Around the Web: A Month in Summary
A recent article posted by The National Law Review entitled “Thinking of Selling? Start Early, Build Your Team” explains the importance of putting together a good team of trusted advisors well in advance of selling your business. Your team should include an attorney, accountant, investment banker, and wealth manager. This team will help you with various aspects of selling your business such as:
- Setting a realistic valuation on the business
- Finding potential buyers
- Handling due diligence and information requests from buyers
- Structuring a transaction for tax & liability protection
- Dealing with the sale proceeds and making sure your goals are met
It is a good idea to put this team together as soon as possible if you’re thinking of selling, so everyone has time to prepare. There are so many aspects to a business sale and it is essential to have an experienced team of professionals to guide you in the process.
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A recent article from The San Angelo Standard-Times entitled “Business tips: Don’t neglect due diligence when buying a business” emphasizes the important of due diligence when buying a business, which consists of looking into and understanding the important aspects and fine details of the business before closing.
The first aspect to consider is if the business is right for you and your personal circumstances. Taking over a new business will require some help from the previous owner who has knowledge of the business and the industry. You will also want to take into account how many hours are needed, if the job will involve a lot of physical work, and if your family supports you in the purchase of this type of business.
Reviewing and analyzing the seller’s numbers and documents is also a huge part of due diligence. Consider using the help of a CPA, consultant or business broker to go over the financials of the business. You will also want to look into things such as if there are any claims on the business or if the business owes back taxes. Doing your due diligence now will ensure that there are no surprises later on in the process.
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A recent article posted by the Smart Business Network entitled “Planning an exit when a succession plan isn’t an option” explains that selling your business should be part of your exit strategy when creating a succession plan is not an option. To prepare a business for sale, the business owner should recognize the strengths of the business which would appeal to potential buyers and should also have a good understanding of the business’ financials.
Business owners may also want to work with a bank that is experienced in exit planning. The bank can assist with providing insight into how buyers will view their business and what obstacles may occur while a buyer is trying to finance the acquisition. Banks will also be able to work with the buyer in assisting them with financing.
It’s important for a business owner to work with experienced professionals who have worked with sales, acquisitions and exit strategies to help them prepare for a business sale.
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A recent article posted by Business.com entitled “Why It’s Prime Time to Buy a Business from a Retiring Baby Boomer” gives several good reasons why it is a good idea to consider purchasing an existing business, as a flood of baby boomers will be looking to sell their businesses and retire over the next decade.
There are many benefits to purchasing an existing business:
- Minimal upfront costs and you not only purchase the business but also the brand, customer-base, management policies and more.
- Low risk because the business is already established and has a proven track record.
- Steady cash flow along with employees and equipment.
With the generation of baby boomers looking to sell, there will be ample opportunities available for buyers. It’s important to stay in the loop and keep an eye out on available businesses by staying connected to your professional network, brushing up on local & industry publications, looking at online marketplaces, and working with a business broker.
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A recent article written by Live Oak Bank entitled “6 Business Acquisition Tips from SBA Loan Experts” outlines six factors that lenders review for loans financing mergers and acquisitions.
- Stable or Positive Trend – Not only a positive trend but stability in these trends are what lenders look at to make sure that any recent growth or improvement is sustainable. A decrease in revenue is a red flag and a negative trend should be stabilized or reversed.
- Business Plan – Buyers need to have a business and transition plan for the business they are acquiring so lenders can see they have a good understanding of the business and plans for improvement.
- Key Employees – Lenders like to see that key employees will stay on with the new owner, which helps lower the risk and make the transition easier.
- Seller Transition Period – Make sure you have a transition plan in place where the seller is able to help train and assist the new owner.
- Seller Financing – The seller financing a portion of the deal shows the lender that they are confident in the new owner and lowers the risk factors.
- Working Capital – M&A lenders will review the financials of the business to see what working capital is needed. The buyer should demonstrate a clear understanding of how much and what type of working capital is needed for the business transition.
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Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
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Around the Web: A Month in Summary
A recent article posted on BizJournals.com entitled “Top 5 rules on preparing your company for sale” explains how the best time to begin preparing your business for sale is right now. The article highlights these main rules to follow:
- Start auditing your financial statements now as these will be required by the purchaser.
- Keep appropriate, complete corporate books and records so everything is ready to be presented to a buyer when the time comes.
- Obtain a professional valuation of your company so you can use this as a roadmap for growing your company and ultimately maximizing the exit price.
- Use the valuation of your company to determine what assets are superfluous and will not be valued. This can also help you make future decisions with your business strategy.
- Start the process now for finding a second in command who could easily replace the founder of the company. This will be very valuable to the future buyer after the sale is made.
Starting to prepare your business for sale now will help make the sale process much easier when you decide it’s time to sell.
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A recent article from The Axial Forum entitled “Maximizing Your Business Value Before a Sale” gives insight into how to get the most out of a business sale. According to the article, the key to a successful sale comes in driving business value before selling the business. This can be done in a wide variety of areas of the business, from aiming to increase sales growth to product innovation, improvement of backend systems, and more.
Many of the methods and value-driving factors can take many months, if not several years, to implement and improve, so proper thought and planning is necessary to get the most out of the process. In the ideal situation, maximizing business value ahead of and in preparation for a sale will make a business much more attractive to a potential buyer.
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A recent article from Divestopedia.com entitled “5 Essential Steps to Ensure Due Diligence in Private Company Acquisitions” explains the necessity of due-diligence during the acquisition process. Due diligence cannot be stressed enough and the fact that it is always popping up just shows its importance and relevance to a successful deal process. The following steps outline critical components of completing due diligence for an acquiring company:
- Construct an Investment Thesis
- Analyze Your Competitive Position
- Measure the Strength and Stability of the Acquired Company
- Revenue Synergy
- Integration
While this is not an exhaustive list, the aforementioned steps outline an important process necessary for any acquirer to ensure they are best prepared for a successful acquisition.
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A recent article posted on The Axial Forum entitled “Capital Superabundance is Transforming Middle-Market M&A” explores the effect that the abundance of cheap capital is having on middle-market transactions. This “capital superabundance” is having effects across the middle-market sector among private equity firms, corporate buyers, investment bankers, and middle market companies alike. Brand value is more important than ever in the eyes of private equity companies and corporate buyers, investment bankers are using data and advanced technological systems to find clients, and for sellers, there has never been a better time to sell a business.
The fact of the matter is the market is hot right now. Though capital superabundance is just one of many varying parts of this market change, it is a driving factor behind much of the success we’re seeing.
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A recent article posted on Divestopedia.com entitled “Know Your Buyer” outlines the importance of knowing and understanding potential buyers in the market when putting a business up for sale. This is important because knowing the different types of potential buyers will give an owner insight into how to approach and appeal to the types of buyers they want to take over their company.
Different types of buyers will likely have different motivations and therefore produce different outcomes for a business transaction, so knowing and understanding them will help to give an owner better control over the future of their company and ideally help make the right decision on who to sell to.
Click here to read the full article.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
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The Deeper Significance of a Listing Agreement
Listing agreements are very common when it comes to selling a business. In order to sell a business using a business broker, a listing agreement is usually required. In this article, we will explore this essential agreement and why it is so critical.
Signing a listing agreement legally authorizes the sale of a business. The fact is that signing a listing agreement serves to represent the end of ownership, which for many business owners, means heading into new territory. Quite often owning a business is more than “owning a business,” as the business represented a dream and/or a way of life.
Walking away from the dream or lifestyle represents a significant change. For many owners this is the end of a dream. It is not uncommon for many business owners to have started a business from “scratch,” and it is also only human to feel at least somewhat attached to the creation. Phrased another way, walking away from a business that one has worked on and cared for is often easier said than done. Businesses become integrated into the lives of their owners in a myriad of ways. Walking away is usually easier in theory than in practice.
Now, on the flipside of the coin, a signed listing agreement is a totally different animal for buyers. It represents the beginning of a dream. The lure of owning a business may come from a desire to achieve greater personal and financial independence, a sense of pride in owning and building something, a desire to always be an owner or a combination of all three. Buyers see the business as the next phase of their lives whereas sellers see the business as the past.
The listing agreement may seem simple enough, but what it represents is an important bridge between the seller and buyer. It is the job of the business broker to understand and consider the situation of both the seller and the buyer respectively and, in the process, work closely with both parties.
The lives of both the buyer and the seller will change greatly once the sale is completed, but in radically different ways. No one understands this simple, but very important fact, better and with more clarity than a business broker.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
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5 Things You Need to Know About Confidentiality Agreements
Confidentiality is a major concern in virtually every business. Quite often business owners become a little nervous when it comes time to sell their business; after all, business owners usually want to keep the fact that they are selling confidential. Yet, at the same time, business owners want to receive top-dollar for their businesses and sell that business as quickly as possible. In order to sell a business quickly and receive top-dollar, it is usually necessary to present the business to a range of prospects. The simple fact is that you can’t sell a business without letting prospective buyers know that it is for sale.
All of this adds up to one simple conclusion: you will need a confidentiality agreement when selling a business. Let’s look at a few of the key points your confidentiality agreement should cover.
- Type of Negotiations
First, your confidentiality agreement should cover whether or not the negotiations are open or secret and exactly what kind of information can be disclosed.
2. Duration of Agreement
Your confidentiality agreement must specify exactly how long the agreement will be in effect. In most circumstances, it is prudent for the seller to seek a permanently binding confidentiality agreement.
3. Special Considerations
There are other considerations as well, for example, does your business hold any patents? A buyer could learn about your inventions during a buying process so you’ll want to make sure that your confidentiality agreement protects your patent and copyright interests as well.
4. State Laws
Additionally, your confidentiality agreement must factor in different state laws if the other party is based in a state different than your own.
5. Recourse in the Case of Breach
Finally, your confidentiality agreement should outline what recourse you will have if the agreement is breached. Having a confidentiality agreement does not offer magical protection against a violation. However, a confidentiality agreement does ensure that prospective buyers understand the seriousness of the situation and that there are indeed severe consequences if the agreement is not followed.
It is important for all parties involved to realize that a confidentiality agreement is a legally binding agreement that is enforceable in a court a law. Thanks to a confidentiality agreement, a seller can share confidential information with a prospective buyer or business broker so that a business can be properly evaluated.
With so much on the line, it is vital that you have your confidentiality agreement drawn up by a legal professional. A good confidentiality agreement is an investment in your business. It is possible for a business owner to sell his or her business and do so with some degree of confidence that information shared with prospective buyers will not be disclosed.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
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