what you should know Archives - Page 25 of 60

Published December 30, 2019

If you are thinking about buying a business, then one of the many early decisions you will have to make is whether you should buy an independently owned small business or a franchise.

Both routes to business ownership can bring a buyer success, but it will be a matter of personal choice as to which path will be better suited for you.

Let’s take a look at the four major differences between an independent small business and a franchise to help you decide which camp will suit you best.

Branding

If you decide to go it alone and opt for an independently owned small business, you will most likely be going without the large-scale name recognition and branding that are associated with a large franchise. This can be detrimental in that a strong brand will automatically bring you customers loyal to the parent brand without having to try very hard. On the flip side of the branding coin, however, are the problems that can arise if the parent company or another franchisee makes a big negative splash in the media. Any of that bad press will automatically fall onto anyone within the franchise group.

If you are a marketing machine and love to create buzz about your business, then perhaps an independent business is for you. If you would rather focus your energy elsewhere and leave the branding to the parent company professionals, then a franchise would be a good choice.

Ownership

Yes, a franchisee owns their business in the same way that an independent owner does – the difference lies in the decision making abilities of these two owners. If you are part of a franchise then decisions on product choices, renovation decisions and operating procedures may be made for you.

If you are a first-time business buyer, this might be a good bet because you don’t have to make every decision right away. If you are a complete control freak by nature, you might have issues with having the parent company tell you what to do.

Total Cost

Although debatable and entirely dependent on each individual business and each individual franchise, there are a few generalizations about cost that you can use to help with your decision about becoming a franchisee.

In general, the upfront costs for buying a franchise can be a bit lower than buying an independently owned business, but in return the independent business owner has more control over their cash flow than a franchisee would. For instance, a franchise can require a renovation and you would have to comply where an independent owner can delay renovations until the cash is more readily available.

Operations

This one is also helpful for a first-time business buyer. If you opt for the franchise route, then the day-to-day operations of your business will be established and tested. You will not, however, be able to make major changes to the standard operating procedures if one or more parts don’t suit the way you like to run your business.

Buying an existing independent small business also means that you inherit a set of operating procedures – the difference is that these procedures are not so set in stone. As you learn the ins and outs of running your new business, you can make any changes you see as necessary.

If you are considering a franchise over an independent business or vice versa – the best thing to do is have a chat with a business broker experienced with both franchise and independently owned businesses. Using your experience and your goals for business ownership you and your broker will be able to sort out which option would be best for you.

Are you considering a franchise and have more questions about what it would mean to be a franchisee? Do you think an independently owned small business would be better for you and want to know what businesses are currently available? Please feel free to leave any questions or comments and we will be happy to help.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com
12995 South Cleveland Avenue, Suite 249
Fort Myers, FL 33907

Myths And Curves – The Reality Of Buying A Business

Posted in Buyers Articles

Published December 23, 2019

You’ve made the plunge, you’re buying a business – welcome to the fantastically tough but fantastically rewarding world of entrepreneurship. You may just be starting your search, or the closing table is next week – but wherever you are in the process of buying a business there is a very big change in your life that is approaching at light speed. Life as a small business owner.

Many new buyers (and sometimes veteran buyers too) have a roads-paved-with-gold attitude when it comes to what happens after the closing table. They have visions of happiness in their newfound investment, visions of getting the keys and starting in a brand-new and wonderful life.

Life as a business owner can be very wonderful, but it’s also very hard – especially in the first few weeks.

A buyer who wants the smoothest transition possible into entrepreneurship needs to remember two all-important things.

There will be an extremely steep learning curve.

Regardless of your experience in the industry, any new business is going to come with a very steep learning curve. Why? Unlike an employee at a new job who only really needs to learn their own responsibilities when they get hired, a new owner has to learn EVERYTHING. Not only do you have to learn the day-to-day logistics and operational procedures, you need to learn how to do payroll, how to pay taxes, how to make a schedule that won’t cause a mutiny, how to order new inventory, how to get licenses and permits, how to acquire new customers, how to keep your customer base happy through the transition of ownership, how to pay the rent and deal with your new landlord – the list goes on and on.

This steep learning curve should in no way freak you out or dissuade you from small business ownership, instead it should help you mentally prepare for a tough few weeks ahead. Once you get the hang of things it will obviously get a lot easier. Just don’t set yourself up for failure by thinking it will be a walk in the park.

Your new business isn’t perfect.

You may come out of the due diligence phase thinking your new business is perfect every way. Reality, however, will rear her ugly head in the first few weeks or months of ownership and turn your perfect little business into what it really is – a business. There is no such thing as a perfect business. They all have flaws. They all have skeletons in the closet. The only thing you can know for sure as a new small business owner is you are going to find something (or many things) that make you unhappy. There are two ways to react to imperfections. One is to completely freak out and try to sue everyone who was a part of the business sale, then lock the doors and walk away. That is not, of course, the productive solution.

The other, and far better way to react is to take a deep breath and figure out a way to solve your problem. Owning a small business means having to constantly be ready to deal with issues – so treat the unearthing of skeletons as the first real test of your entrepreneurial grit.

Entrepreneurship is hard, but it is also a great way to earn a living. Think of the transitional time ahead of you as a challenge to be conquered and not a mythical field of roses.

Have more questions about the path to business ownership? Are you curious about what businesses would meet your goals for life as an entrepreneur? Ask us! Please leave questions or comments here and we would be happy to help.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com
12995 South Cleveland Avenue, Suite 249
Fort Myers, FL 33907

Buying? How You Should Look At A Business

Posted in Buyers Articles

Published December 16, 2019

When most first-time business buyers first call us, they have only one request – they want to go see some businesses. They want to drive by, pop in and take a tour.

This is exactly the opposite of what a new buyer should ask for. You are buying a business, not a house – and the differences between the two are huge.

A house is four walls and the stuff inside. To make a judgement about whether or not a particular house is a good investment, you need to walk around and have a look at those four walls and the stuff inside.

An operating business is not four walls and the stuff inside.

The four walls are usually leased from someone else and the equipment and furnishings are the assets of the business – not the business itself. Yes, when you buy a business you also buy the assets, but that isn’t all you are getting. You are getting cash flow.

You can’t drive by, pop in or take a tour of cash flow. You learn whether or not a business is a good investment by looking at the numbers, by talking to the seller, by going over inventory lists and by examining contracts.

The depreciated value of the equipment, the furnishings, the vehicles, even the color of the paint have very little to do with how a business is priced and should have very little to do with how you judge the price of a business. As such, tours are really not that important. Aesthetics can be easily changed once you take over – so focus on how the business makes money instead.

A better way to look at businesses starts with a conversation with an experienced and qualified business broker. In this initial conversation you and your broker will talk about what your goals are for business ownership and then search for businesses based on those goals. Once you have a few businesses in mind your broker can help you decide if the price is fair based on the numbers and also help you decide if you want to pursue more information.

Want to take a quick peek at what types of business are currently for sale? Use our Business Search Tool by clicking here.

Have more questions about buying a business? Ask us! Please leave any questions or comments here and we would be happy to help.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com
12995 South Cleveland Avenue, Suite 249
Fort Myers, FL 33907

Buying A Business? Patience Is A Must

Posted in Buyers Articles

Published December 9, 2019

We’ve talked about this issue a handful of times, but it is so prevalent in the day-to-day of buying and selling businesses it merits revisiting from time to time. A great business broker spends their work day keeping business deals on track and moving towards a closing table, but they are only one part of a very complicated process.

As such, you as a buyer may get frustrated by the pace of your transaction – but in many cases there is absolutely nothing your broker can do.

What you need to remember is the only cure for tied hands is patience.

Here’s an example:

You are a motivated buyer who is very interested in a particular business and have put a decent offer on the table. You request through the seller’s business broker that the seller send over the information required for due diligence, like financial records, tax returns, etc.

Then you wait. And you wait.

Then the seller sends over partial records, which get forwarded to you from your broker, but the rest of the information you requested has yet to be produced. So you wait.

You constantly call and email your broker, and all they can tell you is they haven’t received the information from the seller so their hands are tied.

Why does this happen?

Some sellers go on the market with the initial intention of reaching a closing table, but once they are in the process they realize that selling their business requires a ton of work on top of what is already required for the day-to-day operation of their business (producing information and being available for questions/meetings). Then they completely panic because are shortly going to be out of a job.

These realizations can cause some sellers to develop a decent case of cold feet. It can also cause a seller to be defensive, as constant requests for more financial information can give the impression that the buyer is trying to dig up dirt on the business.

This, of course, is not the case. Buying a business is a huge decision, and most buyers are going to want a thorough look at any business before they pull the trigger.

So how do you figure out if the problem is your broker or the seller?

If your broker is really good about answering your questions, is prompt with returning phone calls and emails and has been forthcoming about the issues they may be having with the other side – then their hands are probably are tied. If it takes your broker ten days to return your phone calls, then the problem is probably the broker.

As with everything in a business transaction, a good dose of patience will go a long way. This does not mean, however, that you have to sit around and wait for a seller to deliver information they have no intention of ever giving you. Talk to your broker if you have concerns about time frame issues, and understand that sometimes there really isn’t anything a broker can do to speed up the process.

Are you a buyer who is having a hard time getting information out of sellers? Are you concerned that the issue may be with your current broker and not with the seller? Please feel free to leave us a comment or question here, and we will be happy to assist you.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com
12995 South Cleveland Avenue, Suite 249
Fort Myers, FL 33907

The Garage Start Up? Why Buying A Business Is Better

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

Published December 2, 2019

When you think about famous entrepreneurs, it often brings thoughts of a person who came up with an inspired idea and built a successful and thriving business from the ground up – with the romantic twist of doing so out of a garage with little to no seed money. While this may be the path for a few very driven and lucky individuals, the path for most entrepreneurs begins quite differently, with the purchase of an existing business.

Wait, what? Buy an already existing business? Why would I do that instead of starting my own business?

Typically, buying a business is a safer bet than building one from scratch. You get to take over as owner of an already built-out and proven location with trained employees and a ready-to-go set of operating procedures. This can be a great way to get into business ownership because it skips all of the disadvantages a start-up will encounter – like establishing a customer base, building cash flow, paying for build-outs, establishing marketing practices, training a brand-new staff, obtaining initial permits and licenses – to name just a few.

It is not, however, a fool-proof way to enter the world of business ownership. You need to choose a business that is profitable, or one that has easily-remedied issues that will make it profitable quickly. You need to choose a business that will fit with your goals for business ownership and one where you have some practical knowledge or experience. You also need to choose a business that has room for growth.

I have a lot of questions, who should I ask?

The smartest step any budding entrepreneur can make is to hire an experienced and qualified business broker. A broker will be a great asset, as they can help you find businesses that are right for you.

In your initial conversation with your broker you should talk about your previous work experience. You don’t want to have to learn a whole new industry at the same time you are learning how to operate a business. You should also talk about your goals for business ownership. Your goals will determine what industries would be best for you. For instance, buying a bar with the goal of having evenings off isn’t going to work. Be a bit opened minded about the businesses that are available – you might be surprised to find a business that perfectly fits your goals in an industry you would never have thought of on your own.

The message here is entrepreneurship isn’t an impossible goal, and you don’t have to come up with a genius idea in your garage to get there. There are a myriad of businesses available everyday, and with help from a good business broker you can find the right one for you.

Have you always wanted to own your own business, but were unsure of where to start? Do you have questions about what a business broker does? Ask us! Leave any questions or comments here, we would be happy to help.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com
12995 South Cleveland Avenue, Suite 249
Fort Myers, FL 33907

Are You Compulsive With NDAs? The Wrong Approach

Published November 25, 2019

Are you a buyer like this? Have you requested information on dozens of businesses and then when asked a question about one of these listings – you can’t remember which one we’re talking about?

Are you requesting and then signing Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) like it’s going out of style? Guess what? You are probably NEVER going to buy a business. Never. Not going to happen. Why?

Dozens and dozens of NDAs is not the way a successful buyer finds and then buys a business.

Buying a business requires that you keep your eye on the goal – successful business ownership.

What do we mean by that?

First and foremost, signing the NDA should come after you’ve already made some decisions about whether of not a particular business is really what you’re looking for. You shouldn’t buy a business based on where it is, how it looks, or what the tax returns say. This is the information you will be able to access after you’ve signed the NDA. Sure, these are all important parts of a business, but as a buyer you need to be focused on whether a particular business is going to meet your goals for business ownership. The major mistake that unsuccessful business buyers and unsuccessful business owners make is they never considered what they want out of business ownership.

If your goal for business ownership is to have more time to spend with your family and the ability to do things like coach your kid’s soccer team – then buying the bar you think you’ve always wanted isn’t going to work – you’ll have to work seven nights a week. If your goal for business ownership is to make more money than you do at your current job, then buying a huge restaurant with zero restaurant industry experience isn’t going to work – you’ll be bankrupt in six months.

The path to a successful business purchase starts with a conversation. You and your business broker should have a talk about what your goals for business ownership are, about your prior work experience and about the amount of money you are looking to invest in a business. Then, and only then, should you sign NDAs for the businesses that will actually meet those goals. You might be surprised that a business you never would have considered on your own could be the perfect fit.

Narrow down your search, then request the information you need. This will help you keep your eye on the goal of business ownership.

Are you looking for businesses to buy but haven’t had a conversation about what your goals for business ownership are? Do you want to know more about how to successfully buy a business? Ask us! Please feel free to leave any questions or comments here and we would be happy to help.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com
12995 South Cleveland Avenue, Suite 249
Fort Myers, FL 33907

3 Big Steps For Business Buyers

Published November 18, 2019

Ready to buy your own business?

Step 1: Arranging Capital

You could probably guess that step one is figuring out how you are going to pay for your new venture.

If you don’t have enough cash on hand to fully fund the purchase of a business there are several resources available which you could tap. These options consist of acquiring funds from the Small Business Administration (SBA), traditional financial institutions like banks or seller financing.

No matter what the source of funds, any lender is going to have conditions which you will have to satisfy if you want to be approved for said funds. They are going to require you to have adequate cash readily available for a down payment in addition to having sufficient working capital to sustain the business.

You will need to be aware of and account for costs like closing fees. It is possible to either pay for the closing fees up front or plan to have them incorporated within the amount that you will be financing.

Having financing or at least a down payment in place before you begin your business search will simplify the process of finding the right business for you.

Step 2: Making Offers

You found a business that meets with your goals and have finished going over the initial financial records. You think this might be the business for you. It is time to make an offer, but how do you determine what that offer should be?

First, consult with your business broker. There are considerations that influence price such as the amount comparable businesses have actually sold for, the value of inventory and contracts, the amount of cash flow the business currently generates – the list goes on. By consulting with your business broker you can consider all aspects and decide whether the asking price is fair and how much you are willing to offer.

Step 3: Due Diligence

After an offer is accepted, the offer you submitted essentially becomes the purchase contract and you will move to the next stage – due diligence. This is a crucial step when purchasing a business. It is due diligence which enables you to figure out whether or not this business is for you. It also helps to determine what price you will be prepared to pay for it.

Due diligence will begin with examining previous years of financial records. You will be able to learn about any unresolved legal actions, relationships with vendors and clients, intellectual property rights including copyrights or patents, as well as any future liabilities.

Once you have all the necessary information you can make an informed decision about whether or not to proceed. This is the nature and necessity of due diligence. Your findings during due diligence may also modify the amount you are willing to pay for the business.

As soon as you have arrived at what you feel is a complete picture of the business and have also arrived at a price that takes into account what you found during due diligence – you and the seller will negotiate to amend the purchase contract and proceed to the closing table. This step typically requires using the expertise and negotiating skills of your business broker, and possibly a CPA and/or attorney to guide you through the process.

While buying a business might initially seem like a monumental task, when broken down into basic steps it is absolutely possible for any driven future entrepreneur.

Do you have more questions about the steps required to buy a business? Would you like to know more about the due diligence process? Ask us! Please feel free to leave any questions or comments, we would be happy to help.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com
12995 South Cleveland Avenue, Suite 249
Fort Myers, FL 33907

Business Buyer 101: How Long Does It Take To Buy A Business?

Posted in Buyers Articles

Published November 11, 2019

For most businesses, the time on the market between listing and selling is in the neighborhood of 9 to 12 months. The typical time between an accepted purchase contract and the closing table is somewhere around 30 to 90 days. These industry stats might be helpful for a business seller, but if you are a buyer – what does the process of buying a business mean in terms of time frame? How long will it take a buyer to buy a business?

The answer is it depends. And it’s really complicated.

Yes, that’s a terrible answer, but it’s the truth. Here’s why:

It depends on the industry.

Like any market there are waves of popularity for specific types of businesses – and if the type of business you are looking for is a hot commodity, it might take you a while to get your hands on one. Great businesses in popular categories land under contract very quickly, so you might miss out on a few before you get lucky. What that means for time frame is a lot of waiting around for another shot.

It depends on what’s for sale.

You might have a specific type of business in mind, but within that category the current choices on the market may not hit enough of your criteria to warrant a purchase. Like the popular industry problem we just talked about, waiting for a business to come up for sale that fits what you want could take a while.

It depends on the complexities of the purchase contract.

Even if you luck out and get a business that suits your goals under contract, the length of time to get from accepted contract to closing varies from deal to deal. Some close quickly, in a month or so. Some contracts need to be negotiated for over a year. It depends on many, many factors and varies considerably from deal to deal. You may have many aspects of the purchase contract to negotiate or it may be very straightforward. The only way to know will be to get to this phase of the transaction and then to have some patience with the process.

It depends on the existence of financing.

If you aren’t paying all-cash for your new business (most people don’t), then the time frame can be prolonged because of financing issues. If you are working out a deal where seller financing is in the mix, that can add another layer to the negotiation process. If you are getting your funding through a more traditional lending institution or through the Small Business Administration (SBA), then the time table of that lender will also play into the mix.

It depends on the motivation of the buyer.

It can be really difficult to make a huge decision like the decision to buy a business, mostly because there is no such thing as the perfect business to buy. Many, many buyers (90%) enter the market and never buy anything. As such, looking at the average time it takes the full population of buyers to buy a business probably won’t be very helpful. You can also be extremely motivated and the business you’re hoping for just isn’t out there at the moment.

The point here is the length of time it takes you to find the right business and then reach a closing table isn’t as important as focusing on making sure the business you end up with fits your goals. It also isn’t as important as staying motivated and patient with the process. If owning a business really is in your future, you will be able to meet your goal.

Have more questions about the process to buy a business? Are you curious about what types of businesses are currently on the market? Use our Business Search tool by clicking here! Otherwise, feel free to leave any questions or comments and we would be happy to help.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com
12995 South Cleveland Avenue, Suite 249
Fort Myers, FL 33907

Buying? What You Need To Know About Confidentiality

Posted in Buyers Articles

Published November 4, 2019

Buying a business is a big task, and there are many steps ahead of you that might seem ridiculous – but all are a necessary part of a successful business transaction.

The most important of these steps is the signing of confidentiality agreements and then keeping that confidentiality in place.

This can be a frustrating part of the process for buyers. The confidential nature of business sales means you can’t have all of the information you want the moment you want it – and you will have to sign non-disclosure agreements for each and every business you seriously consider, all without knowing very much about the business before you do.

Keeping the for-sale status of a business a closely-guarded secret is absolutely imperative for the health (and possibly survival) of the business. When people find out a business is for sale, they immediately assume the worst. A business for sale must be a business on the brink of ruin. Why would anyone sell a perfectly good business?

Well, there are a lot of reasons. Reaching retirement age, the desire to move to a new area, wanting to pursue a different business venture, reaching a pre-planned goal within a business initially purchased for the purpose growth and then a sale – all of these reasons mean a business is healthy, not failing.

In general, however, that false perception that a business for sale is a failing business can cause an enormous amount of havoc in an operating business. The entire staff can quit, customers can go elsewhere, contracts can be cancelled – all things that can severely affect the bottom line.

For you as a buyer, the confidential nature of business sales means you must sign non-disclosure agreements and you must abide by them. Period.

You can’t change the language of the agreement to remove the penalties for you if you break the agreement. Non-disclosure agreements come in a standard form used throughout the industry and are not open for negotiation. If buyers could change the agreement to remove the penalties for a disclosure, then there really isn’t any point in having non-disclosure agreements in the first place.

You also can’t tell anyone who is outside of the transaction that the business is for sale (like your mother-in-law, your neighbor, your golf buddies, etc.). The only people who should have access to any confidential information is the buyer, the seller, the brokers, CPAs and attorneys involved.

While the confidential nature of business sales might seem like a giant pain – you should consider it a great thing for you as a business buyer. Confidentiality means that the business you want to buy hasn’t been trashed by the careless disclosure of it’s for-sale status by a buyer that considered it before you did. You will get your new business intact and healthy.

Do you have questions about non-disclosure agreements or questions about the business buying process in general? Please feel free to contact us here or comment below. We would be happy to answer any questions you might have.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com
12995 South Cleveland Avenue, Suite 249
Fort Myers, FL 33907

The Efficient Business Buyer – Less Meetings, More Questions

Published October 28, 2019

Buying a business might seem like a monumental task – there’s paperwork, red tape, negotiations, money – but there are better ways to go about successfully completing a transaction than others.

One of the best ways you can be a more efficient business buyer? Ask questions.

Of course I’m going to ask questions! What do you mean?

The process to buy a business starts with looking at general listings and pairing down the list of possible businesses provided by your broker to just a few. For those few businesses, you will be asked to sign a nondisclosure agreement for confidentiality purposes – and then you will be forwarded a marketing package that typically includes information about the business, the physical location, a financial overview, pictures, etc.

At this point many new buyers ask for a meeting with the seller or for a tour of the location, but if all you’ve done is glance at the marketing package – then a meeting or tour will probably end up a total waste of your time. When you are buying a business, you are buying cash flow – so the seller’s personality or the location decor really aren’t that important.

Why?

The only way to figure out if a business is really right for you is to dig deeper than just a cursory glance, and you need to do that deep digging right from the start so you can eliminate businesses that aren’t right for your goals – sooner rather than later. The more efficient path? Take a really close look at the information you’ve been provided and come up with a list of questions you’d like answered.

What kinds of questions should I be asking?

Every business is different, so your questions from one business may or may not be the ones you have for another. Here are some general questions to get you started:

What are the seller’s daily duties? What would a typical work day look like for me as the new owner?

How is the income derived? Is it owner-to-prove? What do the tax returns and P&L statements show as far as how much the business makes?

What types of licenses are required for this business? Would I qualify for those licenses?

The moral of the story is any question is a good question, for a couple of reasons. First and foremost it will help you weed out businesses that won’t fit with your goals and expectations. Second, your questions will help your business broker understand what is important to you so they can better refine the search for potential businesses.

Save yourself a ton of time and energy by carefully reviewing information and asking lots of great questions – before you sit down with sellers and go for a back-of-the-house tour.

Are you a new buyer who has additional questions about the process to find the right business? Would you like more pointers on the best types of questions to ask? Ask us! Leave comments or questions here and we will be happy to help.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com
12995 South Cleveland Avenue, Suite 249
Fort Myers, FL 33907