Confidential, discreet services

We confidentially exit plan, provide independent third-party business valuations and sell profitable businesses owned by exit-motivated business owners to qualified strategic, corporate, private equity, partners, management, and investment buyers. Our national services establish rapport, build trust, and educate business owners in the steps to meet their goals as they prepare and achieve the discreet, confidential exit of their business. We exclusively represent sellers of $1M-50M value enterprises and endeavor to transfer their businesses to qualified, capable acquirers who will build upon the seller’s vision, goals, culture, and history. We maintain lifelong repeat and referral relationships with sellers, their acquirers, and our service providers.

This is a great question! Generally, you’ll know when you are ready to sell your business because you’ll have one or more specific reasons. If you’ve been through an exit planning process, then you will have identified, prioritized, and implemented the steps to maximize your business value to buyers of your choosing. We can help!

We have multiple M&A and business broker specialties including Manufacturing, Technology, Defense Industry, Oilfield services, Construction, Craft Breweries, Partnership Buyouts, B2B Service, Patented Products, and Distribution. Generally, Annual sales will be $1,000,000-50,000,000.

Exit planning involves a situational analysis of your business as well as your personal goals. Typically, the entire process requires 3 to 6 weeks.

The FIRST thing to realize is that your financials incorrectly state what you earn in the business. The IRS allows you to deduct expenses like depreciation, amortization, interest, your salaries, benefits and other perqs. We have a list of 30+ items that increase your cash flow, and the exciting part, is that these can increase your valuation by 3, 4, 5 and 6x….we’ve even seen much higher. Similarly, your fixtures, furniture, equipment and vehicles are typically understated on your balance sheet. The IRS allows you to depreciate these but you can increase their values typically to their used fair market values. We guide you through the entire process to recast your income statements, balance sheets and income tax returns.

INCREASE BUSINESS VALUE BEFORE SALE – A competent, knowledgeable, experienced M&A Advisor or business broker will review your business and provide specific, constructive recommendations to increase your business value.  The ownership team can evaluate and, if appropriate, invest the time, energy, and resources to implement the recommendations.  Consider a business valuation EARLY in your process;  it answers the question “What is my business worth?”

MARKETING AND ADVERTISING – Designing a marketing plan specifically targeted to the types of buyer that would be interested in the business is a key factor. M&A Advisors or business brokers use databases of buyer prospects, professional associations, and investment groups, as well as their extensive networks. Target marketing through trade publications, direct mail, and Internet sites specifically for business transactions may be used to reach buyers.

QUALIFYING BUYERS – The M&A Advisors or business brokers will focus on those prospects (individuals, equity groups, companies, …) who provide financial statements, buyer profiles and resumes that indicate that they are financially qualified and who are genuinely interested in the type of business.

PRESENTING THE BUSINESS – The professional M&A Advisor or business broker is experienced in handling negotiations. They also offer the seller the convenience of continuing to manage the business while the selling process is underway.

MAINTAINING PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY – Business owners are extremely concerned about confidentiality. A professional M&A Advisor or business broker is skilled at protecting the confidentiality from the employees, suppliers, creditors, and customers of the business.

FACILITATE DUE DILIGENCE – The M&A Advisor or business broker understands the type and nature of information that will be required by prospective purchasers (and their lenders) during the due diligence process.  Identifying, obtaining, and organizing this important collection of data will simplify the due diligence steps.

NEGOTIATING THE BUSINESS SALE TRANSACTION – The M&A Advisor or business broker will be a vital trusted advisor during the sale transaction.