant through the last market downturns. But today those firms have $1.8 trillion in uncommitted capital they need to put to work. With money to spend, and a timeline to do it, private equity may help keep valuations high.

We had a signed letter of intent in April and were set to close the transaction in June – until the seller’s lawyer got in the way. What should have taken 60 days ballooned into a full six months. Luckily, it still closed.

Why you need an M&A attorney: When selling your business,

Cornerstone International Alliance (C.I.A.) members completed 146 business transactions in 2021, setting a new record of more than $1.1 billion in value.  “This is an incredible accomplishment and a testament to our members’ expertise, the strength of the organization and the global network it creates,” said Nick Olsen, Managing Director of Cornerstone International Alliance. “The members’ combined experience,

(Used with permission of the author, C. Peter Smith)
 
 

PREPARE YOURSELF
 

Have a personal financial plan prepared that projects your financial future after business is sold.  Qualified financial planners can assist in projecting retirement needs, college education expenses, life insurance requirements, etc.  In order to project a realistic personal financial plan,

The thought of running your own business can be exciting, and a little scary. One way to transition to entrepreneurship without all the upfront labor is to purchase an existing company. There are lots of costs, of course, but you don’t have to come up with an idea and grow it on your own. You can invest in something that’s already succeeding,

COVID may not be behind us, but companies are certainly ready for it to be. We’re seeing a steady increase in Denver business acquisitions, and we expect that trend to continue. If you’re contemplating purchasing a company, it’s more important than ever to understand exactly what you’re getting into—and what shortcomings your deal partner has,

You can’t buy a business without a full understanding of what you’re purchasing. And that means you can’t blindly take the owner’s word for much of anything. The process of investigating the business, verifying owner claims, and learning about any liabilities is called due diligence. It can be one of the most involved aspects of purchasing a business,

Selling your small business for a high price usually requires years of persistence. Even with a lot of work, though, finding the right buyer can be challenging—especially if you’re not in a hot niche. Business brokers are like match makers for your business, taking the work out of the process to connect you with highly qualified buyers who see your company’s true value.