Posts Categorized: Building Business Value

When It Makes Sense To Accept Equity Instead Of Cash

Darby founded customer software consultancy Matched Pattern in 2017 but had become exhausted by the hamster wheel of constantly chasing new business to keep his consultants busy. As a project-based consultancy, Darby’s exit options were limited so he decided to swap his equity in Matched Pattern for shares in Matched Pattern, a company with a… Read more »

Erase the Stress of Selling Your Business by Finding the Right Buyer

There is no denying the fact that life is much, much easier when one can find the right buyer for his or her business.  Buying or selling a business can be a stressful affair, but much of that stress can be eliminated by getting the right support. The Concept of the “Right Buyer”  In the… Read more »

Warren Buffet’s Advice On Creating A Valuable Business

Warren Buffett invests in companies with a “competitive moat” which he defines as a durable competitive advantage. Most founders start with a unique idea for their business which becomes diluted as the owner chases revenue at the expense of their original vision. Take Mitch Durfee for example. Durfee started Grunts Moves Junk, a junk removal… Read more »

Do You Know What Kind of Business Owner You Really Are?

Does your business have real, long-lasting longevity or is your business a temporary entity that will vanish the second you stop working on it?  In his insightful article in The Business Journals entitled, “Are You Living for Today as a Business Owner or Building Value?” author Kent Bernhard asks a very important question of readers,… Read more »

How To Structure Your Earn-Out (Without Getting Burned)

Kristin Delwo co-founded Stacks, a software used by librarians.  Though the software was still early in its life, Delwo wanted to scale quickly and decided to look for a deep-pocketed acquirer.  Delwo was too early in her life-cycle to attract an all cash offer so agreed to sell her business putting much of her consideration… Read more »

When Your Best Acquirer Is Already On The Payroll

Would you consider selling your business to an employee? They’d probably fit the bill – good understanding of the business, passionate about your mission, and more likely to continue your legacy – but, they likely won’t have the cash to front such a large transaction either. When Lori Moen decided to step back from her… Read more »

How One Consulting Company Used The ‘Netflix Model’ To Transform

Boyd Davis – and his three co-founders – created Kogentix with a mission to provide the same behavior data that recommends the ‘next show to watch’ on Netflix… in industries like banking and groceries. They started as a consultancy and soon realized in order to grow they would need to transform their services offering business… Read more »

When To Hire A President To Run Things

Jim Brown had been running TerrAlign, a software company that helps clients optimize their sales territories,  for more than two decades when he decided to promote Ken Kramer to run things as the company’s President. Kramer was so good at leading the business that Brown ultimately asked him to manage the process of selling it…. Read more »

How Employees Factor into the Success of Your Business

Quality employees are essential for the long-term success and growth of any business.  Many entrepreneurs learn this simple fact far too late.  Regardless of what kind of business you own, a handful of key employees can either make or break you.  Sadly, businesses have been destroyed by employees that don’t care, or even worse, are… Read more »

What to Do When Something New Attracts your Attention

Jessica Tindel and her partner started Dream Enrichment Classes, a business offering after school programs in math and art 13 years ago. Tindel built the business to 60 part time instructors and 5 full time office staff when a new business caught her attention. Stretched thin and drawn to the potential of her new idea, she… Read more »