Entries by bbpadmin

Getting the Most Out of Confidentiality Agreements

When it comes to buying or selling a business, there is no replacement for a solid confidentiality agreement.  One of the key ways that business brokers and M&A advisors are able to help buyers and sellers alike is through their extensive knowledge of confidentiality agreements and how best to implement them.  In this article, we […]

How to Optimize Your Chances of Selling Your Business

The simple fact is that selling your business is likely to be the single most important financial decision you’ll ever make.  With this important fact in mind, it is essential that you prepare far in advance.  Let’s dive in and take a look at some of the key items you’ll want to check off your […]

Insights from BizBuySell’s 3rd Quarter Insight Report

Most business buyers and sellers are wondering what 2021 and beyond will bring.  BizBuySell and BizQuest President Bob House provided a range of insights stemming from BizBuySell’s 3rd Quarter Insight Report and a survey of over 2,300 business owners.  The simple fact is that the pandemic has most definitely had a major impact on the […]

Zeroing in on Goodwill

Goodwill is a term that might cause a little confusion for some.  But at its heart, it is a relatively straight-forward concept.  Goodwill is generally viewed as a term that encapsulates everything from a business’s reputation to the goods, services and products it provides.  The key idea is that there is goodwill if the business […]

What Makes a Deal Close?

For every reason that a pending sale of a business collapses, there is a positive reason why the sale closed successfully.  What does it take for the sale of a business to close successfully?  Certainly there are reasons that a sale might not close that are beyond anyone’s control.  A fire, for example, the death […]

Turn to the Professionals for Best Results

There is a direct relationship between the asking price and the amount of cash on the table at the time of the sale.  Buyers and sellers alike should keep one fact in mind.  Most businesses involve some level of seller financing.  It is customary for both buyers and sellers to have concerns regarding this kind […]

Successfully Navigating Seller Financing

Only a small percentage of the population is able to go through life without using some form of financing at some point.  Most people have little choice but to finance everything from their home and car purchases to their college education.  Now, with that stated, most business owners would love to receive an all-cash offer […]

Four Common Seller Mistakes

Sellers are just like everyone else in that they can make mistakes.  In this article, we’ll explore some of the most common mistakes that we see along with some of the repercussions.  1. Not Seeing the Buyer’s Point of View The first major mistake that sellers make is that they simply fail to look at […]

Unraveling the Seller’s Predicament

Selling a business isn’t always 100% about the price.  It is not like selling a house where typically the most important factor is who places the highest offer.  In the end, if the seller is to achieve the most optimal results, there are other variables that should be considered.  The idea of selling to a […]

Buying a Distressed Business 

It is safe to state that Howard Brownstein, President of The Brownstein Corporation, is a true expert in providing turnaround management and advisory services to companies, as well as their stakeholders.  Brownstein serves as an independent corporate board member for both publicly held as well as privately-owned companies and nonprofits.  During his career, he has […]

How Should Your Company Deal with an Orphaned Product?

Keeping a product or service around that isn’t pulling its weight might prove to not be a very good idea.  You may have invested a good deal of time and resources into its development, but if that product or service is no longer contributing to your bottom line, it might be time to cut it […]

Price or Terms: The Structure of the Deal

An old saying in negotiating the sale of a business goes like this: The buyer says to the seller, “You name the price, and I get to name the terms.” Another saying used to explain the actual value of the term full price: “If we could find you a business that nets you $250,000 a […]

Considering Generational Strategies

When you are buying or selling a business, you might very well end up making a deal with someone from another generation.  Therefore, it only makes sense to take the time to understand that individual’s background and how that might cause behavioral differences.  It is important to understand and reflect upon where many of them […]

Confidential Business Reviews Should Establish Trust

When you are selling a business, your business broker or M&A Advisor will likely create a Comprehensive Business Review, or CBR.  This comprehensive document can then be presented to prospective buyers once they have signed all necessary confidentiality documentation.  It is essential that this document builds trust between both parties, as this will go a […]

What You Need to Know About Foreign Buyers

There is a potentially lucrative group of buyers that many sellers don’t initially think about.  We are talking about foreign buyers.  While there are some hurdles to working with these types of buyers, it is important to note that there are many huge advantages as well.  Let’s take a closer look. How Are Foreign Buyers […]

Why Does Your Business Need Google Reviews?

In today’s business climate, reviews are the differentiator.  Years ago, people commonly asked for references when they were vetting a product or service.  But these days when people are searching for a local business to work with, they are likely to conduct research on their own and read online reviews.  Google reviews can give businesses […]

Negotiating the Price Gap Between Buyers and Sellers

Sellers generally desire all-cash transactions; however, oftentimes partial seller financing is necessary in typical middle market company transactions.  Furthermore, sellers who demand all-cash deals typically receive a lower purchase price than they would have if the deal were structured differently. Although buyers may be able to pay all-cash at closing, they often want to structure […]

COVID-19 Advice for Hospitality Businesses

Clearly, some industries are taking a bigger hit from COVID-19 than others.  Any industry that requires a great deal of interaction with the public, or where people gather in large groups, are obviously having very tough times.  Movie theaters and restaurants, for example, have essentially gone dark.  Some restaurants are easing the bloodletting a bit […]

How to Make Remote Teams Accountable

One of the many, many changes that COVID-19 has ushered in is the extreme uptick in people working remotely.  Social distancing has made working from home a necessity for millions.  The technology that is allowing remote working to take place has matured greatly in the last decade.  Today, it is possible for team members to […]

Now is the Time for Focus

As of late April 2020, there is one thought at the forefront of the vast majority of businesses around the globe, namely, what steps do I need to take to stay in business until the COVID-19 pandemic is over or recedes?  There is no doubt about it, this is the “big question” of the day.  […]

6 Tips and 90 Days to Protect Your Business

There can be no way around it, Inc. contributor Brian Hamilton’s April 2020 COVID-19 centered article, “6 Actions to Take in the Next 90 Days to Save Your Business,” isn’t pulling any punches.  Hamilton, Founder of the Brian Hamilton Foundation, believes that the next 90-days could be make or break days for business owners looking […]

Improving Your Telework Habits

In her recent April 20th, 2020 Forbes article, “Three Keys to Engaged, Productive Telework Teams,” author Rajshree Agarwal, who is a professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, explored how to get the most out of telework.  This highly timely article covers some very important territory for many companies dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.  Let’s explore Agarwal’s […]

Don’t Fear Failure, Learn from It Instead

Failure is rarely fun.  But it is also a key ingredient in success.  While failure can be painful, there is no doubting the fact that the lessons that come from failure can be powerful teachers that provide life-long lessons and even life-trajectory altering results.  Summed up another way, failure hurts.  But on occasion, not failing […]

How to Connect During a Crisis

Small business owners are facing new challenges during this crisis.  Communicating with customers requires more focus and depth than ever before.  In Mat Zuker’s latest article for Forbes Magazine, he cites Jay Mandel who runs The Collective NYC, a marketing consulting team focusing on a customer’s experience, who underlines the importance of businesses to understand […]

Finding the Best Business for You

Owning a business and owning the right kind of business for you are, of course, two wildly different things.  Owning the wrong kind of business can make you absolutely miserable.  So if you are considering buying a business, it is prudent that you invest the time and effort into determining the best kind of business […]

Great Tips for Selling Your Business

It takes preparation and focus to sell most businesses.  The reality of the situation is that it can take years to achieve this goal.  Partnering with a business broker or M&A Advisor is a smart step towards selling any business, as these pros know the very best tips.  In that spirit, let’s take a look […]

It’s Time to Exit. Are you Ready?

Thinking about whether or not you are ready to exit is an important question.  It’s something that every business owner will have to address at some point.  Importantly, you don’t want to wait until the 11th hour to prepare to sell your business.  There are far too many pieces in this particular puzzle to wait […]

Determining the Right Time to Sell

Determining when it’s finally the right time to sell can be a tricky proposition.  If you are thinking about selling your business, one of the best steps you can take is to contact a business broker.  A good business broker will have years, or even decades, of proven experience under his or her belt.  He […]

Should You Sell Your Family Business?

When the complicating variable of family is added to the equation of selling a business, the situation can get rather messy.  Family usually complicates everything and businesses are, of course, no exception.  Ken McCracken’s recent article “Family business: to sell or not to sell?” 6 questions to help you make the right decision,” seeks to […]

Why You Should Focus on Proper Exit Planning

If you are like many business owners, you are primarily focusing on building your business.  Yet, as we’ve covered here many times before, you should start thinking about what you’ll need to do to sell your business before you even officially launch.  Many businesses can take years to sell or even fail to sell all […]

Understanding M&A Purchasing Agreements

M&A purchasing agreements can have a lot of moving parts.  A recent article from Meghan Daniels entitled, “The Makings of the M&A Purchase Agreement” serves to outline a range of facts including that every M&A deal is different.  The article, which serves as a general overview, raises a range of good points. Components of the […]

Exploring the Offering Memorandum

Are you a business owner who is interested in selling?  If so, there are some strategies you should undoubtedly use.  At the top of the list is the all-important offering memorandum.  The offering memorandum, often referred to as a selling memorandum, is a straightforward but highly effective way to help you obtain the highest possible […]

The Hidden Benefits of Planning Your Succession Strategy

Succession planning is something that many business owners fail to think about; however, it turns out there are benefits to succession planning that might not be immediately obvious upon first glance.  In this article, we’ll explore a recent Accountancy Daily article, “Succession Planning for Business Owners,” which details the wisdom and benefits of succession planning. […]

Business Owners Can’t Always Sell When They Wish

A recent and insightful Forbes article, “Study Shows Why Many Business Owners Can’t Sell When They Want To” penned by Mary Ellen Biery, generates some thought-provoking ideas.  The article discusses an Exit Planning Institute (EPI) study that outlined the reality that many business owners can’t control when they are able to sell.  Many business owners […]

Do You Know What Kind of Business Owner You Really Are?

Does your business have real, long-lasting longevity or is your business a temporary entity that will vanish the second you stop working on it?  In his insightful article in The Business Journals entitled, “Are You Living for Today as a Business Owner or Building Value?” author Kent Bernhard asks a very important question of readers, […]

Business Buyers Can Leverage SBA Lending

Finding the money to start your own small business can be a challenge.  Over the decades, countless people have turned to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for help.  A recent Inc. Magazine article, “Kickstart Your Business Dreams with SBA Lending,” by BizBuySell President, Bob House, explored how SBA lending can be used to the buyer’s […]

How Employees Factor into the Success of Your Business

Quality employees are essential for the long-term success and growth of any business.  Many entrepreneurs learn this simple fact far too late.  Regardless of what kind of business you own, a handful of key employees can either make or break you.  Sadly, businesses have been destroyed by employees that don’t care, or even worse, are […]

7 Big Questions to Ask Yourself Before Moving Forward

The first step towards successfully selling a business is finding a qualified business broker to work with.  Sellers should also ask themselves an array of important questions.  A recent article, “7 Questions to Answer Before Selling Your Business,” published by Good Men Project, has a great overview of questions sellers should answer before moving forward. […]