Don’t Sell Before You’re Ready

The buyer and seller have both agreed on the sale price and the terms of the transaction. Everyone appears satisfied. As the day of closing approaches, the seller seems less cooperative and more apprehensive about selling the business. Ultimately, the sale falls apart. Who’s to blame? The buyer was ready, willing and able to buy […]

Adding Value to Your Business

If you are considering selling your business, remember that there are positive factors that influence value and those that detract from it. Looking at your business from a buyer’s perspective is important since a prudent buyer will be adding and subtracting these various factors when arriving at an asking price. It is perhaps more important[…..]

The Small Business Market: Reading Between the “Negative” Lines

Experienced buyers of large businesses have tended to spurn the smaller business, citing traditional “negatives” involved in this type of transaction. Now big-time buyers are throwing away the don’t-buy-small book; or at least, they are beginning to read between the lines. The so-called shortcomings of the small business acquisition can actually be opportunities in disguise.[…..]

When Selling Your Business, Play to Win

If you are an independent business owner, you are most likely also an independent business seller–if not now, you will be somewhere down the road. The Small Business Administration reports that three to five years is a long enough stretch for many business owners and that one in every three plans to sell, many of[…..]

Ten Ways to Cut It

It’s easy to be negative about cost-cutting. “Everything just costs more,” a business owner will say; the subtext being, “What’s the use?” Don’t give up! There are ways to cut costs. The first step is to identify where the money goes . . . and why. Then look at creative ways to shave off the[…..]

The Entrepreneur: Both Sides

Strong Points Flexible and positive attitude Creative and comfortable with risk-taking Goal-focused and committed to success Organized Energetic Weak Points Impatient with achieving goals Distractible; tolerant of interruptions Distrustful of “the new” (especially technology) Tendency to stray from business plan Failure to delegate authority and tasks