Working with the Seller (Part 1 of 2 -- The Listing & Down Payment)

The following article was written by the “Old Pro” 30 + years ago. Russ Wright was my mentor and subsequently my father-in-law. These are the rules I learned from him many, many years ago. How things have changed!

Tom West


The Listing

Make it Saleable!

It is extremely important that you know why you are taking a listing and how to make your listing saleable. Don’t forget, before your listing can be sold to the public, you must...

Read the rest of entry »

Working with the Seller (Part 1 of 2 -- The Listing & Down Payment)

The following article was written by the “Old Pro” 30 + years ago. Russ Wright was my mentor and subsequently my father-in-law. These are the rules I learned from him many, many years ago. How things have changed!

Tom West


The Listing

Make it Saleable!

It is extremely important that you know why you are taking a listing and how to make your listing saleable. Don’t forget, before your listing can be sold to the public, you must...

Read the rest of entry »

Common Sense Approach to Business Value

Comments from Tom West:

Cleaning out some old files revealed a very practical approach to pricing main street businesses. The creator of the following was Bill Womack, an old-time business broker and I should add - a very successful one. This take on pricing small businesses is about as practical and down-to-earth as it can get.

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Valuation, Top Killers & Reasons to Sell

Comment from Tom West:

Following is an advertising piece used by travel expert Bob Sweeney president of Innovative Travel Acquisitions, in Atlanta, Georgia. It is valuable information on the very practical side of business valuation and deal making in general. Too many business brokers forget why the seller hired them in the first place – to sell their business. Business brokers are duty-bound to try to get the seller – theirs client – the highest price possible. Thanks to Bob for allowing us to use this piece.

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2012: So, What's Changed?

The more I look at recent surveys asking who the business buyers are and why they are looking to buy (see some of those results here), the more I want to say, “So, what’s changed?”

When comparing some of these results to those found in surveys conducted 20 years ago, except for the increased use of computers and the reliance on listing sites, such as www.bizbuysell.com, not much has changed. Sure, the economy has impacted the business,

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Franchise Growth (Part 3 of 3)

This posting refers back to yesterday's listing of top franchise opportunities in 2011, courtesy of www.franchisebusinessreview.com.

Many of the franchises listed yesterday in the “best franchises” are small and in many cases very receptive to working with business brokers. Not only in selling new units, but in handling the sale of existing ones. Even when I was active in business brokerage we sold Orange Julius (the second sale I ever made), Tastee Freeze, Dairy Queen, etc. When franchises make up a very large segment of small business, and represent only 6 percent of the total business sales made by business brokers, a big opportunity is not being taken advantage of.

I can understand why business brokers have trouble selling new franchises. Commissions may be a lot less than a regular business sale. For example, a business might sell for $150,000 bringing in a $15,000 fee. A franchise might require a buyer to invest the same amount, but franchisors might not want to pay a $15,000 fee since the franchise fee might only be $30,000, but FF&E increase the amount to the $150,000 figure.

However, business brokers must realize

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Franchise Growth (Part 2 of 3)

Best Franchises by Category

As promised yesterday, here are the best franchise opportunities for 2011 sorted by industry category and investment level.

Courtesy: www.franchisebusinessreview.com

Advertising & Sales

Valpak
Category: Business Services, Advertising & Sales
Total Inv: $92,500 - $120,800

Automotive...

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Franchise Growth (Part 1 of 3)

"What is selling?" is one of the questions most often asked, not only by business brokers, but also by buyers and sellers.

What was selling then?

When I first got into the business brokerage business in Southern California, beer bars were the big seller. California, at the time, issued licenses for just the sale of beer and they issued separate licenses for hard liquor drinks. At the time they also issued beer and wine licenses, but these were generally issued to restaurants. Our brokerage office also sold a lot of small coffee shops, quick serve places, and coin laundries, but beer bars were the biggest seller.

So, what’s selling now?

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Daubert Challenge - What You Need to Know as an Expert Witness

The United States Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling in 1993 in the case of Daubert v. Merrill Dow. In that decision, the Supreme Court changed 70 years of case precedent for the admission of expert testimony. 

Daubert changed the w ay in which federal courts are required to evaluate scientific and technical evidence. Prior to Daubert, federal courts admitted scientific and technical evidence only if the principle upon which it was based was sufficiently established to have general acceptance in the field to which it belonged. In Daubert, the Supreme Court invalidated the "general acceptance" standard, and instead held that, according to Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence, scientific and technical evidence is admissible only if...

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Offering a Valuable Service

Some months ago I agreed to serve on a volunteer group with four other local business people to review the small business permitting process of our town and create a permitting guide. We delved into all of the steps one must go through to obtain a business license, the necessary permits, etc. It can be a cumbersome process.

This recent experience brought to mind how, in my past business brokerage experience, we did try to work with the buyer in dealing with the California alcoholic beverage control board when selling bars, etc. and other local boards and departments.

If you’re just selling your service and knowledge of the business buying process,...

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The Latest on Private Equity in the Restaurant Sector

This article in BlueMauMau from John Gordon of Pacific Management Consulting, includes an updated private equity and restaurants report. The information details activity in the restaurant industry by private equity (PE) firms. The result? A lot of activity, investments, and some high profile failures.

Recently, FranchiseKnowHow published a two part series on Private Equity in Franchising.


© 2011 FranchiseKnowHow, LLC

Ed Teixeira is the President of FranchiseKnowHow, LLC. He can be reached at franchiseknowhow@gmail.com.

Cut the Time Between Listing and Closing

We recently reviewed a survey we had done for the International Business Broker’s Association by Babson College 20 years ago. One of the questions asked for the average number of days from listing to sale. We compared the results of the 1992 survey to our most recent survey results from 2011.

Survey Year Average time from listing to sale
1992 4.8 months
2011 10 months

The big question is, obviously, "Why do deals now take more than twice as long from listing to closing?"

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Hot Business List -- December 2011

Below you will find the current “hot” business list courtesy of data from Businesses For Sale. We asked Businesses For Sale for a monthly ranking of business types based on the number of “hits” on their site. This ranking is not based on the actual sale of businesses.


Top Ten Businesses for December 2011

1. Auto Repair, Service and Parts Businesses 

 

2. Miscellaneous Restaurants

3. E-Commerce Businesses

4. Convenience Stores

5. Websites

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CONTRIBUTORS

Tom West
BBP Co-Founder  ~  Massachusetts

Tom is a founder and past president of several large business brokerage firms and is also a founder, past president, and former Executive Director of the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA).  He has authored and co-authored several books, is editor of all 21 editions of The Business Reference Guide, and is often quoted in a variety of national newspapers and periodicals.

Email 


Loren Marc Schmerler
Bottom Line Management, Inc.  ~  Georgia

Loren CPC, APC is President and Founder of Bottom Line Management, Inc. He has been a business broker since 1986 and a business consultant since 1970. Loren represents sellers and buyers and has qualified for the 2012 Georgia Association of Business Broker’s Million Dollar Club.

Email  |  Web



Robert Flynn
Managing Partner of United Brokers Group, LLC ~ Rhode Island
Robert has been a business brokerage firm owner for nine years. Prior to that period he was a Senior Executive in two public and privately held technology and manufacturing businesses for twenty-eight years. From 1982 to 1996 Robert was a Senior Executive at the publicly traded +$3 billion (USD) London-based Cookson Group. He managed technology and manufacturing companies in England and the United States with a particular emphasis on startup and turnaround situations. Robert is also a licensed Rhode Island real estate salesperson and has owned five businesses.

 

Email  |  Website 1  |  Website 2 


Bob Sweeney
President of Innovative Travel Acquisitions, Inc. (ITA) ~ Georgia
Bob founded the Atlanta-based travel and tour business brokerage firm in 1991 after a successful 9-year career on Wall Street. Known as the "Matchmakers for the Travel and Tour Industries", ITA is a member in good standing with the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), the National Tour Association (NTA) and the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA). ITA operates a confidential platform LINKING buyers and sellers of travel and tour related companies throughout North America.

Email  |  Website  


Darrell Arne
Founder of Arne & Co.  ~  New Mexico
Darrell began his professional career in public accounting in 1970. In 1983, Darrell formed his own CPA practice, with emphasis on business valuation; by 1992, he had earned the Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA) designation in business valuation. He then earned the Certified Business Intermediary (CBI) designation in 1995, and Certified Merger & Acquisition Advisor (CM&AA) designation in 2008. He discontinued practicing in public accounting in 1994 when he formed Arne & Co., specializing in exit strategy planning for business owners, business valuations, business acquisitions & sales, business dispute mediation, part-time CFO services, and developer of business training seminars. 

Email  |  Website  


Jean D. Sifleet, Esq.
Business Attorney and Creator of Smart Fast®  ~  Massachusetts
Jean began her career with big law and accounting firms. She did a stint in state government, and then moved to the computer and communications industry. Frustrated with bureaucracy, Jean co-founded and sold two successful companies.  Today, Jean practices business law. She enjoys working with people who are starting a company, or who want to grow their company and stay out of trouble. Her advice is grounded in her first-hand experience as an entrepreneur as well as her knowledge of law, finance and management.  Calling herself a nontraditional lawyer, Jean uses Smart Fast®, a practical and systematic approach to evaluating options and making informed decisions. 

Email  |  Website


Ron Johnson
Chairman, ABI Business Sales, Mergers & Acquisitions  ~  California
Ron is Chairman of ABI Business Sales, Mergers & Acquisitions, which was established in San Ramon, CA, in 1984. Ron has been the intermediary in over one hundred transactions since entering the profession in 1991, and has managed, for his associates, many hundreds of additional transactions. Ron is well recognized nation-wide in his profession, having served 10 years on the Board of Directors of the California Association of Business Brokers (CABB), including two terms as President of the CABB.

Email  |  Website


Ralana Shelley
Certified Business Intermediary, Sunbelt  ~  Indiana
Ralana comes to the table with over eight years of experience in the Business Brokerage industry. Prior to making the transition to Business Broker, Ralana specialized in Marketing small to mid-sized businesses in the Indiana marketplace in her role as Marketing Manager for Sunbelt. 

Email  |  Website 1  |  Website 2  |  Website 3  |  Blog  |  LinkedIn  |  Twitter


Rose Stabler
Certified Business Brokers (CBB), Managing Partner ~  Texas
Rose has 25 years of business experience from serving in management and consulting positions in the Oil & Gas, Biotechnology, and Manufacturing industries to working for private equity giant Forstmann Little & Company to starting, building and selling an online promotional product firm that featured her own line of items. Rose serves as business advisor on the Houston Business Show on CNN650 and appears regularly on the Movers and Shakers panel discussion segment of Houston Manufacturers Show. Rose has published many articles about the process of buying and selling businesses and has contributed to Inc. Magazine. 

Email  |  Website 1  |  Website 2  |  Website 3  |  Blog


Wayne Quilitz
Murphy Valuations, President ~  Florida
Wayne's experience includes 28 years in electrical engineering and marketing in the electronics industry.  He served in the U.S. Navy, worked for Boeing Aerospace and Texas Instruments, and owned/operated a retail store for five years before joining Murphy Business and Financial Corporation.

Email  |  Website 


Richard L. Kolman
Franchise Note Buyers, LLC, President & Principal Owner ~  San Diego, CA

Richard has long served as trusted in-house legal counsel for some of the nation’s leading franchising companies. Rich began his franchise legal career in 1988 as a Corporate Attorney in the Legal Department of McDonald’s Corporation. He recently retired from the UPS Legal Department, following eleven years as Senior Franchise Counsel for The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. (4,400+ franchises).  Despite the current adverse national economy, Franchise Note Buyers and its strategic underwriters bring unparalleled access to large sums of liquid capital needed to quickly fund numerous Franchise Notes at top-dollar prices.

Email  |  Website  |  Blog 


Bill Martin
ABMI, USBIZCORP and USFRANBIZ Founder  ~  Missouri

Since starting as an agent in 1982, Bill's career has included the building of business brokerages from scratch in over 20 cities coast to coast.  He is the founder of United States Business Brokers, Inc (USBIZCORP) and USFRANBIZ, Inc.  Bill has been involved in the sale of almost 4,000 different business acquisition transactions. He has also had articles and opinion memo’s published in trade publications, and is a nationally recognized trainer and mentor in the business brokerage industry.

Email


Russell Robb
Managing Director, Tully & Holland, Incorporated ~ Massachusetts

Russell Robb is a 20-year veteran in the mergers and acquisitions business, providing investment banking and corporate finance advisory services to a wide range of middle market companies. His transaction experience includes numerous companies in the consumer products industry, as well as a broad array of other manufacturing and distribution companies in various industry sectors. Russ is the past president and owner of two sporting goods manufacturing/retail companies. He is a published author of Selling Middle Market Businesses and the former editor of a highly regarded monthly M&A industry newsletter. 

Email


Len Krick
Sunbelt Owner, CBI, M&AMI ~  Las Vegas, NV
Len, owner of the Sunbelt Las Vegas office, is a Certified Business Intermediary ("CBI"), a Merger & Acquisition Master Intermediary ("M&AMI"), and holds a Nevada Real Estate Broker License. He has over twenty years of business and business consulting experience and is an active member, moderator and speaker for the International Business Brokers Association ("IBBA"), the Las Vegas Business Forum, and the Las Vegas CFO Group.

Email  |  Website


Ted J. Leverette
"Partner" On-Call Network, President 
Ted, The Original Business Buyer Advocate ®, has consulted with thousands of business buyers and owners on buy/sell, valuation and business improvement since 1974. Since 1993 he has taught affiliates in the USA and Canada, who independently own and operate their consulting practices, The Street-Smart Way to Become a Business Consultant™. He has been a lecturer for trade associations and author of texts, articles and the book, How to Get ALL the Money You Want For Your Business Without Stealing It™.

Email  |  Website


Ed Teixeira
FranchiseKnowHow, LLC ~  New York
Ed is the founder and President of FranchiseKnowHow, LLC a franchise-consulting firm. Ed has worked in the franchise industry for thirty years and has served as a corporate executive for firms in the retail, manufacturing, healthcare and technology industries. He has been involved with over 1,000 franchise locations and has transacted international licensing in Europe, Asia and South America. Ed is the author of Franchising From The Inside Out.

Email  |  Website


Jeff Fabian
Fabian, LLC ~  Baltimore, MD
Jeff is founder of Fabian, LLC, a boutique law firm headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland that provides trademark and copyright protection and contract drafting and negotiation services for businesses, artists, entertainers and athletes. He has published scholarly articles on trademark use in the Internet context and state franchise relationship laws, and has co-authored numerous articles appearing in various legal, business and industry publications.

Email  |  Website 1  |  Website 2  |  Twitter 


George D. Abraham
Business Evaluation Systems, CEO 
George has been involved in the transfer of over 450 businesses and performed over 12,000 appraisals in the past 32 years. Two of the appraisals Mr. Abraham was involved in passed the scrutiny of the World Bank. His company was the first in the nation to develop and gain national attention for its unique and highly accurate business evaluation software programs.  George is a licensed Real Estate Broker, Real Estate Appraiser, Business Appraiser, Machinery and Equipment Appraiser, Board Certified Business Broker, Certified Environmental Inspector, Certified Business Intermediary, Licensed State Property Tax Consultant, Accredited Review Appraiser, and Certified Business Counselor.

Website


Clyth MacLeod
Clyth MacLeod, Ltd. Managing Director ~ New Zealand
Clyth has over 40 year's experience in business broking and business valuation. yth is also a director of Business Appraisals Ltd (business valuers), BizStats Ltd (a national database of business sales information) and Australasian Business Valuations Ltd (consultancy).As well as authoring many articles and texts Clyth has lectured nationwide and overseas on business sales and valuation for many organisations including the Institute of Chartered Accountants of New Zealand and the International Business Brokers Association in the USA. The only business broker to be awarded a Life Membership by the Real Estate Institute of NZ and a Fellowship by the International Business Brokers Association he remains active in the industry and committed to leading a professional team.

Website


Jack R. Sanders
Spectrum Corporate Resources, LLC Managing Director
Jack has been an active full-time business intermediary since 1985. He has personally handled over 130 business transfers and has appraised over 1,450 businesses. He is also the author of the “BIZCOMPS®” studies, a leading authority on the market value of small and medium business in the United States and Canada. The studies contain actual transaction information on over 12,000 transactions and are marketed in both print and electronic form. Jack is also an instructor in educational courses leading to the Certified Business Intermediary designation.

Website


Christopher George
George & Company, President ~  Worcester, MA
Christopher is a Certified Business Opportunity Appraiser, Company President, and also a past president of the Association of New England Business Brokers. Chris has been engaged in the appraisal, sale and financing of small to mid-sized businesses since 1971. He has personally aided buyers & sellers in thousands of sales and appraisals.

Email  |  Website  |  LinkedIn  |  Facebook

 


Roger Murphy
Murphy Business & Financial Corporation, President / CEO ~  FL
Roger is a Certified Business Intermediary and Master Certified Business Counselor with over 25 years experience in executive management and financial management. He is the President / CEO of Murphy Business & Financial Corporation, one of the largest and most successful business brokerage firms in North America with business brokers located throughout the United States and Canada. Murphy Business specializes in businesses for sale, franchises, business valuations, and commercial real estate.

Email  |  Website 


Amanda Puppo
MarketReach Inc., CEO & Founder  ~  Lawrenceville, NJ

During her dealings with various companies, Ms. Puppo became aware of an apparent general aversion towards the application of the cold-call, while at the same time, realizing its importance in business. In March, 2001 at the age of 26, Ms. Puppo created MarketReach Inc. MarketReach does cold-calling/lead generation and market surveys, so clients can spend their time building their business and servicing their customers. MarketReach was named a Finalist in the Most Innovative Company category in The 2004 Stevie Awards for Women Entrepreneurs. 

Email  |  Website   |  Twitter

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