Posted in Buyers Articles

Due diligence. It’s the point in the business buying process where you start to really dig into the details (think contracts, inventory lists and the like). It’s a critically important step because it’s the step where you find out what you’re really buying. You should understand going in that you might come across some things that are less than ideal because all businesses are messy and complex. Absolutely every business has some sort of skeletons in the closet that will need to be addressed. Here are some common examples:

Long-Term Contracts

This could be anything from supplier contracts, employee contracts, your commercial lease and the like. You’ll inherit some of these contracts as-is and others (like your lease) will likely require some kind of renegotiation. Long-term contracts can be a problem if the owner before you chose (for example) a supplier whose products are inferior and/or more expensive than what you would have chosen but now you’re stuck. Although the supplier example here might not be ideal, the products are working as the business is able to remain operational – so you might just have to wait out the contract or find a way to buy yourself out. As far as your commercial lease is concerned, while you will need to renegotiate, you aren’t going to get a better deal than the owner before you. In many cases the rent will increase with a new tenant.  

Old Equipment

Once you really get into inspecting the equipment, vehicles, furnishings, etc. that you’ll be inheriting as the new owner of a business you might discover that these physical aspects are older and either need maintenance, repair or replacement. An important thing to remember is that most equipment doesn’t need to be brand new or pretty to do what it needs to do. It just needs to work. With that in mind you will probably be able to negotiate what you’re paying if the equipment you need is in such bad shape you’ll immediately have to replace it. 

Inflated Or Misrepresented Numbers

A cursory look at a single page P&L statement isn’t going to tell you much about how the business is actually doing. Neither will a simple chat with the seller. Once you really get into the numbers you might be disappointed that profits, margins and the like aren’t as good as you thought they were or were led to believe. The good news here is if the business isn’t making as much as the seller said it was you have a fairly strong argument for renegotiation to a lower price. 

The message here isn’t to immediately run away when you find problems during due diligence. Instead, look at the issues more closely to see if they are big enough issues to warrant action such as a renegotiation of your deal. 

Are you looking at businesses and want to know more about how to handle problems during due diligence? Do you have an experience to share where a business you were considering had much bigger problems than you were led to believe? Please feel free to leave any questions or comments, we would be happy to help.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com

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Posted in Become a Business Owner, Buyers Articles

One of the keys to happiness is having the ability to get up every morning and go to a job that you love. If you are looking to become a business owner, then you can’t overlook this pivotal aspect – you need to buy a business you won’t hate.

How do you ensure the business you buy is one you’ll actually love? Spend the time before you actually start searching for a business doing some serious personal reflection.

Things to think about:

• Where do you want to be in 5 years, 10 years?
• What do you really love to do? What in your employment history has brought you enjoyment? What do friends and family see you doing as your “dream job”?
• Are there things about your dream business that you would dislike doing? Is this something that you would have to do yourself? Could you bring in a partner or hire someone to do those tasks, enabling you to focus on the parts of the business that are your passion?

Once you’ve considered these thoughts, have a conversation with an experienced and qualified business broker about your goals for business ownership. Are you looking for a passion project? Do you want more flexibility in your schedule? Are you looking for a business with a lot of room for growth?

When you have solidified your goals you and your business broker will work together to find businesses that fit you and the amount of capital you have available.

A caveat here; don’t assume that loving your business means that running it will be easy.  Everyone who owns a business works really hard, it’s all about enjoying what you do. This is why determining your goals is such a critical step.

If you haven’t taken the time to consider your goals and the things about business ownership that will mean real happiness, you run the risk of being lured into a great deal on a business that might not be right for you in the end.

Are you thinking about buying a business and have questions about what industries would match with your goals? Do you want to know what businesses are currently available that would work for you? Ask us! Feel free to leave any questions or comments and we would be happy to help.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com

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Posted in Buyers Articles

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

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Posted in Business Broker Why & How, Buyers Articles

A million NDAs? Yes, that’s a profound exaggeration. It would be nearly impossible and ridiculous to sign a million of anything. The point we’re trying to make is your approach to buying a business will greatly impact your ability to get to a closing table.

How?

The NDA (non-disclosure agreement) is a document you sign before the name, location and any sensitive information about a business for sale can be revealed to you. It is a critical step in the business buying process, so if you’re in the market to buy a business – you’ll be signing NDAs.

What you shouldn’t do is sign a ton of them. Why? It’s an enormous waste of you time and energy.

The NDA should only be signed after you have completed a few other steps. First and foremost you need to figure out your goals for business ownership (a more flexible schedule or greater income potential, for example) and then decide how much money you have to invest in your new venture. The second step would be to have a conversation with an experienced and qualified business broker about your goals, the industries where you have interest/practical experience and your available capital. Your broker should then find you some cursory listings to review. If any of those listings look promising, then and only then would you sign the NDA for that particular listing.

If a business broker is doing their job the only people who are allowed to sign the NDA are people who would not only be a successful buyer of the business (they have enough capital) but also a successful owner of the business (they have the practical experience and passion to keep the business in the red). It serves absolutely no one to randomly send NDAs to people who can’t successfully buy and run that business. All it does is put the business at risk for disclosure of the for-sale status to the wrong person (read why that is bad here).

There are brokers out there who will automatically send NDAs to anyone who shoots them an email, no questions asked – so as a buyer it’s possible to ask for, receive and sign a ton of NDAs. The issue is those NDAs are likely for businesses that you either would be unable to buy or wouldn’t suit the life you’d like to have – so why waste your time?

Talk to the right broker – someone who asks you questions and helps you narrow down business listings. Then sign.

Are you interested in buying a business and have questions about the NDA? Have you signed a ton of NDAs without much success and are looking to try a different approach? Talk to us! Feel free to leave any comments or questions and we would be happy to help.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com

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Posted in Become a Business Owner, Business Broker Why & How, Buyers Articles

You know how everyone always jokes about what a nightmare bureaucracy can be? If you are buying a business, prepare yourself – you are going to have your fair share of red tape. All of it will need to be completed in the correct order and to the correct level of repetition before you can operate your business.

It can be frustrating and might (at times) feel impossible, but every operating business has made it to the end of this process. Consider it an annoying right of passage. 

This is a part of the business transaction process where your business broker can be worth their weight in gold. A good broker will have someone who can help you with any and all red tape, or they will be able to help you themselves. Some business buyers choose to have their broker (or a specialized contractor) do all of the licensing, others are able to get it completed with just a few suggestions. How you handle this part of buying your business is up to you.

Want some pointers? Here’s a sample of our best advice, derived from many trips down bureaucracy lane:

DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!!!

Many red tape items are contingent on one agency completing or signing off before another can even begin, so start early and stay on top of it. You can’t get all of your licensing and permitting done the day of (or even the day before) closing. 

Gather All Of The Documents Before You Start:

First you will want to try to get together the list of everything your broker and the seller think you will need. Ask the seller for copies of the licenses and permits they hold, as you will need their license and permit numbers to fill out your own.

Go online and print out every application you think you might need, even if you are going to be submitting them online. A printed version will allow you to collect all of the needed numbers/addresses/names/titles/etc. so you don’t end up timed out of the online application process (they pretty much all have a time limit and then they force you to start over).

Once you have assembled your pile of seller information and printed applications keep all of it together and take it everywhere you go. Many applications require signatures from multiple government agencies or departments.

Naming And The IRS:

The very first step is the naming process, even if you are buying an existing business and keeping the business name the same. Why? Your business will technically have two names, the DBA or “Doing Business As” (also called the Fictitious Name) and the legal name which can literally be “Anything You Want, LLC”. You will need to file your DBA with the Division of Corporations in your state, and the legal name will need to be filed through your attorney or an online legal service like LegalZoom. You will also need to get a Federal Employer Identification Number (also called a FEIN or an EIN) from the IRS.

Operational Licenses:

If the seller currently holds a license needed for the operation of the business, like a liquor license, then instead of starting from scratch you will be using applications for transferring that license. A word to the wise here – don’t rely solely on the information you find online about what is required to get the licenses issued or transferred. Get someone – a real, live person on the phone. Better yet, find the local office (instead of the statewide call center), and get a local agent on the phone. The local agents are the ones who will be processing and issuing your license, so they are the ones you need to keep happy. Another caveat? Be really patient with this part of the process. You can call the same call center three different times and get three completely different answers to a single question. 

Local Licenses:

You will also need to get yourself a Certificate of Use and your local Business Tax Receipt or BTR (also called the Occupational License). The Certificate of Use gets issued after your building and fire inspections, your BTR after your Certificate of Use goes through. If you are buying an existing business, you may not need an inspection if the business has had one recently, but you will need to call and check. Again, get a living person on the phone to discuss the requirements and process and you will be far better off than trying to divine what you need from a cryptic government website.

Costs:

Did we forget to mention that pretty much all licensing and permitting applications come with a fee? Yes, they all do. While rarely astronomical in price, the costs will be completely dependent on what applications you are filling out, what inspections you need, etc. Be ready with your credit card or checkbook when you start the process.

It Can Be Done, Really.

This is one of the parts of being your own boss that is not very fun, but with a good dose of patience and a bit of organization it will all fall into place. Most of the real, live people you will get on the phone are very helpful, and remember that your broker is always there as well.

Are you thinking about buying a business, or do you already have a business in mind and are wondering about what kinds of licenses or permits you will need? Are you having trouble finding the agencies you need to get your applications going? Ask us! Please feel free to leave us a comment or question here, and we will be happy to help you with navigating the red tape.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com

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