You may be eager to , but are you prepared for the numerous questions a potential purchaser will have before they start looking inside every corner of the business?
Many of these questions will be objective in nature, such as:
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When do...
All business owners will one day . For those that are prepared this will occur voluntarily, on their terms at a time of their choosing.  For many business owners, however, this will occur involuntarily due to burnout, illness, disability, divorce or death. Are you looking to sell your business within the next five years?  If so, the time to act is now.  You and your business need ample time to prepare for this event – and there are things business owners need to know before even co...
A seasoned M&A professional with experience selling similar businesses can help with , finding potential buyers, managing the entire sale process and representing you in negotiations with potential buyers. I recently sat down with Don Hilton, Founder and Managing Partner, of Distinct Capital Partners Inc. (www.distinctcapitalpartners.com) in Toronto, Ontario. Distinct Capital provides investment banking, corporate finance and advisory services to shareholders of owner operated businesses ...
In any negotiation, being the person who makes the first move usually puts you at a slight disadvantage. The first-mover tips their hand and reveals just how much he/she wants the asset being negotiated. Likewise, when considering the , it is always nice to be courted, rather than being the one doing the courting. The good news is, the chances of getting an unsolicited offer from someone wanting to buy your business are actually increasing. According to the Q2, 2014 Sellability Tracker ana...
A few weeks ago a friend of mine was telling me about a new exercise routine he had been following to help him lose weight and improve his overall health. It was visually apparent to me that he had achieved success with this new program. When he showed me his progression through weekly photos of himself, however, I immediately bought into his exercise routine as well as his commitment and motivation to its success. More recently, my brother sent me a current photo of himself and one from one ...
Are you on track to meet your business goals for 2013? What are your goals for 2014? How often do you actually write down your goals for the coming year? I find that business owners generally do have predetermined revenue and/or profit targets. While those are important, there is another goal that can have an even bigger payoff: . You may say that you are not ready to sell. That’s not relevant. Here are five reasons why building a sellable business should be your most important goal, reg...
Proper preparation will greatly increase your chances of maximizing the net sale proceeds when you sell. Although preparation takes time, effort and attention, the benefits of planning far outweigh the costs. "Built to Sell" author, John Warrillow, discusses two such benefits in his recent blog entries (). A takeaway from reading John’s recent articles is that proper preparation will greatly improve your chances of: i) selling for a significant premium; and ii) avoiding buyer trickery. Letâ...
According to studies on , more than one third of those surveyed are expecting to sell their business externally to a third party. [1] "We should remember that good fortune often happens when opportunity meets with preparation." ― Thomas A. Edison Business owners looking to sell their business to an external third party should take note. There is tremendous opportunity to sell for a significant premium because many business owners are not properly preparing. The prepara...
As a seasoned business owner, it is common to enjoy an intuitive understanding of the importance of knowing about . Essentially this constitutes knowing what and how much it is worth based on current market conditions and its industry position, set against the amount of work you have put into fostering its growth over the years and the available resources for continuing your work.
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Valuation reports are a key part of any pending transaction concerning your business. When selling your business in the GTA, obtaining a professional, independent helps manage your expectations with respect to the business’ market value and how much it can be sold for. A valuation report also provides useful information for entering into negotiations with a potential purchaser. When done early enough, it can help you ident...