Seller Articles

Are You Asking a Reasonable Price for Your Privately Held Company?

Placing a price on a privately-held company is usually more complex than placing a value, or a price, on a publicly-held company.  There are many reasons for this fact, but one of the top reasons is that privately-held companies don’t have audited financial statements. Why are Audited Financial Statements Lacking in Privately-Held Companies? Preparing an audited financial statement is expensive and, as a result, many privately-held companies that have not gone public simply forego the expense. Most privately-held companies are also not accountable to bankers, investors or partners so there is no need to incur this cost. Compared to a privately-held company, a publicly held company can often seem like an “open book.”  Buyers are left with the proposition of having to dig out a lot more information from a privately-held company in order to assess whether or not a valuation or price is accurate. What Can You Do to Overcome this Factor? You, as the seller, can help streamline this … [Read more...]

When is the Right Time to Sell Your Business?

Like many things in life, timing can be everything when it comes to selling your business.  Every day more and more baby-boomers are now reaching retirement age.  The marketplace is already showing signs of increasing inventory with the increasing amount of businesses coming to market as more and more business owners are looking to sell to retire. According to a 2016 survey of Business Brokers, 54% plan to exit in the next ten years.  We may be on the verge of a massive wave of businesses hitting the market.  Getting out in front of that wave could be in your best interests. Now very well may be the time to sell. Are You Suffering from Burnout? If you’ve been running your business for many years, it is quite possible that you are suffering from burnout.  This issue is remarkably common with business owners and it is also very dangerous.  Owners suffering from burnout don’t invest as much of themselves and their creative energy into their businesses, and that has a range of … [Read more...]

Fairness Opinions When Selling a Business

Since one often hears the term “fair value” or “fair market value,” it would be easy to assume that “fairness opinion” means the same thing. A fairness opinion may be based to some degree on fair market value, but there the similarities end. Assume that you are president of a family business and the other members are not active in the business, but are stockholders; or you are president of a privately held company that has several investors/stockholders. The decision is made to sell the company; and you as president are charged with that responsibility. A buyer is found; the deal is set; it is ready to close — and, then, one of the minority stockholders comes out of the woodwork and claims the price is too low. Or, worse, the deal closes, then the minority stockholder decides to sue the president, which is you, claiming the selling price was too low. A fairness opinion may avoid this or protect you, the president, from any litigation. A fairness opinion is a letter, usually only two to … [Read more...]

Selling a Business, Get Ready to Expect the Unexpected!

Many experts agree that the best time to prepare to sell your business is when you start your business.  That may sound extreme. However, few business owners reach that level of preparedness.  A simple fact of life and owning a business is that most sales are event-driven.  Factors such as problems with a partnership, health issues, burnout or even divorce can drive a business owner to sell. Once you’ve made the decision to sell, it is essential that you realize one key fact.  Unexpected events and factors will always rise to the surface. In this article, we’ll explore four key questions that you’ll need to address before selling your business. What is the Value of Your Time? Meeting with prospective buyers can be a serious time sponge.  One of the key benefits of working with a professional Business Broker is that he/she can take some of the pressure off of you. They can interact with buyers on your behalf. A large percentage of business owners are also deeply involved in the … [Read more...]

Your Lease: 8 Factors to Consider When Selling a Business

Owners often neglect understanding their leases and this can be problematic. If your business is location-sensitive, then the status of your lease could be of paramount importance. Restaurants and retail businesses, for example, are usually location-dependent and need to pay special attention to their leases. But with that stated, every business should understand in detail the terms of its leases. There are many key factors involving leases that should not be ignored or overlooked. If you adhere to these guidelines, you’ll be much more likely to control your outcomes. At the top of the list is the factor of length. Usually, the longer your lease the better. Secondly, if the property does become available, then it is often in an owner’s best interest to try and buy the property or he or she may be forced to move. When negotiating a lease, it is best to negotiate a way out of the lease if possible; this is particularly important for new businesses where the fate of your business … [Read more...]

The Sale of your Business is Almost Done, Then Again, Maybe Not

Having a letter of intent signed by both the buyer and the seller can be a very good feeling, when selling a business. Everything can seem as though it is moving along just fine, but the due diligence process must still be completed. It is during due diligence that a seller decides whether he or she is going to finalize the deal. Much depends on what is discovered during this important process, so remember the deal isn’t done until it is truly finalized. In his book, The Art of M&A, Stanley Forster Reed noted that the purpose of due diligence is to “Assess the benefits and liabilities of a proposed acquisition by inquiring into all relevant aspects of the past, present and predictable future of the business to be purchased.” Summed up another way, due diligence is quite comprehensive. It probably comes as no surprise that this is when deals often fall apart. Before diving in, it is critically important that you meet with such key people as appraisers, accountants, lawyers, a … [Read more...]

Dynamics of a Family Owned Business

The simple fact is that family businesses are different. After all, a family business means working with family and all the good and bad that comes with it. While an estimated 80% to 90% of all businesses are family owned, relatively few are properly planning for what happens when it comes time to sell a business. According to one study, a whopping 72% of family businesses lack a developed succession plan which is, of course, a recipe for confusion and potentially disaster. Additionally, there are many complicating factors, for example, studies indicate that 40% to 60% of owners of family businesses want the business to remain in the family, but only 40% of businesses are passed to a second generation and a mere 10% are passed down to a third generation. Let’s turn our attention to a few of the key points that family business owners should consider when selling a business to other parties. Confidentiality should be placed at the top of your “to do” list. When it comes to selling a … [Read more...]

Three Common Errors When Selling A Business

The old saying that “there is no replacement for experience” is a truism that has stood the test of time. The simple fact is that a lack of experience or expertise can dismantle the deal when you sell a business. Consider the following scenario – a business owner nearing retirement owns a multi-location operation that is doing several million in annual sales. He interviews a well-respected and experienced Business Broker and is impressed. However, the business owner’s niece has recently received her MBA and has told her uncle that she can handle the sale of his business and in the process, save him a bundle. On paper, everything sounds fine, but as it turns out the lack of experience or expertise gives this business owner less than optimal results. Let’s take a look at a few problems that recently arose with our nameless, but successful, business owner and his well-meaning and smart, but inexperienced niece. Error #1 No Confidentiality Agreements One problem is that the business owner … [Read more...]

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M&A Business Advisors represents sellers and buyers of privately owned businesses in a wide range of industries in California and Nevada. Our services include Selling a Business, Buying a Business, Mergers & Acquisitions, Business Sales and Acquisitions, Valuations, Opinion of Value, SBA Finance and Business Consulting. Sell your Business, Buy a Business, How do I determine the Value of a Business, How do I Sell my Business Confidentially, What is a Safe Way to Sell my Business, How long does it take to Sell a Business, How do I Sell a Business in California, How do I Sell a Business in Nevada, Search Businesses for sale. We represent Sellers and Buyers in Southern California, Los Angeles County, Orange County, Ventura County, Santa Barbara County, Kern County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County, San Diego County, Los Angeles, Torrance, Gardena, South Bay, San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel, Upland, Woodland Hills, Chatsworth, North Hollywood, Van Nuys, Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Santa Clarita, Palmdale, Thousand Oaks, Ventura, Camarillo, Anaheim, Irvine, Santa Ana, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Fullerton, Laguna Beach, Aliso Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Orange, Costa Mesa, Brea, Loa Alamitos, Mission Viejo, Fountain valley, San Clemente, Northern California, San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, San Ramon, Napa, Sacramento, Nevada, Northern Nevada, Southern Nevada, Reno, Carson City, Tahoe, Las Vegas.