With the New Year upon us, business owners are thinking about goals for the coming year. These will surely include business growth and profitability. One of the longer term goals most commonly shared by owners is to successfully exit their businesses over the next 10 years. Most business owners have a sense of how much longer they want to remain… Read More
1. Can Junior Run the Business? A major problem we encounter here is the failure to adequately consider whether children are capable of managing the business and the related issue of whether children really want to own and manage the business. Frequently, mom and dad simply assume that the children are their natural business heirs and the assumption in the… Read More
Does the prospect of putting your business up for sale give you the willies? Having prospective buyers wade through the intimate details of your business operations not for you? Then, you have probably given thought to selling your business to insiders, an idea that can pose its own challenges. Looking Inside – Problems with Selling to Current Employees (1) Insiders… Read More
As a business owner, you likely have plenty on your plate. You have a business to run, perhaps a family to care for, and many other responsibilities that require your time. So, why should you consider Exit Planning? Whether you’re thinking about exiting your business soon or expect to stay in your business for many years, Exit Planning can have… Read More
In all likelihood, you are absolutely critical to the success of your business. Without you, there is no business and no business value. We want to fix that. With a little luck and a lot of hard work, we can help you become an Inconsequential Owner. Having said that, perhaps a bit of explanation is in order. All owners understand… Read More
Or to put it another way, what do you lose when you don’t plan sufficiently for the exit from your business, which is probably among the most significant financial and emotional transactions of your lifetime? Here are a few benefits to having a well designed Exit Plan: Exit Plan = Peace of Mind Who is the best successor owner of… Read More
According to Paul Simon, there are 50 ways to leave a lover. Not being as creative as Mr. Simon, we’ve only come up with eight ways for owners to leave their companies: (1) Transfer the company to a family member; (2) Sell the business to one or more key employees; (3) Sell to key employees using an Employee Stock Ownership… Read More
Business owners engaged in business exit planning are able to react more quickly to new events. Unfortunately, owners often fly without Exit Plans, co-pilots, or maps to help them when storms force them to alter course toward their business exits. If an unanticipated event arises (such as a deterioration in the economy), they shelve their exit planning thinking (and thinking… Read More
No experienced buyer purchases a company without knowing everything possible about it; this learning process is known as “due diligence.” Buyers like the process, and sellers do not. By viewing the opposing viewpoints on due diligence, you can understand why. Due Diligence – Buyer’s Viewpoint (1) The buyer assembles a team of experts including but not limited to an accountant,… Read More
Some owners make a choice not to sell their companies for very legitimate reasons. Among them are: 1. They still have enough fire in the belly to fuel their investment of time and energy in the business. 2. They are grooming interested family members or employees to one day assume the reins. Some owners, however, have businesses that are prepared… Read More
