“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
Who Makes the Decision Might Determine If It’s a Home Run or Strikeout
“Dad expects me to run the company, except he won’t let me run the company.” Clay (not his real name) was one of the most interesting businessmen I’d ever met. Prior to taking over his Dad’s cement manufacturing business, Clay ran a large coffee harvesting company in Central America, and before that he was in the US Army Special Forces. Clay got a degree in economics from an Ivy League college expecting to become a Read More
The Truth Can Hurt
“They offered $8.5 million for my company, and now you’re telling me it’s only worth $5 million. What did they know that you don’t?” Sandra (not her real name) was not happy with me. After reviewing her company's financial history and her forecast for 2018, I told her that her company could be sold for $5 million, maybe $6 million, if a couple of things fell in our favor. I could see her obvious frustration as she Read More
Let It Go! An Awesome Song and Great Business Advice
Elsa just had a big fight with her sister, Anna. She decides to run away and live her life in exile. As she enters her icy mountain palace, she sings the now well-known song, Let It Go.* It’s one of those memorable songs …once you hear it, it’s hard to get it out of your head. I find myself singing that song in my head when I talk with business owners who have waited too long to sell their company. It breaks my Read More
Perfect Logic for Picking a Spouse, Bad Logic for Picking a Business
“Buying a business because you love it is a terrible reason to buy a business.” Jeff (not his real name) seemed surprised by my comment. “Why’s that?” he asked, “I’ve heard it said if you find your passion you’ll never work a day in your life. Are you telling me that’s not true?” I frequently meet with folks who say they want to leave corporate life and become an entrepreneur. The desire to do your own thing and Read More
Selling Under Duress: Don’t Be a Harvey Weinstein
“My doctor told me yesterday this cancer will likely take me in 6 to 8 months. I need to sell my company now before my crazy ex-wives and kids have a full-blown food fight over my assets.” Andrew (not his real name) wasn’t kidding when he first told me this story. At the time of our first call, I kind of assumed he was exaggerating, but once we started working together I realized he was serious about two things: 1) Read More
The Gambler Story: When on the Growth Scale Do You Sell?
“Kenny Rogers had it right. You gotta know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away and know when to run. That’s great advice for gamblers, and for entrepreneurs. For me now, it’s time to fold ‘em and walk away.” Ross (not his real name) didn’t strike me as the type who would listen to country music. Born and raised in the Northeast, he came to Nashville when his wife took a corporate role Read More
The Earn Out: Painful Stretching to Make a Shaky Deal
“Will I have to take an earn out when I sell my business?” Drew (not his real name) was ready to sell his company but he was scared. “I hear horror stories about business owners selling on an earn out which ends up not being paid. I can’t afford to let that happen.” Not one to mince words, I decided to level with him. “Drew, a good business with a reasonable valuation represented by a capable intermediary will Read More
Entrepreneurial Hubris
Three days after I told him I might be interested in their offer to buy my company, I was sitting across a table from them. We were in a posh conference room at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel in Nashville. It was one of me, and four of them. They had been calling for the past few months expressing interest in acquiring my business. The publicly-traded company was growing through acquisition, it was just a matter of time Read More
An Affair is Always a Bad Idea
Randy (not his real name) was about to make a life-altering decision. He had a need, and he wanted to fulfill it. The long term consequences were of less concern than getting what he wanted, right now. He called me, I suppose, wanting me to tell him it was a good idea. But with years of experience advising men and women in this situation, all I could do was tell Randy the truth from my heart. “Bringing in a minority Read More
