If you are looking at buying a business, then the due diligence step will be in your future. This part of the business transaction process occurs when the seller accepts your initial purchase offer. Due diligence is important because it gives you a chance to peek behind the scenes, scour the books and dig up any skeletons lurking in your future business before you sign on the dotted line.

Wait, skeletons? What should I do if I find potential problems during due diligence?

First of all realize that it isn’t “if” you are going to find skeletons, it’s “when”. Small businesses are complicated, complicated things – and most have some kind of issue that you as a buyer will find less than ideal. Perhaps the largest customer contract is expiring shortly after you take over as owner. Perhaps the business has unpaid taxes. Perhaps the numbers initially provided by the seller don’t really add up. It really could be anything.

Once you come to grips with the fact that you are likely to uncover something potentially ugly – don’t freak out when it happens.

Think of it this way – if essentially all small businesses have issues, and these businesses with issues are still running and are appealing enough for you to have made an offer – then perhaps the issue that you’ve found can be dealt with without completely killing the deal.

Issues that can affect your bottom line as the new owner can mean a renegotiation of price and a price reduction to accommodate what you’ve found. Issues with things like unpaid taxes can mean adding provisions to the purchase contract. The point is not everything you find should send you screaming into the night. Concessions and negotiation may be able to solve the issues you find.

What if what I find is really, really bad?

Unfortunately, some skeletons are definite deal killers. You don’t want to take over a sinking ship, so if what you find is irreparable – you should absolutely walk away. The message here is just don’t jump the gun.

If you find something that makes you uncomfortable, ask your broker how bad it really is. A good broker has seen it all and will be able to tell you if a potential issue is negotiable or a deal killer. If it’s negotiable, take a deep breath and head back to the table with the seller to see what you can work out.

Do you have more questions about what can be done when skeletons come to light during due diligence? Would you like to know how to decide if an issue is a deal killer? Ask us! Leave any questions or comments and we would be happy to help.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com