Financing the Business Sale: 6 Questions to Know

How the purchase of a business will be structured is something that must be dealt with early on in the selling process. The simple fact is that the financing of the sale of a business is too important to treat as an afterthought. The final structure of any sale will be the result of the negotiations between buyer and seller. In order for the sale to be completed in a satisfactory manner, it is vital that the seller answers six key questions: What is your lowest “rock bottom” price? It is important for sellers to know what is the lowest price they are willing to accept before they begin negotiations. Far too often, sellers have not determined what price is their “lowest price” and this can literally cause negotiations to fall apart. What are the tax consequences of the sale? Just as sellers often don't know what their lowest price is, it is also true that sellers often don't think about the tax consequences of the sale. Interest rates are no small matter. It is important to … [Read more...]

Defining Goodwill

You may hear the word “goodwill” thrown around a lot, but what does it really mean? When it comes to selling a business, the term refers to all the effort that the seller put into a business over the year. Goodwill can be thought of as the difference between the various tangible assets that a business has and the overall purchase price. The M&A Dictionary defines goodwill in the following way, “An intangible fixed asset that is carried as an asset on the balance sheet, such as a recognizable company or product name or strong reputation. When one company pays more than the net book value for another, the former is typically paying for goodwill. Goodwill is often viewed as an approximation of the value of a company's brand names, reputation, or long-term relationships that cannot otherwise be represented financially.” Goodwill vs. Going-Concern Now, it is important not to confuse goodwill value with “going-concern value,” as the two are definitely not the same. Going-concern … [Read more...]

A Deeper Look at Seller Financing

Buying a business requires a good deal of capital or lender resources. The bottom line is that a large percentage of buyers don't have the necessary capital or lender resources to pay cash and that is where seller financing comes into play. The fact is that seller financing is quite common. In this article, we will take a deeper look at some of the key points to remember. Is Seller Financing a Good Idea? Many buyers feel that a seller's reluctance to provide seller financing is a “red flag.” The notion is that if a business is truly as good as the seller claims it to be, then providing financing shouldn't be a “scary” proposition. The truth is that this notion does carry some weight in reality. The primary reason that many sellers are reluctant to provide seller financing is that they are concerned that the buyer will be unsuccessful. This, of course, means that if the buyer fails to make payments, that the seller could be forced to take the business back or even forfeit the … [Read more...]

Selling a Business? Be Aware of These Four Potential Issues

We've outlined below a few unexpected aspects of the business sale process that can pop up. Sometimes they severely impact the turnaround time of a sale. But if you can understand these potential issues better, you will be better prepared to try to circumvent them. 1. Do You Have Time on Your Side? It's helpful to use an intermediary who will assist with the filtering of prospects vs. “suspects.” However, the inclusion of yet another party, in addition to both the business seller and potential buyers, increases the amount of time required to navigate the process. Sellers are typically unaware of the time and documentation needed to compile the required Offering Memorandum. Once completed, the seller must provide both the intermediary and potential buyer more time to review and propose meetings and pricing. In the interim, owners are faced with the challenge of keeping their business thriving. 2. Trying to Do Too Much It's not surprising when a company owner is also its … [Read more...]

Your Company’s Undocumented Worth

The valuation is a major factor that influences the overall selling price of the property. Business appraisals are based upon a multitude of criteria and indisputable records such as comparables, projections, discount rates, EBITDA multiples, and more. While the appraiser may have all the information he or she needs, the business elements might be overlooked. That's why it's extremely helpful for business appraisers to first grasp the purpose of an appraisal prior to getting started. Unfortunately, the appraiser is often unaware of additional considerations that may enhance or even devalue a business' overall worth. Is There Unwritten Value? Business owners generally agree that prospective buyers are mostly looking for quality in depth of management, market share, and profitability. Though undoubtedly more subjective than documentation, figures, and calculations alone, information regarding key business elements such as market, operations, post-acquisition, value drivers, and … [Read more...]

Service Businesses Perform Highest When It Comes to Sales

Recently, Business Brokerage Press performed a survey of brokers across the country to see what sells at the highest rate, and what they discovered was very interesting. Retail business sold at 17%, food and drink related businesses at 14%, service oriented businesses sold at 25%, auto related businesses sold at 9%, manufacturing businesses sold at 16% and distribution businesses sold at 11%. Businesses labeled as “other” sold at 5% and professional practices at 4%. What is a Service Business? Looking at this gathered information, it is clear that “service type businesses” are very hot and doing quite well. The range for what is considered a service type business is, in fact, rather broad. It encompasses everything from a dry cleaner and hair stylist business to a massage therapy chain or dental practice. Just so long as a business is providing a service and doesn't fall into another category, it falls under the “service oriented” banner. Food and Drink Businesses One of the next … [Read more...]

What is Really in the Mind of Your Buyer?

It is always important to try and put yourself “in the other person's shoes.” This fact is of paramount importance when dealing with prospective buyers. Thinking like a prospective buyer could, in fact, be the difference between selling your business and not selling your business. Yet, it is important to continue to put yourself in your buyer's shoes during the entire sales process. It is easy to think that because everything is going smoothly with the sale of your business that the tough part is behind you. That may be true, but then again there could still be problems ahead. Issues can come up at a moment's notice when either your prospective buyer or his or her advisor raises a red flag. Additionally, the larger the business, the greater the complexity. This translates to the greater the risk of problems arising. The “Little Things” that Could End Up Quite Big Financial statements are of considerable importance. Quite often you'll see contingencies regarding financial … [Read more...]

Does Your Asking Price Truly Matter?

It is no great secret that sellers often aim high. The logic sellers use is simple, “I can always reduce my price.” While that is true, sellers do need to remember that if the asking price is initially too high, buyers won't even take a serious look. In short, your selling price must be bound by reality and what the market will bear. Pricing Does Matter When an asking price is too high buyers will simply move on. But in the meantime, you may have lost a qualified buyer that would have been very interested at a lower price. Pricing isn't a factor that should be played with, instead it should always be treated in as professional of a manner as possible. Instant Millionaire? Maybe and Maybe Not Some sellers want to become instant millionaires and sell their business for top dollar. Sometimes this is warranted and sometimes the numbers don't support lofty valuations. Every situation and every business is different. It pays to be realistic. Studies have shown that there is usually … [Read more...]

Strong Selling Points: Let Your Strengths Work for You

“Independent business owner” is a phrase with two meanings. Of course, it means being the owner of an independent business. But another way to look at “independent business owner” is to let this phrase define the very personality of the person at the helm. Independent. Confident. Self-assured. Strong-willed. These are vital entrepreneurial attributes, but, ironically, they can sometimes work against the business owner when it comes time to sell. Since business owners are the type who know about selling — either products or services– and about making deals — haven't they had to cope with suppliers, customers, and competitors throughout their business careers? — it's not surprising that owners approach selling their businesses with these tried-and-true tactics and ideas. Sellers who have spent years building a business are often unaware of how completely different the process of selling a business is. Savvy sellers, realizing the importance of a selling approach equal to this very … [Read more...]

What Are Your Company’s Weaknesses?

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 same, but one company may be much more valuable due to weaknesses in the other company. Not all problems or weaknesses can be resolved or fixed, but most can be mitigated. Fixing or lessening company weaknesses can not only significantly improve the value, but also increase the chances of finding the right buyer. Here are some common weaknesses that concern some buyers, causing them to look elsewhere for an acquisition. “The One Man Band” Many small companies were founded by the current president, and he has made all of the major decisions. Since he has not developed a succession plan, there is no one in place to take over if he gets hit by the proverbial truck. He is the typical one man band; and, as a result, the company is not an attractive target for … [Read more...]