I recently posted a press release article citing the increased number of acquisition inquiries that business brokers in Houston are experiencing from business owners in foreign countries. It seems that Houston is not alone. The Center for an Urban Future, a New York City-based think tank, in a press release February 6, 2007, revealed a major […]
Why Should the Seller of a Small Business Consider Financing the Deal? One of the best ways to finance the acquisition of a business for a buyer is through the seller. The seller’s willingness to provide financing will be influenced by the buyer’s qualifications and by his or her own requirements such as tax considerations […]
Kissing your business goodbye. Experts say it’s never too early to start thinking about selling. In fact, they suggest developing an exit strategy long before that next business opportunity beckons or it’s time to retire. “Things can be done today that can have big impact on how valuable the business is 20 years from […]
Closing the deal can be the most challenging part of buying or selling an operating business. Valuations, investigations, and negotiations are complete and now it’s a matter of getting everything into writing in a form that satisfies everyone so that the transfer of ownership of the business can take place. However, you can definitely count on someone getting cold […]
Whether you are buying or selling a business, your accountant can make or break the deal. If you choose to engage advisors, such as a CPA, to assist you in the sale or purchase of a business, it is important that they be deal friendly and transaction experienced. They must have a clear understanding […]
Family and private businesses are sold in an environment that is unlike the selling environment of anything else you can imagine! Sound surprising? After you review the following ten reasons that make selling a business different, perhaps you will agree. (1) Confidentiality Making the decision to sell one’s business is a difficult enough task in […]
The Individual Buyer Category represents the largest number of prospective buyers for small to midsize privately-held businesses. Understanding who the buyers are and their acquisition criteria will enable business owners to be better prepared when the time comes to sell. The individual buyer category encompasses a variety of buyer types that include wealthy individuals, […]
Something interesting happened at the bank yesterday. Sadly, it wasn’t that I noticed an extra $100,000 in my account. I was at the teller window and the young guy next to me was probably in his mid twenties, with his little toddler in tow. He was inquiring about the best way to set up regular […]
When it comes time to sell your business, knowing how to enhance its value and planning ahead are key to doing it on your terms. Selling a business can be complicated and very time consuming. Since the average business sale transaction takes anywhere from four to 12 months business owners need to be in the […]
When buying a business, both emotion and due diligence are elemental and essential. Here are 10 key matters to consider when you find that magical business for which you’ve been searching. It covers important points that are sometimes overlooked when your head is in the clouds during the emotional excitement of a deal. 1) Know that […]
Building a business is like running a marathon, not a 40-yard dash. It requires hard work, a well-conditioned work ethic, a high pain threshold,and taking measured steps one mile at a time. But remember to save some kick for the final stretch to the ultimate goal…….the exit. If you want top dollar for your business, you […]
Should you be the architect of a new business and start from scratch, buy a new franchise, or buy an established existing business? Every year, thousands of people consider going into business for themselves and these are the three routes to get there. Each course has advantages and disadvantages that one should consider. Starting your […]
The Wall Street Journal had a quite long and comprehensive op-ed a couple of days agao titled “The Realignment of America” on demographic shifts since 2000. While getting the link, I also noted it has been one of the most popular – and the most emailed – stories that day at WSJ. The graphic is […]
Ayn Rand’s John Galt could not have built a better machine than Houston’s sturdy economic engine of today. In her epic novel, “Atlas Shrugged,” published 50 years ago, manufacturing and transportation were Rand’s focal points in the plot to stop the engine of the world. She understood the importance of business growth, entrepreneurialism, and free […]
Do you buy the stock of the company or the assets? This is a very important decision. If a business is set up as a corporation, the owner may want to sell you the shares of the business. This is called a stock sale. Sellers like this type of deal because their profits get taxed […]
The International Business Brokers Association is having its 45th Semi-Annual Conference this week, June 3 through June 9, at the Memphis Cook Convention Center in Memphis, Tennessee. The International Business Brokers Association® (IBBA®) is the largest international non-profit association operating exclusively for the benefit of people and firms engaged in the various aspects of business […]
ed to the suburbs, employees then feel comfortable moving another half-hour beyond that into the exurban periphery. As long as employers stay in the core, sprawl has practical limits if employees want to maintain a reasonable commute. The second key factor is maximizing the number of people and jobs inside the opportunity zone. People have […]
One of the most time consuming tasks performed by business brokers in the process of selling a business is filtering through the mass of inquiries and databases of registered buyers to find qualified prospects. So, why does it take such a considerable amount of time in the qualifying process? Some people may think the quantity […]
Watch out, Florida! Texas has emerged as the No. 2 retirement mecca in the country. The Lone Star State has vaulted over Arizona and California and is gaining on the Sunshine State. The North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement, which is nationally known for tracking retirement migration trends, studied 2005 data from the U.S. Census Bureau on […]
We report on economic conditions and other issues that affect the Small Business Community and its future outlook. This survey is important because it is essentially an interview with the generations that hold, in their hands, the future impact of small business on our economy. The outlook is encouraging. Let’s preface the Survey with […]
Investment groups and baby boomer corporate executives looking to get into action with companies of their own are making small businesses hot prospects these days. Buyers have money to spend and are turning more frequently to the local landscaping company or delivery company as good investments. There’s no question that Houston-area small businesses are becoming more frequent […]
There are many factors that determine right-timing for selling your small business. The financial condition of the company, valuation, growth cycle, profit history, and the current market. But there is one single thing about timing that comes into play that makes all other factors make little difference….it is the business owner’s emotional readiness to […]
Administaff Announces Results of Business Survey and Compensation Data HOUSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE) Nearly 86% of small business owners say their companies are either growing as predicted or at a faster pace than forecasted, according to a Business Confidence Survey released May 8, 2007 by Administaff, with Headquarters located in Houston and a leading provider of human resources services for […]
The likely team of experts will consist of a business broker, an attorney, and an accountant. Once an owner has decided to sell the business, he or she needs to determine who will handle the process. Utilizing professionals to facilitate the process is key to successfully selling the business within the shortest time frame for the […]
Business Owners Should Prequalify Their Business For Potential Buyers Before Putting It On the Market. Whenever we advise our business-owner clients this, they look at us sideways wondering if we have lost our minds! They usually reply, “isn’t it the buyers responsibility to get prequalified and get financing for the purchase of my business?” Nothing […]
Houston’s economy will continue to flourish for the forseeable future, despite the nation’s credit crisis (Houston Business Journal 11/19/07). The TrendLines report, researched by Transwestern affiliate Delta Associates, projects an average of 60,000 new jobs in the Houston area each year through 2009. Job growth will cause office vacancy to decline and office rental rates to […]
Houston, the home of the World’s largest medical center, is getting bigger. The Texas Medical Center in Houston is in the midst of the largest expansion in its 60-year history, with planned projects through 2014 totaling more than $7 billion, officials announced this month. The center’s square footage is already greater than the square footage […]
Back in March 2007 I wrote an article touting Houston’s booming economy. In revisiting that article, while there is certainly economic turmoil on today’s national scene, Houston is still hot! The reason for this blog post is to share some of our current hands-on observations and experiences that keep us aware of the climate in Houston. […]
When you are selling your business you should be prepared for the different types of deal structures that may be proposed from various buyers. A business sale often consists of multiple elements like cash at close, seller notes, non-competes, books and records adequate enough for business financing by lending institutions, allocation of assets, capital gains, […]
The International Business Brokers Association is having its 46th Semi-Annual IBBA and M&A Conference this month, November 11 -17, 2007, in Dallas – Frisco, Texas. The International Business Brokers Association® (IBBA®) is the largest international non-profit association operating exclusively for the benefit of people and firms engaged in the various aspects of business brokerage and […]
Can You Sell Your Home-Based Business? The value of a business depends mainly on the earnings it produces, with the expectation that those earnings will continue into the future should a new owner take the helm. It also depends on having something valuable to sell that allows those earnings to be produced. So, if you […]
Houston, Texas -among the elite in the logistics industry in the US and receives five stars in seven of the 10 major logistics categories. In their seventh annual study released this month, Expansion Management and Logistics Today magazines identifies the metro areas that can provide manufacturing companies with the strongest and most robust logistics infrastructure. […]
We often spend the least attention on the decisions that affect us most. Entrepreneurs pour heart and soul into building a business, often with the unexamined belief that the right exit will be bestowed on us as a reward for our hard work. On the other hand, seasoned successful CEO’s will tell you that planning […]
What are the odds of your business actually selling once you have made the decision to sell? Well, national statistics indicate that the odds of your business selling are only 25 to 30 percent. What does this mean? To put it bluntly: if you are thinking of selling your business, you have, on an average, […]
Leadership November 26, 2007, 11:35AM EST text size: TT Are You the Best Boss for Your Business? Bakery Barn saw explosive growth in five short years, becoming a $6 million company. Now the founder thinks it’s time for a new leader by Kerry Miller The way Sean Perich tells it, the history of his […]