Why Use our Professionals to Assist with the Sale of Your Business?

We are asked this question often when beginning the process of talking to Business Owners.  There are a few things to consider…

• Most Business Owners sell a business ONE TIME in their working lives.  It’s a very important step involving many aspects – legal, accounting, financing, on-going risks, and the future – to name a few.

• Our Professionals have been part of literally hundreds (thousands?) of transactions.   We’ve all seen a lot – maybe not everything, but we have decades EXPERIENCE.

• Deal Structure is critical and has to be addressed, analyzed, and managed.  We’ve done many Asset Sale transactions, and also a number of Stock Sales.  Yes Stock Sales of small businesses – something many professionials have not done to the extent we have.  Getting a deal properly structured means more dollars for the Seller and less risk.

• Selling a business takes lots of time; we allow the Owner to continue running his business rather than spending all of his time negotiating and reviewing documents and offers.

• During negotiations things can become very heated and emotions get involved.  We act as the buffer between the seller and buyer.  The last you want is bad feelings between the seller and buyer, as this typically kills a deal.

• Locating and presenting capable Buyers is essential to getting deals done.  We have a number of avenues to attract Buyers and determine who is sincere and who is not capable.  We deal with local individuals, Strategic Buyers (those that want to grow through acquisition) and Private Equity Groups (also wanting to add to their portfolio companies).  A sale does not happen without a Buyer.

• Sellers often have one buyer that they believe will buy their business.  Exposing the Business to multiple Buyers brings the perspective of all – what the real value of the Business is.  Isn’t that something that will insure a fair price and terms?  Isn’t that what a Business Owner should have?

• We bring multiple buyers and more importantly, term sheets/offers/bids.  In a recent completed transaction our Professional brought six offers with two lower offers, one in the middle, and two higher offers.  The final outcome was over $1.2 million dollars higher than the first offers.  Typically our fees are more then covered due to the additional dollar value we bring to the Seller.

• Buyers sometimes need assistance – with financing, introductions to legal, accounting, insurance, and other professionals.  We have Advised Buyers, know what they need, and willingly introduce those contacts.  We tell Buyers “We can assist – you cannot pay us because we are advising the Seller”.  If we know what they are attempting we can guide the transaction to an amicable conclusion.

• Fees – yes we charge for our services.  We are not going to guarantee that our advice will “more than cover” our fee…but our knowledge, experience, and deal structuring savvy help to get deals done – and isn’t that the objective?  And our fee is a deductible expense so the “net after tax” cost is probably in the range of two-thirds or our fee when all is said and done.
  

So a question to Business Owners – “Do you really want to go it alone?” 

References – if a Business Owner wants to speak to Business Owners or anyone about our Professionals and what they have done and can do, please let us know.