How You Can Increase the Value of Your Company
Selling a business is commonly compared to selling a house. It’s not exactly the same, while you may see some overlaps between the two actions.
In any case, even when selling a house, the aid of a real estate agent is key to maximizing revenue and ensuring a good deal with the most compliance. Likewise, the help of NYC business brokers should make your business sale more profitable and quicker than going alone.
Should I Sell My Business Without The Help of an NYC Business Broker?
Generally, it’s not advisable to proceed without the assistance of a business broker.
NYC business brokers are not only there to mediate between a seller and an investor. Top business brokers (NYC and elsewhere) escort the potential seller through all the stages of the selling process, from the moment it’s decided that the business should enter the market to the moment that the papers are drafted and signed.
A good representation is essential to a successful trade. A business agent is not just like your regular real estate broker that places a “for sale” sign on the establishment’s window. A competent brokerage firm has an organized database of solvent prospects with whom you may start negotiations.
If you feel you’re not financially able to afford the best business brokerage firm in town, you can still get the aid of small business brokers. NYC is packed with excellent brokerage firms or agents specialized in both big and small businesses alike so that you may obtain support even at a mom-and-pop level.
These are, in a nutshell, all the benefits of hiring a competent NYC business broker.
1. Pricing and Negotiation
Many business owners tend to fall under two extremes: Either they value their ventures way too high due to the emotional investment they made, or they settle for the lowest price to find liquidity.
Buyers, naturally, would love to buy at bargain prices, though, for the most part, they would be wary of businesses that could reasonably be considered extremely undervalued.
Skillful NYC business brokers know how to settle for the right valuation using various technical metrics that can be verifiable to ensure a buyer’s trust. For this purpose, the broker will require that you provide financial statements and other relevant documentation.
They also excel in the art of negotiation. It bears repeating that, on many occasions, business owners negotiate their terms based on raw emotion. The help of a qualified business broker is crucial in order to inject some semblance of objectivity and reason into the negotiating table while trying to maximize your gains within the parameters of current market conditions.
Brokers also ought to have enough experience to manage all the possible setbacks that may arise with closing attorneys and escrow companies during the final phase of the negotiation, as the parties sign the papers.
2. Profiling and Marketing
A good NYC business broker knows how to spot a good investor better than a regular business owner, owing to the experience that the former has in these kinds of operations.
One of the hurdles of selling a business is finding time to keep the business going while doing all the errands related to the sale. With a diligent business broker, the owner doesn’t have to waste precious time dealing with unsuitable buyers.
Moreover, NYC business brokers are knowledgeable about the marketing tools needed to find a qualified buyer and the strategies that must be applied in the business market to secure a great deal in the shortest timeframe. They will additionally assist buyers in preparing their respective letters of intent and offers.
3. Confidentiality
Apart from optimal buyer profiling, a thoroughly trained business broker is capable of drafting a plethora of confidentiality agreement models to suit a given prospective buyer. They know their way around this so that you remain under the radar. Only those with a tangible possibility of buying your business would know what you’re selling.
In many cases, brokers will demand a financial statement from the buyers along with their signature on the agreement paper as a way to guarantee that they will abide by it.
4. Coordination
A business broker may be able to take the helm and coordinate with the rest of the support team (consisting of attorneys, lenders, accountants, etc.) as well as outside advisors, all of this in the hopes of making the process much smoother and taking some of the burden off your shoulders.
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The Complexities of Valuations
A lot of training and experience goes into good valuations. A variety of complex factors are involved. Plus, there are certainly some subjective elements. That means that one professional’s valuation may be different from the next. Let’s take a look at some of the factors involved when it comes to achieving an accurate valuation.
Intellectual Property
Determining the value of IP or other intangible assets can be difficult. If the business in question has trademarks, copyrights and patents, it can be far more challenging to properly assign a value.
Products and Services
As it turns out, businesses that only offer one product or service are far more difficult to analyze. If a company has a lot of product diversity, a professional will typically assess a higher value. The same is true for companies that have only one or two key customers. Lack of customer diversity can bring down overall values.
Employee-Owned Companies
If a company is partially or completely employee owned, it can lower its marketability. Many company owners do not realize that employee stock ownership plans (ESOP) can change its overall value.
Life-Cycles and Supply Chains
In some cases, a business is nearing obsolescence due to advancements that have taken place. We often see this in technology companies. It should come as no surprise that if a business is near the end of its life cycle, this will raise potential issues during the valuation process. On a similar note, could the business be susceptible to supply disruptions? If a business is assessed as vulnerable in that area, it could also lower an overall valuation amount.
Accuracy of Data Received
Of course, the person handling the valuation must rely on the accuracy of the factual information they receive. If the numbers are off, the valuation simply cannot be as accurate.
These are just a few examples of the list of issues that can impact a valuation. If you’re trying to get an idea of what your business may be worth or if you ‘re wondering what factors might impact your valuation, reach out to our team. We’d be happy to discuss this in greater detail.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
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Three Steps to Prepare a Sale
You feel that it’s time to call it quits and sell your Long Island company, either for retirement purposes or to pursue other business goals.
The first thing that comes to mind is to contact a trusty Long Island business broker to begin the process right away. Still, in the meantime, there are other actions that you might want to perform in order to facilitate the sale.
Three Steps to Prepare a Sale
Let’s uncover the first three steps you need to follow in order to have a better selling position:
1. INCREASE PROFITS
The best moment to sell a business is when it is at its most profitable stage. This is what you’ll hear often from every competent business broker.
Long Island is a particularly difficult market to tackle, which is why you ought to try a bit harder to position your company so that it appears on the top of the list in terms of sales.
A thriving business is the dream of every avid investor. A business with poor or stagnant sales will not arouse the interest of anyone, much less a qualified buyer, which is why you have to find methods to stimulate sales before taking your business to the marketplace. A good Long Island business broker would probably advise you to do the following:
* Offer bonuses and incentives to employees and usual customers for bringing new clients.
* Improve the sales department by adding more personnel.
* Register every sale, including those that are paid in cash and not easily traceable.
* Boost the marketing campaign for further brand recognition.
2. Try to Sell off Inventory
Take the necessary actions to empty your shelves as much as possible before putting your business on sale. No buyer wants to deal with old inventory that might not be able to be sold after the deal closes. The best option is to turn that remaining stock into cash, even if that means lowering the price a bit.
The same goes with old equipment that is no longer being employed in the business’ daily operations.
3. Get Less Involved
It’s often said that you should not detach from your business before selling it (and even a while after). This is still applicable, but there are nuances you may want to consider.
A business managed by a single individual is at a rough spot when that single person ceases to operate or leaves. Buyers will not find that very convenient. In that regard, you should consider relying more on a liable and competent management team that can keep things running smoothly during the transaction.
You would still be capable of supervising the whole operation without having to get too personally involved.
Get Help From A Qualified Long Island Business Broker
A good Long Island business broker might not be wholly equipped to boost your sales or manage your company (or at least not directly). Nevertheless, you should be able to count on his/her advice and assistance throughout the whole ordeal of selling your Long Island venture, even at the very first stages of the process.
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What Do Buyers Really Want?
When sellers get ready to put their businesses on the market, they often wonder what buyers are really looking for in an effort to make their businesses as attractive as possible. The answer to this question can seem mysterious when you are on the other side of the bargaining table. So, what are buyers typically thinking about when they make the decision about whether or not to purchase a business? It should come as no surprise that much of this is tied into earnings and stability.
Guarantees of No Surprises
Earnings that are sustainable are very attractive to buyers. After all, it allows them to know what to expect. Buyers can then factor in if they can advance the business in a way in which it would grow faster than the current pace. If not, they at least would have the confidence to know that the business will proceed at the same rate. Of course, no buyer would want to acquire a business only to find that it only had high earnings temporarily due to a one-time contract.
Accuracy of Information
Along the same line of avoiding surprises, buyers will want to verify the information they receive about a business. Anything involving past, present, or future legal issues will be scrutinized along with other issues, such as pending product returns. The due diligence process is when you can expect the buyer to really dig into the details of your business. You can expect that he or she will often do so with the assistance of an attorney and accountant.
Oftentimes, accountants or appraisers add back one-time expenses or non-recurring expenses. Buyers will want to look at the earnings and have proof of expenses that are non-recurring, such as fees for a lawsuit or heavy repairs to a building. Since this process inflates earnings, it can make it difficult for buyers to understand the actual earning potential of a business. Otherwise, those expenses would obviously throw off the true earning potential of the business.
In Closing
These are just a few of the critical considerations made by business buyers when looking at a potential acquisition. There are numerous other considerations that a buyer will make and it is important to be prepared to address those questions and potential concerns a buyer may have up front, or they will quickly lose interest and move on to other potential acquisition opportunities. Put yourself in the shoes of a potential buyer and think about the kinds of assurances you would want before buying a business.
Working with a Business Broker or M&A Advisor can be tremendously beneficial in this regard. These professionals have worked with many buyers in the past, and therefore easily see things from a buyer’s point of view. They will not only be able to help you get prepared up front when buyers begin looking at your business, but easily identify and point out areas of concern that a potential buyer may have in order to keep the journey to closing on track.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
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No Replacement for Experience
When it comes time to sell your business and sign on the dotted line, you only have one opportunity to get it right. In many cases, business owners have made critical mistakes while attempting to sell their business. This kind of scenario can often occur when an owner trusts a friend or relative to help navigate the process. In some cases, business owners have even been known to try to broker their deals on their own. Let’s take a look at some common errors that have occurred during the process when experienced professionals were not brought in to assist.
Not Prioritizing Confidentiality
We cannot understate the importance of confidentiality. When business owners try to go it alone, they often share valuable information with the wrong people, such as competitors. Or accidentally alert employees, suppliers and customers that the business is up for sale. When confidentiality is breached, unexpected and unfortunate consequences can result, such as employees looking for new work or customers switching over to work with different businesses. If any of these scenarios occur, it can devalue the business or even interfere with a sale going through properly.
Mistakes in Financial Information
If the party assisting you to sell your business lacks experience, he or she may accidentally omit preparing critical paperwork. Additionally, if the financial records are not properly audited, it could negatively impact the numbers. This could lead to lower offers and less interest from prospective buyers.
Failing to Involve Key Parties
Another error that could be caused by inexperience is neglecting to bring key parties into the deal. For example, when a business owner is guided by a layperson or trying to handle everything on his or her own, important people, such as the CFO, might accidentally not be brought into the due diligence process. While an error like this one might not necessarily kill the deal, it could lead to delays and complications.
The bottom line is that when it comes to a large transaction like selling your business, it is time to rely upon trustworthy professionals. There is a long list of protocols and steps that lead to a deal going smoothly. Experienced business brokers and M&A advisors will make sure that all the best practices are followed and that you come out ahead in the end.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
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An Overview of Goodwill in Business Deals
Many business owners don’t understand the concept of goodwill or how to calculate it. When a buyer is willing to pay a premium price for a business, far more than the company’s assets would typically dictate, that is considered goodwill. Any company can benefit from understanding how goodwill is cultivated and increasing it within their operations.
What is Goodwill?
Goodwill can be as simple as your company having an exceptional reputation and a very loyal base of customers. Often highly sought-after technology can be a part of goodwill. In other cases, goodwill can be in the form of IP or desirable domain names. However, as you can imagine, it is difficult to put a specific price on these kinds of benefits.
When a business involving goodwill is sold, it can be very challenging to determine a fair amount for a business, since subjective values are involved. In some cases, it can even be overvalued by the buyer. Your Business Broker or M&A Advisor will take goodwill into account when determining a fair and reasonable company’s valuation.
The Case of Personal Goodwill
In some cases, a company’s goodwill is personal. This is often due to a professional building personal goodwill with customers or clients. Oftentimes this is a relationship built over a period of time. In these cases, the goodwill is not necessarily transferable. The business is associated with a person who is often the founder of the company. You will typically see this kind of situation with dental and doctor’s practices and law offices.
So how does personal goodwill impact the sale of the business? When you sell it might be natural that the buyer will want protection in case the business faces a downturn when the current management departs.
What can work for the buyers and sellers is for the business owner to agree to stay onboard for a designated period of time. This can help ease the transition to the new business owner. In other cases, the buyer and seller arrange an “earn out.” Any lost business is factored at the end of the year, and then this percentage is subtracted from the amount owed to the seller. In some cases, funds are placed in escrow and adjustments are made depending on the performance of the business.
If you are buying or selling a business that involves personal goodwill, your situation may be different from that of the majority of businesses. However, a Business Broker or M&A Advisor can guide you through the process and ensure that all parties are satisfied.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
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