Posts Categorized: Business Owner

What Sellers Don’t Expect When Selling Their Companies

In the proverbial “perfect world,” business owners would plan three to five years ahead to sell their companies. But, as one industry expert has suggested, business owners very seldom plan to sell; rather, selling is “event driven.” Partner disputes, divorce, burn-out, health, and new competition are examples of events that can force the sale of… Read more »

Why Maintaining Exit Planning Momentum Is Important

Planning for major events can sometimes cause a sense of dread. Whether it’s planning a honeymoon, a long family trip, or a business exit, it’s easy to say, “I’ll do it later, when I’m less busy.” While planning a business exit should never encompass your entire life, there are several reasons why you should keep… Read more »

The Importance of Understanding Leases

Leases should never be overlooked when it comes to buying or selling a business. After all, where your business is located and how long you can stay at that location plays a key role in the overall health of your business. It is easy to get lost with “larger” issues when buying or selling a… Read more »

Built to Flip: How to Buy a Business for Pennies on the Dollar

Carl Allen is a U.K.-based turnaround artist. He buys relatively unloved businesses, makes them better, and sells them for a profit. When you’re in the turnaround game, you get a lot of weird phone calls, but none quite as odd as the one Allen received in 2013. A business owner had heard Allen was looking… Read more »

Planning Your Exit Strategy Should Begin on Day One

Pepperjam CTO, Greg Shepard recently published “Planning Your Exit Should Begin When You Launch” in Entrepreneur magazine. In this article, Shepard puts forward a variety of thought-provoking ideas including that entrepreneurs should be thinking about partnering early on with those they believe will ultimately want to buy their business. Thinking Ahead Much of Shepard’s thinking… Read more »

4 Big Exits, 1 Smart Entrepreneur

Earlier this year, Steve Murch sold BigOven, a cooking app with over 13 million downloads and more than 4 million members, to Aisle Ahead, Inc., capping off an incredible run of successes: Former Chairman of the Board, Escapia, Inc. (http://www.escapia.com), a leader in vacation rental software, sold to vacation rental leader HomeAway (NASDAQ: AWAY) in… Read more »

What Makes the Sale of a Business Fall Through?

There are a myriad of reasons why the sale of a business doesn’t close successfully; these multiple causes can, however, be broken down into four categories: those caused by the seller, those caused by the buyer, those that just happen (“acts of fate”), and those caused by third parties. The following examines the part each… Read more »

When It’s Time to Sell, Put Your Strengths First

Putting your strengths first will help you sell your business. While this may seem obvious, a surprising number of business owners will either improperly index the strengths of their business or fail to emphasize those strengths adequately. In this article, we will examine five key business strengths that you should focus on when it comes… Read more »

Evaluating Your Company’s Weaknesses

The time you spend evaluating your company’s weaknesses is, as it turns out, one of the single best investments you can hope to make. No one should understand your company better than you. But to fully understand your company, it is essential that you invest the time to understand your company’s various strengths and weakness…. Read more »

Exiting Tips From One Of The Top 40 Under 40

Wind Mobile founder Anthony Lacavera has started 12 businesses, six of which he has exited. His exits have ranged in value from the $6 million he got for one of his recent start-ups to $1.3 billion when he sold Wind Mobile. He did it by following two key tips.       1. Understand what… Read more »