M&A In 2022: Is This The Year To Sell?

If you’re a business owner, you’ve probably had a rough couple of years – and the challenges aren’t over. While COVID-19 may be weakening its grip, talent shortages, supply chain issues, and inflation are still very much at play. And yet, the economy is surging. Many of the business owners we talk to have all […]

Tracking Your Business Perks

Business owners take any number of perks from their business, from the more standard items like auto expenses, memberships, and insurance plans to extras like entertainment, vacations, or an additional family member on the books. Perks are a way for owners to be further compensated for their hard work. However, these perks can also complicate […]

Buyers Like Big Fish In Small Ponds

Some business owners worry that a niche will limit their opportunities and they’ll miss sales. But a niche can often be the key to growth. What’s more, it can increase your overall business value.   Niches are attractive because it’s much easier to be #1 or #2 in a smaller, niche market. Being number one has […]

Entrepreneurs Really Do Think Of Business As Their Baby

Many business owners say selling their business feels like giving a child up for adoption. As it turns out, that’s not just a metaphor. Research shows entrepreneurs really do think of their business as a kid. Researchers found parallel brain activity between owners thinking about their business and parents thinking about their kids. In either case, similar areas of […]

Buyer’s Top Focus Is Employee Team

Employees. Finding them. Keeping them. It’s on everyone’s mind right now. And for the company or person who buys your business, it just may be their number one concern.    In the latest IBBA and M&A Source Market Pulse Report, a quarterly survey of M&A advisors, respondents indicated that employees were buyers’ number one due diligence […]

Retention Raises Business Value, Especially Now

“To win in the marketplace, you must first win in the workplace.” Those words of Doug Conant, business leader and former CEO of Campbell Soup Company, ring particularly true today. The talent market was tight before the pandemic, but now we’re in a critical state. Finding employees, and keeping them, is a challenge for everyone. […]

The Happiest Business Owners Know What’s Next

I recently came across Bo Burlingham, the former executive editor for Inc. magazine and author of several books, including Finish Big: How Great Entrepreneurs Exit Their Companies on Top.  What I learned from his book is many business owners are unhappy after selling their companies. It doesn’t really matter how much someone got for their business – some sellers are delighted while others […]

What Happens to Employees After I sell?

Business owners often come to us concerned about employee jobs and retention issues after a sale. They worry that selling their business will lead to job losses if certain positions become redundant. However, buyers today are often just as focused on retention issues. Your experienced talent can be a key value driver, and buyers want to make sure these people stick around. Your […]

Know the 3 Types of Business Buyers and What Motivates Them

When selling your business, you may receive offers from three kinds of buyers: strategic, financial, and individual. Here’s a look at the most common buyers and where their motivations lie. Strategic buyer: The strategic buyer is a company that is looking to grow by acquiring another business that has synergies with its own. The idea is […]