I thought this story on WashingtonPost.com was humorous and not surprising. While I am not pleading guilty, I am sure most fellow business owners will relate. I certainly hope we don’t start getting profiled and arrested for driving while BBO. Survey Reveals Work Habits of Business Owners Anyone who’s ever been irritated by an erratic driver take heed […]
Certified Business Brokers today announced the acquisition of MVP Aero Academy, an FAA Licensed Flight School in the Houston area, by a local investment group. Terms of the sale were not disclosed. Sheela Patel, new owner and Managing Partner of the investment group, stated she is pleased to be assuming the reins of the largest […]
If you are looking to buy or sell a business in Houston, 2008 will see a wave of activity and be a year of great opportunities. We have already kicked off the New Year with a bang, closing four businesses between New Year’s Eve and the day after the Holiday. And, we currently have a […]
Houston – the fourth largest city in the U.S. and the economic dynamo of Texas is also an international player in the future of global commerce. The economy of the Houston region is one of America’s largest. Its industries include oil and gas, aeronautical and space, medical research and healthcare, technology, manufacturing, logistics and shipping. The […]
Houston is the pacesetter in the race to a new-energy future — Wind Energy, Biofuels, Hydrogen, Nanotechnology and Carbon-Free Energy. As investment in alternative energy surges, scientists and entrepreneurs throughout the U.S. are trying to brew up remedies for the world’s so-called petroleum addiction. While it’s too soon to say which of these efforts will […]
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. Rand understood the importance of business growth, entrepreneurialism, and free […]
Texas in top 10 best economic outlook rankings in the U.S. according to a new publication, Rich States/Poor States – State Economic Competitiveness Index 2007. This economic rating of the 50 states shows that those states with the lowest taxes, government spending, and regulatory burdens attract the most newcomers. Houston has long understood the precepts purported […]
Get Reviewed and Prequalified For Financing So You Can Leverage Your Business Purchase. Getting prequalified for financing by lenders is very important for two specific reasons. 1) 90% of all small businesses sold have some form of financing involved. 2) One of the biggest reasons that deals falls through is because the buyer could not […]
Houston-based banks feel less subprime pain — Credit harm not as severe as in other regions By PURVA PATEL Dec. 5, 2007 Houston Chronicle National banks that were heavy into the mortgage market in parts of the country where the credit crunch has taken its toll have taken billions in write-offs related to loan […]
If you want to be successful in making a business acquisition, you want to work with a brokerage firm with a large inventory of businesses for sale and an experienced staff of professionals who are focused ONLY on selling businesses and have the training and experience to successfully close the deal. While most first-time buyers may initially […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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, […]
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. […]
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 […]
The U.S. Small Business Administration posted record-breaking loan numbers again in FY 2007, expanding access to capital to thousands of entrepreneurs across America and setting records for both the combined number and dollar volume of loans, according to their News Release today. SBA approved 110,275 loans totaling more than $20.6 billion under its two primary […]
Houston Businesses keep economic engine pumping, maintaining the City’s position as one of the fastest growing employment cities in the U.S. Texas was fifth in the nation for August non-farm job gains, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment in the Houston Metropolitan Area was up by 8,600 jobs in August compared with July […]
Don’t start it, buy it! Why should you buy a business versus start a new one? Here are ten solid reasons: (1) The success rate for existing businesses purchased is significantly higher than the success rate for a new business startup. Statistics indicate a 90% failure rate for new business ventures within five years, while […]
National statistics show that over 70% of all businesses on the market, are not sold. Why is this? The two strongest reasons for failure are lack of preparation and an unrealistic selling price. Valuing a business correctly tends to resolve the unrealistic selling price problem. Know when to hold the price and when to change […]
Since 2005 Houston has been enjoying employment growth at a higher percentage rate than the rest of the U.S. and is anticipated to keep the city’s economic engine running. Houston Ranks Third in Employment Growth in U.S. After peaking late in 2006, the Houston economy has steadily lost momentum over the past six months. Despite […]
According to Dr. Jerry Osteryoung, a professor at Florida State University, the purpose of business is to serve others who have a vested interest in its success, such as its employees and investors, because they are the ones who suffer the most if the business fails. To fully understand my response, one must first read […]
As I mentioned in one of my previous blogs, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has relaxed some of their policies in regards to lending. I said before that they “became a lot more flexible by making changes to the acquisition policies impacting purchases which included Intangible Assets. These changes give “Preferred Lender Providers” (PLP) more […]
Certified Business Brokers Handled the Transition of Ownership of US Global Mail, an Internet-Based Subscription Shipping Service Headquartered in Houston, to Randy Nibber, Former CFO of an Overseas Business Unit of Aker Solutions. (Marketwire Press Release) Certified Business Brokers (CBB) acted as intermediary in the sale of US Global Mail, an internet-based subscription shipping service headquartered […]
Certified Business Brokers handled the transition of ownership of Houston Balloons and Promotions to an experienced businessman and Houston resident, Mr. David Key. (Marketwire Press Release) — Houston Balloons and Promotions was established over 11 years ago and was founded, owned and operated by Mr. Jim Purtee. The business offers the rental of large inflatable balloon […]
The pundits would have you believe deal making has all but dried up in this dismal, credit-starved economy. Take a closer look, though, at the market for smaller companies and the picture isn’t so dire. According to Thomson Reuters, the dollar value all of mergers and acquisitions in the U.S. totaled $1.1 trillion through Nov. 30, […]
Houston has received several noteworthy accolades this month. Houston may have a bad reputation for hot, humid weather and nasty traffic, but according to Fortune Small Business magazine, it’s a pretty good place to start a company. Fortune ranked Houston the fourth best place among large metropolitan areas in the U.S. to launch a business. […]
Over the past 20 years, private-equity groups (PEGs) have become key players in business acquisitions. PEGs offer flexibility as a liquidity source, giving entrepreneurs the ability to take some cash off the table, recapitalize their company or simply sell and move on. Private equity refers to buyout groups that seek to acquire ongoing, profitable businesses […]
Working for someone else, whether it be in a small business or in a large corporation, doesn’t give people that secure, warm fuzzy feeling it did in years past. With the current unemployment rate at almost ten percent and an economy that is not yet stabilized, many find themselves in transition. If you are one […]
Who says there’s an age limit on the question “What do I want to be?” According to a recent study, a large number of small business owners weren’t bit by the entrepreneurship bug until they graduated from college or started down a completely different career path. Nearly one-third of respondents to Ace Hardware’s Entrepreneurship Study […]
If you are buying a business and plan to obtain financing from a lending institution, these five tips provided by Adeline Rem, Regional Vice President of Celtic Bank, will be helpful in getting your loan approved. 1. Capacity The capacity of the borrower to repay is the most critical of the five factors. The prospective […]