Articles & Case Studies

“The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.” So said John F. Kennedy in his 1962 State of the Union address, trying to drum up support for his anti-recession policies. As I came across this quote, it got me thinking about today’s market and how we should all be taking advantage […]

Recently, we did an estimate of value (EOV) for a company, calculating that it would sell for around $8 million or $9 million in the current market. It’s a nice business and I think that number is achievable. We might even get a bit more with a strategic buyer. The business owners were surprised, as

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. But more than future planning, a

If your business has an enterprise value of $10 million or more, we strongly recommend you get a quality of earnings report before putting your business on the market. A quality of earning (QoE) report reviews the earning power of the business to determine those earnings are accurate and sustainable. Kind of like getting a

As a general rule, no one customer should account for more than 20 to 25 percent of your company revenue. While having large customers can be good for your bottom line, it introduces risk to the next owner. As you build your business, pay attention to what a future buyer will want. They’re looking for

By any account, 2018 was a good year for M&A, continuing one of the longest seller markets in modern history. We expect that momentum to carry well into 2019. Deal activity is being driven by a number of factors, including record amounts of dry powder, a positive lending environment, and interest rates that, while rising,

In the current talent environment, it can be difficult to grow a business. According to one recent NFIB jobs report, 60 percent of business owners reported hiring, but 88 percent couldn’t find qualified applicants for the job. Instead of hiring the talent you need to fuel organic growth, acquisition can be another way to expand.

Rising interest rates aren’t going to put a damper on M&A activity, at least not for now. But buyers understand that each new rate hike is a small hit against their overall return. On the sell side, 48 percent of business brokers and advisors predict that rising interest rates will have a negative impact on

The number one reason businesses don’t sell is unrealistic value expectations. That’s according to the Market Pulse report, a quarterly M&A survey by Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management, International Business Brokers Association (IBBA), and M&A Source. Unrealistic seller expectations has been the leading reason deals fail to close since we started the

“Lower middle market too hot to touch,” “M&A flies high,” “M&A activity speaks to confidence of CEOs.” These are the kind of headlines that have been dominating my news feeds lately. I’m sure you’ve seen something similar popping up in your own industry news sources. It’s not an exaggeration. In my 20 years in the