Little did I know I'd learn something at a funeral to help me appreciate an important principle regarding the successful sale of a professional services business. I had returned to Orlando, where I spent the first half of my business career, to attend the funeral of a dear family member. After the funeral, the church hosted a covered dish dinner for family and friends. While going through the food line, I bumped Read More

“Assemblage of strengths is a huge asset,” Warren (his real name) said in a letter I received last week. He was describing his strategy to grow his business; given his success, I figured I better pay attention. You see, Warren is that Warren, Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway. His annual letter to company shareholders never fails to be a great read; no clichés, no lofty aspirational BS, but a deep dive Read More

"I researched these guys before the first call. They seemed legit, and I could tell they weren’t on a fishing expedition. They knew a ton about my industry, the players, and opportunities. You think they might be a real buyer for my company?” I felt sorry for Angie. She looked tired, and running this company was nothing she had bargained for. But when her husband went AWOL on the family and business, she had no Read More

Randy (not his real name) and I were sitting in a coffee shop across the street from his office. As soon as we sat down to enjoy our overpriced lattes, I asked Randy why he asked for this meeting. He didn’t beat around the bush, “My exit from the tech company was way beyond my expectations, but I’m getting anxious to get back in the game. Do you know of any businesses that would appeal to me?” I had heard rumors Read More

I watched the movie “1917” the first week it was released in 2019. It tells a true story about the audacious heroism of a British soldier during World War I. Beyond being a great story, the filming was incredible. There were times I felt I was the guy in the muddy trenches. There is much to learn from this wonderful movie, not the least of which is war is awful and should be avoided at all costs. But there is Read More

“You have to understand, Jim, people in this industry have a real attachment to their business. It might just be a thing to you, but for us, it’s our life.” Randy (not his real name) and I recently met at a conference. He came up to me after the session I led on preparing to sell a business and told me he had just started to think about the process. He didn’t tell me his age but I assumed he was past 70, though he Read More

“Growth is an easy concept to understand,” he told me. “All you have to do is sell more of your existing products to new customers, or get new products to sell to your existing customers.” Allen (not his real name) had not gone to business school. He had not gone to college. I’m not sure he ever graduated from high school. But Allen was one of the smartest men I ever met. Though he had no formal business education, Read More