John McCann sold The Bolt Supply House to Lawson Products (NASDAQ: LAWS) at the end of 2017. McCann’s strategy involved learning from the acquirers who knocked on his door. He invited would-be buyers into The Bolt Supply House and listened [...]
If you’re wondering what your business might be worth to an acquirer, there is a simple calculation you can use. Let’s call it “The Build vs. Buy Equation”. At some point, every acquirer does the math and calculates how much [...]
Being a middleman (or woman) has become a risky business. When was the last time you used a travel agent? Agencies have largely become irrelevant given the rise of online travel booking companies. How about a record/CD store? iTunes and [...]
One of the most intimidating aspects of selling your business can be facing the barrage of questions during the various management presentations you’ll be doing for potential acquirers. Be prepared to be grilled on all facets of your operations. Of [...]
You may be years away from selling your business, but it’s never too early to understand what the process involves. If you have ever promised your child a treat in return for good behavior, you know all about negotiating leverage. [...]
Is Now the Time To Sell Your Business? Have you been thinking about selling your business but just can’t decide if now is the best time? Do you find yourself repeatedly analyzing the economic situation and wishing you had a [...]
Your business is likely your largest asset so it's normal to want to know what it is worth. The problem is: business valuation is what one might call a "subjective science." The science part is what people go to school [...]
Photo by Romain V on Unsplash If you were to draw a picture that visually represents your role in your business, what would it look like? Are you at the top of an organizational chart, or stuck in [...]
Most business owners think selling their company is a sprint, but the reality is it takes a long time to sell a company. The sound of the gun sends blood flowing as you leap forward out of the blocks. Within [...]
The following article was authored by John Warrillow, founder of the Value Builder System and the author of Built to Sell and The Automatic Customer. It was written a while ago. However, I think the insights offered in it are [...]
Small businesses stay small either by choice or because they start chasing growth in the wrong places. If you ever think, "how can I sell my business for a high ROI", then you want to understand what the big thing [...]
Business owners have been known to refer to Due Diligence as "the entrepreneur's proctology exam." It's a crude analogy but a good representation of what it feels like when a stranger pokes, prods, and looks inside every inch of your [...]