We know, your business is your baby. We’ve owned businesses too. We completely understand the blood, sweat and tears – the money and time invested – these things have value to a business seller.

The problem here is this – a business buyer doesn’t see your business the way you do. They see an investment opportunity, and as such, they are only going to be willing to pay for the numbers they can see, and the parts of the business that will give them a return on their investment.

How do you as a seller bridge this gap between what you see and what a buyer sees?

Be rational and realistic. Talk with you business broker about where they think you should be priced and then listen to their advice. The point of listing your business should be to sell it, and setting your listing price too high will keep you from ultimately reaching that goal.

Once you’ve decided on a realistic listing price and also the target number you really want for your business, stick to it.

Here’s what happens. You list your business for a completely rational price, you get a great offer from a buyer that comes close enough to your target price that you are willing to move ahead with the deal. Then you start to think, “well, if they are willing to pay this price, I bet I can get them to pay more” or “these buyers don’t understand the true value”. This last minute greedy-push-back by sellers does only one thing – it kills the deal.

It is completely normal to second guess your decision to sell and the money involved as the closing table looms in the near future, but you have to remember the numbers you decided on were good numbers, so remove your emotions from the situation and stick to them.

If you want to make it to closing and get the return on your business investment you’ve been waiting for, keep this goal in mind during negotiations. Let reality and rationality prevail.

Are you trying to sell your business, but your deals keep falling through? Are you concerned that you may have priced your business too high? Please feel free to leave us a comment or question here, and we will be happy to help you reach your goals.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com

We’ve all heard the stories in recent years of school teachers losing their jobs because of an inappropriate Facebook comment, but what many small business sellers fail to realize is their personal online image is crucially important to the image of their business in the community and to the buyers they are trying to attract.

“My Facebook account is private, so why does it matter?”

Even with privacy settings in place, it is not very hard for someone searching your name to get access to at least a few pictures and perhaps even a few of your posts. Think of your personal profile information this way – would you tell every customer or prospective buyer coming through the door everything you’ve posted on Facebook over the years? Probably not.

“All I have is a business Facebook page.”

You need to think about absolutely everything that has ever been posted on this wall as well. Some owners make politically-motivated posts, or some rant about the competition. Neither will look very professional in the eyes of a buyer, and they will be left wondering if you as the owner are less than professional about other areas of the business too.

“I don’t do social media, so this doesn’t apply to me.”

Nothing could be farther from the truth. This article by Steve Cody (http://www.inc.com/steve-cody/7-reasons-you-need-manage-your-online-presence-more-carefully.html) highlights all the areas that small business owners need to consider when thinking about what their online presence says about them and their businesses. Regardless of your active participation (or no participation at all) you have an online presence that needs to be managed.

If you are serious about selling your business, take a good, hard look at what your personal online presence says about both you and your company. Make changes now before you’ve lost the opportunity for good first impressions with buyers.

Are you thinking about selling and are wondering how your online presence may affect your sale? Do you have questions about what kind of access to your personal online information buyers will have? Ask us! Please leave us a comment or question here, and we will be happy to help.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com

The adage that it takes about 10,000 hours to master any kind of craft is true of any industry, and as a small business owner you’ve probably seen this first hand. Ten thousand hours works out to about five years of full time work, and if you’ve owned your business that long or longer we’d bet you feel you really know the business and the industry inside and out.

Now the time has come to sell your business and you are looking for some help. You find a business broker who is willing to work on the cheap – and he’s a brand-new broker so you think you’ve got someone who’s fresh in the industry, that can’t be a bad thing, right?

We have just one question to ask you – were you the master of your industry right out of the gate? Did you make mistakes back then you never would today with the knowledge and experience you now have under your belt? Hiring a rookie broker is like hiring rookie you from all those years ago when you first became a business owner.

Who would you rather have handling one of the biggest financial transactions of your professional life? Rookie you, or you today? We’re pretty sure you would choose you today, because practical experience always trumps “fresh”.

The same is true with business brokers. You want an experienced pro, not the new kid on the block. How can we say this with such confidence? We see the ramifications of hiring a rookie broker all the time.

Like any industry, there are the rookies and then the brokers who have been around long enough to make a real name for themselves in their region. A seasoned vet will have working relationships with other brokers in the area (meaning a larger pool of ready-to-buy buyers), a new broker will not. We’re not saying that it’s a great thing that many newbies have a hard time getting cooperation from other brokers, but it does happen. This industry sees many budding brokers fail and move on to other careers, so the vets will typically only cooperate if you’ve already proven your staying power.

Another major reason to stay far away from a rookie broker? They make lots of mistakes. Big ones. Mistakes like these:

Treating your business listing like a listing for a house and disclosing that your business is for sale to the whole world. You will probably lose employees, vendors and clients – let alone the headaches of constantly having tire-kicking “buyers” traipsing through your business and disrupting normal operations.

Letting you price your business however you please, without any understanding of the multiples, comparable sold businesses, the market or your numbers (which are so much more than what appears on the bottom of your tax return). The purpose of listing a business should be to sell it, and improper pricing can lead to listing purgatory.

Using a one page P&L and your last tax return as your only marketing materials distributed to buyers. Look at last year’s tax return. Does the number on the bottom line truly describe your business in its entirety? Nope, of course it doesn’t. Only an experienced broker knows what works and what doesn’t when it comes to a marketing package.

Don’t make the mistake of having a rookie broker handle your transaction. Hire an experienced, knowledgeable and qualified business broker instead.

Are you a business seller who has questions about the differences between a new broker and a seasoned vet? Ask us! Please feel free to leave us a comment or question here, and we will be happy to help you.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com

Let’s look at a scenario where a small business owner has come to you, as a friend, for advice.

He is considering selling his business, but isn’t sure that the time is right.

His business is currently very profitable, and although his health is good – retirement needs to be in the picture sooner rather than later.

The economy looks good, and business is booming.

Should he stay in the game to maximize his earning potential or should he sell while the business is at its peak? Could he make more if he stays in the game for two more years and then cashes in?

What would you advise this business owner to do?

You would probably advise him to stay in the game, why leave a business that is making you serious money, right?

We left out a major detail here, it’s 2007… Now what would you tell this owner to do?

The point of this exercise is to highlight that the best advice in this situation, the advice to sell, can only be given with the power of hindsight. In 2007 this business owner likely had no idea of the economic disaster that was about to come his way. For the businesses that survived the recession, and many did not, it has taken many years to get back to their 2007 numbers if they have at all.

Sometimes the best thing you can do for the investment in your business is sell while the selling is good. Gambling with what the future might hold for your business could end up meaning what it did for those who were trying to sell their businesses in 2008 as opposed to those who were able to sell in 2006. It is far easier to sell a business that is doing well than one that has taken a major hit or is in a downward slide.

This decision can be an agonizing one, but if selling your business is something you are considering doing in the foreseeable future, now might be the best time.

Have a serious talk with an experienced and qualified business broker about how your industry is doing, what comparable businesses in your area are currently selling for and about whether it would be advisable to sell your business now while the chances of making a great return on your investment are really quite good.

Thinking about selling, but you’ve been waiting for the right time? Curious about what other business sellers in your industry were able to get for their businesses? Ask us! Please leave a comment or question here, and we would be happy to help you with any selling questions.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com

It may seem counter-intuitive at first to position and market your business in such a way that your biggest competitor will want to buy you, but these strategic acquisitions are good news for a business seller. Who better to purchase your company than a bigger fish in your industry’s pond?

They will have the available capital, they know and understand your industry, and it is a big compliment to your business if they want to bring you into their fold.

How can a business owner position their company to attract this kind of buyer?

Branding

Building your brand should be a big part of any business owner’s goals, but if you are looking to get noticed by the competition you will need to have a brand that can contribute effectively to the market position of a competitor. To do that you will need to hold a decent market share.  You also need to be able to describe your brand effectively in those key first meetings with a strategic buyer. What does your brand say?

Your Team

In any growing and successful operation there is a core team that makes the business the well-oiled machine that it is. A strategic buyer is going to want this core team to remain in place, allowing for a seamless transition and putting aside any fears that you are the only glue that holds the company together.

The Future

Strategic buyers typically don’t buy companies that are in an asset-sale/liquidation/downward spiral, they want a business with a strong future. You should always have your eye on the future of your business, but when you are positioning yourself to be acquired you should be in the process of developing and building your business for the days ahead. This forward-thinking direction will be very attractive to strategic buyers.

Your Sales

This is a number you should always know,  as it will be a figure on the top of the priority list for a strategic buyer. This number will speak directly to the amount of market share you hold, and the amount of market share that they will be acquiring if they buy you out.

Growing, Growing, Growing

As we mentioned before, the strategic buyer is typically looking for a business on the way up, not on the way down. Have the narrative of your growth and your projections ready to discuss, as well as knowing how your growth compares to the industry average. Do you know the size of the market you are in?

If you are considering selling your business, looking to a strategic buy from your competition might be a good move. Talk with your business broker about this type of buyer and whether this type of buyer would be right for your business.

Are you a business buyer who is horrified with the thought of your biggest competitor buying your company, but are curious about what the numbers might look like for you if they did? Would you like to know more about positioning your business to attract this type of buyer? Please leave us a comment or question here, and we will be happy to help you with strategic buyers.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com