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You May Kiss the Bride, The Wire Transfer is Complete

It’s all we talked about around our house for nine months. My daughter was getting married, and she and her mom (my wife) had plenty of time to plan a wonderful celebration for family and friends. My daughter is very responsible; I gave her a wedding budget, and for eight months and two weeks, she reported her spending with precision and confidence. I was so proud of the way she managed the process, staying upbeat Read More

The Buyer’s Stretch Marks

“We were told if our revenue was greater than $5 million, we’d be an attractive acquisition target. We got there, but we’ve had to sacrifice profitability.” I met Charlie (not his real name) at the office of his wealth planner. They were developing a retirement plan for Charlie and his wife. They asked me to help them determine his company’s market value and discuss timing to sell it for maximum value. Charlie was Read More

The Hocus Pocus of Business Valuation

“All this talk about multiples makes me dizzy. Multiples of revenue, multiples of EBITDA, multiples of net earnings. Which multiple should I focus on to know my business value?” Rod (not his real name) owns a profitable healthcare services business. Though just 37 years old, he has assembled an organization and methodology that no longer requires his active involvement in the business. He called me for advice after Read More

The Downside of Low Interest Rates

“I’m looking to buy a business, but I’m having the devil of a time doing it. Can you help?” Frank (not his real name) sold his profitable medical supply company three years ago, and is eager to get back to creating value through business ownership. He doesn’t have to work, the money he put in the bank after the sale of his company provides more than enough to take care of his family. But just 42-years old, Frank said Read More

Momma Was Right, Do Your Homework Before the Test

“If I don’t handle this right, it could cost me millions and leave me bored to tears. Can you help?” I get a question like this from a business owner about once a month. The types of businesses are different, but the situation is the same...the owner has a successful business and they have been approached by a credible third party with an unsolicited, though compelling, offer to sell their company. The second Read More

What the LOI Is, and Isn’t

“Ty Cobb was the leading batter in the history of baseball, and he only got on base about one-third of the time. I guess I shouldn't feel so bad.” Reggie (not his real name) may not have felt so bad, but I sure did. In late 2018, he retained me to sell his company. We identified several private equity (PE) firms that had made recent investments in Reggie’s industry, and within a couple of months, we started to Read More

Watch Out for that Pig-in-a-Poke Valuation

“Jim, I decided to go with the other firm. They say they can get more for my company than you think it’s worth.” This recent comment from Tracy (not her real name) was the first time in ten years I have lost an engagement because the business owner was picking another intermediary. It seems the other broker convinced Tracy that he could get her a higher price for her company. I had told Tracy the business could be Read More

The Longsufferring CFO

“I’ve been his CFO for ten years. I’m 55 years old, if I don’t see his plan for transition in the next few months, I’ll have to go find another job. Gosh, for all I’ve put into this company and the good people here, that’s the last thing I want to do. But I might not have a choice. Given the pace we’re on, I don’t see us making it much longer.” David (not his real name) has been CFO of the company for ten years and Read More

The Business Owner’s 3:00AM Wake-Up Call

Every four years Americans go to the polls to elect a president. There is one issue that seems to come up during every election, and that is how each candidate would handle the “3:00AM wake-up call.” The question centers on how the candidate would handle a crisis so severe that they’d need to be awakened in the dead of night. Truth be told, many people make their decision for whom to vote based on how they feel about Read More

Relying on the Irrational Decision

“Why is finding a business to buy so hard? I’ve been looking for eight months, talking to brokers, bankers, anybody who might have a lead. All I’m seeing are problem businesses.” Elizabeth (not her real name) told me she was ready to leave her corporate job with one of Nashville’s most prestigious large companies. “I am well paid and doing the kind of work I went to school for, but ten years in to it, I’m just Read More