by Kelly Deis of SoundPoint Consulting
- a Fortune 500 company in business for 35 years with revenues locked in for the next 5 years
- a start-up with an untested management team, dubious business plan and volatile revenue stream
by Kelly Deis of SoundPoint Consulting
by Kelly Deis of SoundPoint Consulting
Retiring from your own business isn’t as simple as calling HR and telling them you are ready to go. How exactly does one leave their own business for the good life? Here are a few options.
You started your business 10, 20 or even 30 years ago. It has been good to you. You’ve built it from infancy, fed it, grew it and, in turn it has provided you a comfortable lifestyle.
But, you’re done, or you want to be done. You are ready for the good life that retirement promises. But there is only one catch – there is no playbook for retiring from your own business.
As a business owner, there are several options available to exit your business. Here are a few…
by Kelly Deis of SoundPoint Consulting
by Kelly Deis of SoundPoint Consulting
So, you want to sell your business. For most of us, it is a once in a lifetime event. There is no reason to expect that you should know the intricacies of a transaction.
That is why it is oh so important to have good advisers help walk you through the process.
One of the fundamental decisions you will need to make is whether the transaction will be an asset or stock sale. It will depend upon your individual circumstances as well as your business structure. Continue reading
by Kelly Deis of SoundPoint Consulting
The value gap is the difference in price between what the seller thinks his/her business should sell for and what a buyer is willing to pay for it. Bluntly, it is unrealistic expectations on the part of the seller.
Sadly, it is one of the bigger reasons why deals go awry in the lower-to-mid market tier. And, it can be avoided.
by Kelly Deis of SoundPoint Consulting
Owners want to sell their businesses for for a variety of reasons – some want to retire and others are ready to move on to something else. Most owners ask – “is now a good time to sell?” Not surprisingly, the answer is, “it depends”.
Here are three factors to consider when timing the sale of your business. Of course, it is best when all three are optimally aligned, but that is not always possible.
The owner is critical to the success and ultimate value of a business. Typically, once the owner is beyond his or her prime, the business value will begin to falter.
It is best to sell when the owner is engaged, still excited about the business and perhaps wiling to stay on after the sale. Likewise, the more youthful and healthy the owner the less they will appear eager to sell.
You want to be the owner that wants to sell, not one that has to sell. Continue reading
by Kelly Deis of SoundPoint Consulting
Most business owners focus on increasing profit margins as the only means of improving the value of their business. Profitability is absolutely important, but it is not the only factor to consider.
In fact, there are three components which can increase – or decrease, the value of a business: risk, profitability and growth. Continue reading
by Kelly Deis of SoundPoint Consulting
Buy-Sell Agreements are legal documents that govern how ownership will change hands in privately owned companies if and when something significant happens to one of the owners.
These agreements are intended to ensure the remaining owner(s) control the outcome during critical transitions, while making sure the transitioning owner (or their estate) are treated fairly and equitably.
Although owners may have the same interests while both are in the company and all is going well, these same owners may have wildly divergent desires and needs after a triggering event occurs.
It is not too hard to imagine a scenario where one wants operational stability while the other needs liquidity. For instance, if a partner dies, the remaining owner wants business as usual, while the deceased’s estate wants to cash-out.
The interesting thing about Buy-Sell Agreements is that you do not know which side of the transaction you will be on when the agreement is drafted. Because of this, it is in both party’s interest to make them as fair and equitable as possible.
Rather than building a small business from the ground up, buying an existing company offers the opportunity to move along the path to entrepreneurship more quickly. With all of the startup tasks already taken care of, a staff in place, an established customer base, existing vendor relationships, and processes and procedures laid out, you have a head start.
But that doesn’t diminish the importance of doing your research before making the decision to buy. Acquiring an existing small business requires substantial examination so you can avoid the many pitfalls that befall eager entrepreneurs who leap before they look. Continue reading
by Kelly Deis of SoundPoint Consulting
The ideal time to start preparing to sell is two years before the date you hope to sell by, says Curtis Kroeker, general manager of BizBuySell. The more advance preparation, the better. Even if you don’t plan that far ahead, there are several steps you should take before putting your business on the market.
Get your house in order. “The most important thing to do is to make sure your business is performing as well as it can,” Kroeker says. Now is the time to assess your cash flow, your expenditures, your tax strategy and other elements of your operation to see whether they are optimal.
Consider the timing. It’s always easier to sell a business when it’s on the upswing. For this reason, owners of seasonal businesses should look to sell soon after their busy season begins, Kroeker says. Plan ahead and you won’t find yourself desperate to sell during a slump.
Consult with experts. There’s no shame in seeking expert assistance. If structuring the sale in a tax-friendly manner, setting a price or other parts of the process are too much for you, consult your accountant and consider getting a business broker to handle the sale. That way you can focus on doing what you do best: running your business.
Show buyers a bright future. “When a buyer buys a business, primarily the focus is going to be on the proven track record,” Kroeker says, “but there is also the future potential [to consider].” He recommends putting together a growth strategy to show potential buyers. One of your greatest assets as a small-business owner is your intimate knowledge of your own operation; use that to point out opportunities for the new owner to expand the business. The few days’ work it requires may pay dividends in a sale.