“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
A Funeral, Fried Chicken and Valuable Lesson
Little did I know I'd learn something at a funeral to help me appreciate an important lesson 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 into Read More
Selling to Private Equity … Losing Control
“Please, Jim, you have to help me unwind this disaster. The private equity firm’s pitch was so convincing, but those guys don’t know what they’re doing.” I had never met Geoff (not his real name), but he was referred to me by his cousin who is a family friend. Geoff described his dilemma during our first call. “I sold my company four years ago. This PE group from Chicago made me an offer that was too good to be Read More
Is It OK to Pay Too Much for a Business? (hint: yes, and it might even be a smart thing)
When he walked into Starbucks with a big red notebook under his arm, I figured the meeting might not go as planned. I had worked with Robert (not his real name) for almost four months. We had met through a mutual friend who knew Robert and his wife were looking to leave corporate life and buy a business they could run together. Robert had contacted me to see if I had any companies he might be interested in buying. I Read More
The Laws of Supply & Demand Not Applicable to the Market for Privately Owned Business?
Professor Bentley (not his real name) was one of the most revered yet feared professors at Harvard Business School. Every time he entered the classroom, you knew you were in the presence of genius. But with one question, he could make you look or feel like the village dunce. I didn't learn the principle of supply and demand at Harvard, I knew that a long time before I got there. However, in the rigorous case study Read More
Are You Guilty of The Wimpy Effect?
“I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” If you are 60 or older, you probably recognize that comment frequently spoken by J. Wellington Wimpy. This character from the Popeye cartoon series seemed to be a successful businessman (after all, he wore a suit and tie). But curiously, Wimpy never had money in his pocket to buy his favorite lunch. He seemed to always be saying “you can trust me, I’ll have it in Read More
It’s Worth Pennies and You Expected Dollars
“I’m glad I’m not a doctor, I hate delivering bad news.” I said this to Larry (not his real name) as we met to discuss his interest in selling his business. I was about to deliver some bad news. Larry had been in the business for 15 years. Though it was technically owned by his father, Larry was the main man in making things happen. But when it came time to make a decision about the future of the business, well, Read More
The Danger of an LOI
“Let's have a celebration dinner, I want to thank the team for getting us here.” Hugh (not his real name) was rightfully excited. He had just signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to sell his company for enough cash to take care of his children's children. But I put a stop to the idea of celebrating too soon. I said, “Hugh, signing the LOI is great, and I know it’s taken you a long time to get to this point, but the next Read More
Why It Can Be Hard to Find the Right Business to Buy
Randy (not his real name) had been trying to buy a business in the Nashville area since early 2015. A few weeks ago, he called to ask if he could retain me to assist his search effort. Though he had met with about 10 business owners over the past two years, Randy had nothing to show for it. He was ready to be more professional and intentional about his search process. Randy was not a neophyte. He had run his Read More
Does the Entrepreneur Know More Than the Corporate Titan?
“Who knows more about business, the corporate executive or the entrepreneur?” I didn’t expect to hear a question like this while in the Harvard Business School faculty dining room, but when Faith (not her real name) posed the question, I could tell she had a point to make. “Each role requires a unique skill set” I replied, “there are things a corporate CEO needs to know that isn’t necessary for an entrepreneur, yet Read More
