Is now the time to sell your business?

Does your business have good will?

Blue sky? Good will? Is there a difference between the two? Yes! And if you don’t know the difference before you plan the sale of your business, you probably won’t get paid for all the hard work you’ve poured into the business. Read More >

Valuing your business real estate

What is my real estate worth? That is a familiar question asked when we’re helping a business owner prepare for the sale of his/her business. Until recently, the answer could be a pleasant surprise – with their land worth more than they thought. In the declining economic climate, the reverse is often true – land on which the business sits is worth less than just a year ago. Do you sell at a loss, then? Read More >

Every Owner Needs an Exit Strategy

You poured your heart and soul into building your business and you want to get the most out of it when you decide to move on.  You need an exit strategy. Read More >

The Big Deal Connects with the Right Team

Who you choose to be on your team when you sell a business can make make the difference between deal or no deal. We start choosing teams when we’re young—picking buddies and winners from yesterday’s game. In the business world, the stakes are more memorable than honor gained or lost on a dirt field; yet, unfortunately, team players are often selected in exactly the same manner. If by chance the first professional is hired based on past performance, the seller can only hope that the extra players are based on excellence and expertise rather than personal ties. Read More >

Seller’s Financing—Opening the Door to a Closing

Are you thinking about buying a new job? That is starting or purchasing a business. It’s not uncommon for us to think about being our own boss when being laid off or facing an industry-wide downsize. Or maybe the time has come to stop dreaming and start doing. Read More >

Create Space for a Top-Dollar First Impression

Question: When does space matter the most? Answer: When you are selling it. The same family who will ignore laundry spilling over the basket will suddenly faint over a wispy cobweb when their house is on the market. A young man using the passenger side of his ride for a garbage-slash-tool chest will remodel with finesse and vigor before a hot date. Same goes for selling a business – if you want a buyer to take the wheel, provide a first class, tricked-out space powered by a smoothly running operation, complete with an accurate odometer to display where the business has been, and a honed GPS to highlight where it is going. Read More >

A stylish business holds attention

Last month in Biz2Biz Northwest Arkansas we explored a management model containing three hard or rational spheres: Strategy, Structure and Systems in the 7-S Framework. The model, made popular by consulting firm McKinsey & Company, reminds owners and managers to cover all bases when positioning a business for sale. These hard elements are relatively easy to identify and document. They include strategy statements; organization charts and reporting lines; and formal processes and IT systems. Read More >