It’s the New Year, that time when many business owners make a fresh resolve to develop their business. For some, that means updating equipment and driving sales. But others will focus on something more personal and possibly more pivotal: developing their leaders.
“Immense satisfaction tinged with loss.” That’s how one business owner described selling his business.
Often, clients sort of just find themselves in the M&A process and have trouble making sense of the overwhelming landscape of buying and selling a business. Today, we are going to attempt to clear up a set of commonly used acronyms you’ll see when valuing a business for sale. Those are EBITDA and SDE and Multiples.
Why get a Business Valuation? If you are a business owner, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to understand the value of your business. A valuation helps shape your exit strategy, informs your financial planning, and can be critical to creating a contingency plan that adequately protects your family.
As you look at your options for business valuations, I want to share where we fit in and why we think DealCoach is best. There are cheaper services out there, but like anything, you get what you pay for. Many of the low cost valuation services you find online are computer-generated models only.
If you’re a business owner, you know that at some point you will have to transition out of your business. The question is, will the business transition to new ownership or will you have to shut your doors?
The proof is in the pudding. It’s not over ‘til it’s over. Don’t count your chickens before they’ve hatched. Pick your cliché. Just because someone makes an offer to buy your business doesn’t mean they have the resources to get it done. 9 warning signs your buyer can’t follow through:
Twenty years ago, when I started out in M&A, I worked with small businesses. At that point, my biggest hurdle was convincing business owners they needed a business broker in the first place. I had to show people the value an outside advisor could bring to the table.
As you start the sale process, you may be holding more offsite meetings and fielding confidential phone calls. Even a subtle shift in activity can cause savvy employees to wonder what’s up. Be prepared to answer questions about who these advisors are that are touring your business and why you’re requesting additional information from your management team.
The Estimate of Value (EOV) and Business and Market Analysis (BAMA) provides business owners with a realistic understanding of what the market would most likely bear for their company in today’s marketplace. Find out more about the Process!