Starting a business with a friend, colleague, or someone in your family can feel uncomplicated at first. Because a level of trust already exists, business owners often make the mistake of skipping a formal partnership agreement. Unfortunately, even strong relationships…
Successful Deals Rely on Questions At the heart of any good deal is a series of questions. Selecting a business that is right for you is about asking the right questions and probing deeper when those answers seem problematic. Brokerage…
Have You Investigated These Key Points? Maintaining a cool head is essential when buying any business. Many businesses may seem like an excellent opportunity at first glance, only to unravel once carefully evaluated. Your excitement about owning a particular business…
If you’ve ever applied for a mortgage or loan, you’re likely already quite familiar with the concept of collateral. Collateral is an asset that is pledged to secure a loan. It offers lenders a way to recover losses when borrowers…
Receiving an offer on your business is a major milestone, but experienced buyers, sellers, and advisors know that an accepted offer is only one step in the transaction process. The real challenge is navigating the weeks (or sometimes months) between…
For some people, owning a business is a clear “no.” For others, it’s a persistent idea they can’t quite shake: the appeal of building something on their own terms, having more control over their income, and shaping the direction of…
We’ve had this conversation more times than we can count: an owner is finally ready to sell, but the business they’re bringing to market is no longer the business buyers would have paid a premium for three years earlier. The…
Most business owners sell only one business in their lifetime. The buyer across the table often does this regularly. That imbalance, more than anything else, shapes how a sale should be approached.
Ask a business owner what their company sold for and they’ll give you one number. Ask them what they actually walked away with — after debt payoff, taxes, the working capital adjustment, and the seller note that’s still being…
When a business changes hands, the lease attached to it can be just as important as the business itself. This is especially true for restaurants, retail stores, salons, and other companies that rely heavily on location and customer traffic. A…
Selling a business is a major financial transaction, but many deals collapse over issues that have little to do with price. Buyers, sellers, attorneys, accountants, and business brokerage professionals may spend months working toward an agreement, only to see the…
A deal may first look attractive on paper. However, without digging deeper, you may risk problems that are not immediately visible. We recommend always being curious. Ask direct questions, as this will give you a clearer picture of what…
