What are actual adjusted net earnings (cash flow) of a small business being purchased with business acquisition SBA Loan financing? That's an important amount that lenders need to know. Peter Siegel, MBA (BizBen.com, SBALoanAdvisors.com Founder) reviews this important concept with BizBen Blog users.
Some entrepreneurs believe it's better to start a business from scratch rather than buy an existing enterprise. While this may be good advice in some cases, usually it's not the best strategy. Here are five tips to help a buyer make the right decision from Peter Siegel, MBA On BizBen.
Don't confuse a business opportunity with a going business for sale. In the broadest sense, an existing business being offered on the market is sometimes called a business opportunity. But for a buyer's purposes, seeking to invest in a business to own and operate, there are important differences.
Depending on the type of business being sold, a month-to-month situation can be severely detrimental to the value of the business. Peter Siegel, MBA Founder of BizBen (and Lead Facilitator at BizBen) explores the issue of month to month leases in this blog/article.
Telling potential business buyers about unreported income could come back and bite you if not careful. It's best to be honest when dealing with business buyers but you should also highlight what's reported in the tax returns and what cash may be seen "between the lines".
The idea to have a buying a business checklist follows the adage that it's always useful to start with a plan when searching to buy a small business for sale. Peter Siegel, MBA Founder of BizBen.com and top advisor of the BizBen ProBuy Program suggests six items for all business buyers to utilize.
The key to finding the ideal business broker or agent and selling a small business is asking the right questions and getting the right answers back! Peter Siegel, MBA with BizBen & several top business brokers and agents in California (ProIntermediaries) contribute to this topic to assist sellers.
Peter Siegel, MBA - Lead Advisor with the BizBen.com ProSell Program discusses critical steps to prepare a small to mid-sized business including: which documents will be needed, key advisors to have involved, pricing the business, and how to attract the right business buyers to your listing.
Peter Siegel, MBA - BizBen Founder & Director of the ProBuy/ProSell Programs explores why earnest money deposits when opening escrow (and bulk sale) serve several important purposes when buying or selling a small business in California. For Buyers not offering a realistic deposit may be a problem.
Successful sellers of small businesses need a game plan to sell their California small business for maximum price and for the best terms. Peter Siegel, MBA discusses these seller strategies with BizBen Blog readers based on his experience as the lead Advisor with the ProSell Program on BizBen.com.
Let's be honest, typically it takes a while (6 months to a year) to sell a business, from listing to close of escrow, and so it's common that many sellers are anxious as the close of escrow nears with a buyer. Joe Ranieri (Business Broker) examines common seller mistakes owners should stay clear of.
There are companies who specialize in purchasing Business Notes (of course at a discount). You can sell all or part of your note. Peter Siegel, MBA BizBen Founder and ProBuy & ProSell Lead discusses this entire process in his latest article on selling your business note after you sell your business.
A question sellers ask: how do I sell my business without getting sued, isn't a subject just for discussions with lawyers. A seller can take some precautions to reduce potential legal problems. Peter Siegel, MBA Founder Of BizBen and BizBen.com's ProBuy and ProSell Programs discusses this topic.
The idea to buy a business with seller financing is clearly understood by most people whose career move is to purchase their own company. But not everyone knows how to structure a deal with the seller carrying back part of the price. Be prepared for three situations when negotiating your purchase.
Many business owners fail to maximize their business' value because they don't have a proper strategy in place to do so. Failure to maximize your businesses value will make it harder to attract the most qualified buyers. Have a plan that ensures your business is as attractive & valuable as possible.
Most business acquisition financing strategies involve borrowing money to meet the purchase price. But an entirely different approach, equity sharing, is sometimes pursued if borrowed money is not wanted, or is not available to complete the purchase. Peter Siegel, MBA - BizBen.com covers this topic.
Choosing a business broker to sell your business can be crucial to the success of it selling. A broker who you have an exclusive listing agreement with, which I recommend vs. open listing, will essentially be your partner during the listing term in getting your business sold. Joe Ranieri explains.
Peter Siegel, MBA discusses buyers who want to buy a business or franchise know about asking the seller to provide part of the financing with a carry-back note. Many business buyers need some cash to help fund the down payment and for working capital. Here are four ideas about how to get that money.
Approaching business owners directly to see if they want to sell can sometimes work well for business buyers searching to buy a small business. Another way is to broadcast your search criteria via the BizBen ProBuy Program to all brokers, agents, and intermediaries who are selling a small business.
With the multitude of factors that come into play when deciding the appropriate time to inform your employees that your business is for sale, I do not offer a standard or general answer. When sellers consult me as to my opinion on when it is the right time, I like to review the major issues that...
Looking to buy a small business? There is good news regarding business purchase financing. More financial institutions are coming back into the market with business purchase financing. After years of being selective many lenders are more open to financing deals they would not have in the past years.
If you are planning to offer your small business for sale, you ought to learn about your chances of succeeding. The probability of making a sale depends largely on which of seven seller types describes you. Use this self-test to find out what kind of seller you are and determine if you'll succeed.
Selling a business is hard enough but using the wrong word, text, and strategy can really delay or outright kill a campaign to sell a small business successfully. Peter Siegel, MBA Founder of BizBen.com shares what words, phrases, and strategies work (and not) when selling a small business online.
In this month's Business Buyer survey for BizBen.com, we asked participants in our ProBuy Program and 250 other random business buyers what they look for and avoid when looking at a business for sale postings online. Of the 20 potential posting characteristics we asked about, 8 stood out.
To understand the pros and cons of diverting funds from your retirement funds towards the purchase of a business, it is first necessary to brush up on some investment basics. Before approaching the issue of using retirement funds to buy a business, let's take a quick look at stocks and bonds.
There are many myths associated with the process of selling a small business and some of them can actually cause deals to fall through. Don't let your sale be compromised, be aware of these common misconceptions related to the process of selling. Peter Siegel, MBA with BizBen explores this topic.
Should owners who offer a business for sale reveal to prospective buyers any income that is not recorded in the books? This is a controversial topic with arguments both for and against. Most business sales intermediaries believe if you don't pay tax on it, you can't claim it. Some sellers disagree.
In dealing with business sales, often times the Seller or the Buyer will ask about the use of an escrow company. The seller may say, Why can't the buyer just pay me cash or give me a cashier's check? This blog post covers why utilizing an escrow service is so important in selling a small business.