Despite challenges in the business for sale marketplace, some of the brokers who make a living by facilitating a deal between buyer and seller are known to stand in the way of a completed transaction because of some outdated ideas. Too bad they put greed ahead of the needs of their clients.
A business buyer in our ProBuy Program searching to buy a business asked me to sum up what I though the biggest mistakes business buyers make when they search for and bought a small business. I asked ProIntermediaries on BizBen their thoughts on the matter and received a diverse response.
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.
Buying a small to mid-sized business can be a confusing and/or frustrating process for many buyers. Statistics show that over 80% of all buyers never end up buying a business. The ProBuy Program assists potential buyers with the process of finding, evaluating & buying a small to mid-sized business.
Peter Siegel, MBA - BizBen.com & SBALoanAdvisors.com Founder discusses the difference between a hands on owner and an absentee owner. It covers why someone would want to be an absentee owner and then goes on to discuss the pros and cons of buying an absentee run small to mid-sized business.
Selling a small to mid-sized business in can be a difficult process for owners and intermediaries. Statistics show that over 70% of all owner / sellers never end up selling their small to mid-sized business. That is why we initiated the BizBen ProSell Program for business owners & intermediaries.
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 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.
Lee Petsas, a Southern California business broker addresses how he handles potential business buyers when they request information on a business for sale listing. He gives his strategies and tips for handling and directing business buyer inquiries.
It is not uncommon for business Owner/Sellers to get uncomfortable when a potential Buyer requires a SBA loan to purchase the Seller's business. Often times Owner/Sellers will say "the Buyer is the one getting the loan; why am I the one under the microscope?" This blog post addresses this topic.
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.
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.
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 my opinion and experience, an LOI may very well be appropriate for lower middle market transactions of $5,000,000 or more; but, for deals less than that an Asset Purchase Agreement ("APA") with contingencies on the actions of the buyer (and seller) is much more efficient and effective.
80% of all California business buyers never end up buying a business! Many factors contribute to this statistic, but by following the points below and utilizing the ProBuy Method of buying a business you should be successful in locating a business that interests you and completing the transaction!
Demonstrating sufficient cash flow to cover a business acquisition loan is key to getting a lender's approval. But buyer must be knowledgeable. Support a business acquisition loan with the target company's cash flow. And know how to determine the actual cash flow amount. Peter Siegel, MBA explains.
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.
Knowing how to advertise a business for sale without revealing too much is an important skill for anyone who wants to find a buyer for a small or mid-sized California business at a good price. One caution about giving too much detail is that it might identify the company and ruin confidentiality.
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.
When selling and buying a business, it is almost always necessary to allocate the purchase price to various categories of assets for tax and accounting purposes, whether this is a transfer of all the assets of the business or an actual stock sale of the business entity. Broker Tim Cunha explains.
Trying to purchase a business with no money down is usually a waste of time if you want a good business. But leveraging into a business with a relatively small cash down payment can often be accomplished using some of these suggested strategies in this article on buying a business with limited cash.
Only 30% of all small businesses for sale that are put on the market overall are sold! A surprising statistic to most business owners, agents, and brokers trying to sell a small business! If however you follow the strategies (BizBen Protocol Method) in this blog post you should see success!
As an Advisor On BizBen I talk to many California business owners, business buyers, brokers, and agents on a daily basis about valuing California small to mid-sized businesses. Many key factors go into this analysis including market demand, history of earnings, and even how the deal is structured.
One of the most difficult challenges when purchasing a small business is expressed by this prospective buyer of a liquor store who is told by the seller that there is more money being made than shows up on the books. Should the buyer accept that statement by the seller & go ahead with the purchase?
Even without meaning to be dishonest, sellers or brokers talking to someone who wants to buy a small business often make statements that are not true. And sometimes what is said is known to be a lie. The buyer is smart to carefully evaluate what they hear - six untrue statements sometimes told.
Buyers search for an absentee business, wanting to collect profits generated by a successful enterprise without having to stand at the sales counter or cash register, without having to cook, operate equipment or talk to customers. Peter Siegel, MBA offers his intake on absentee run businesses.
The Veld Group provides a refreshing approach to Business Brokerage, Mergers & Acquisitions and Business Consulting and Valuations. From Your Street to Wall Street, we cater to Main Street Businesses as well as more complex Strategic Firms and Start-Ups.
ServingSouthern California
McGovern Escrow Services, Inc., is a leading independent escrow company. We are a trusted partner with our clients, assisting them through the tangled bulk sale & liquor license transfer process. We provide attentive, quality & innovative customer service. Phone Elizabeth McGovern at 415-735-3645.
ServingSan Francisco Bay Area, North Bay, Central Valley
I am an experienced entrepreneur, attorney, & business professor. I & my EvergreenGold® team offer business owners sound advice & expertise to build business value & achieve profitable sales. Call me today for a business evaluation & SWOT analysis for your business anywhere in the USA.
ServingNationwide
Cheryl's a restaurant business broker, over 25 years in the bar and restaurant industry coupled with a J.D. Cheryl works tirelessly to create successful strategies and effective negotiations for those who wish to purchase a new or sell an existing bar, restaurant, cafe, or night club. 415-309-2722
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Laundry consulting, due diligence, buyer representation: We preview laundries for you and evaluate them. 28 years laundry industry experience: buying, selling, valuing, retooling, analyzing, consulting services for laundry buyers and entrepreneurs in California. Contact us today about our services.
ServingSouthern California
If your business involves alcoholic beverage sales, we can help. Obtaining a liquor license transfer or selling a business with a license in California does not have to be a frustrating and overwhelming process. We have procured thousands of licenses for our clients.
ServingAll Of California
I am the Founder Of BizBen.com. I consult daily with intermediaries, business buyers, owner/sellers & advisors daily about buying and selling California small to mid-sized businesses. Contact me today about joining & utilizing BizBen, consultations, & advisory services.
ServingNationwide - All Areas
For over 25 years Peter Siegel, MBA has been providing niche business purchase financial advisory and loan placement services with SBA Loans, Non SBA Financing, Retirement Plan Conversions, Note Restructures, etc. Call me regarding business purchase financing and to get pre-qualified: 925-785-3118.
ServingNationwide - All Areas
When seeking large SBA business acquisition financing loans, it helps to review seller's add backs (cash flow analysis) as a source of funding to service the debt. Peter Siegel, MBA - SBALoanAdvisors.com Founder covers this specific topic for business buyers, owner/sellers, agents, business brokers.
What is your goal in 5 years? Do you want to become a business owner? Buying a business can be an exciting, safe opportunity to gain financial freedom. But how to buy the right business? This article will walk you through the process of buying a business.
Unlike a traditional brick and mortar business, selling a home business requires more finesse on the part of the seller. You really need to do your due diligence and prepare the business to be sold in order to make it attractive to a buyer. Here are my tips to achieving a successful sale.
The latest BizBen.com survey of Business Brokers and Agents outlined what it takes to be a top ten percent performer in the business brokerage industry. From good communication to utilizing your resources, these traits are something to take note of and put into practice to be successful.
This webinar is designed for business buyers, owner/sellers, business brokers, agents, and advisors who can benefit on the latest information and strategies on procuring large SBA loans to buy or sale a "large" small business - typically priced between $500K to $10M. Peter Siegel, MBA is the host.
The use of add backs & sellers discretionary cash is common among sellers of businesses when showing their financial information & explaining that the buyer will actually enjoy more profit than is shown. But buyers are cautioned to review documents closely. Peter Siegel, MBA with BizBen explains.
Owners should keep the fact that they want to sell their small business confidential. Before releasing information to prospective buyers, buyers should commit to confidentiality in writing & should understand why it is important. Peter Siegel, MBA a ProBuy and ProSell Advisor with BizBen explains.
First the dreaded statistic: 80% of all business buyers looking to buy a small business never end up doing so! Peter Siegel, MBA BizBen.com Founder & ProBuy Director) covers successful tactics & strategies all business buyers of small to mid-sized businesses should utilize now to buy a business.
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.
SBA large loan expert and advisor Peter Siegel, MBA (BizBen.com & SBALoanAdvisors.com Founder) shares his views and experience for getting the right SBA loan for larger deals, getting deals professionally prequalified & analyzed, and getting that loan through underwriting with fewer complications!
To start a business or try something new, starting a franchise business is a great option. In this blog, we'll break down everything you need to know about buying a franchise in simple, easy-to-understand terms. This guide is for business owners, whether experienced or new.
In my experience working with the "right banks and financial institutions" repayment ability sometimes overrules collateral pledged by someone needing financing for a business purchase or a down payment. Peter Siegel, MBA - BizBen's ProBuy, ProSell Lead Facilitator explores this important topic.
Despite challenges in the business for sale marketplace, some of the brokers who make a living by facilitating a deal between buyer and seller are known to stand in the way of a completed transaction because of some outdated ideas. Too bad they put greed ahead of the needs of their clients.
A business buyer in our ProBuy Program searching to buy a business asked me to sum up what I though the biggest mistakes business buyers make when they search for and bought a small business. I asked ProIntermediaries on BizBen their thoughts on the matter and received a diverse response.
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.
Buying a small to mid-sized business can be a confusing and/or frustrating process for many buyers. Statistics show that over 80% of all buyers never end up buying a business. The ProBuy Program assists potential buyers with the process of finding, evaluating & buying a small to mid-sized business.
Peter Siegel, MBA - BizBen.com & SBALoanAdvisors.com Founder discusses the difference between a hands on owner and an absentee owner. It covers why someone would want to be an absentee owner and then goes on to discuss the pros and cons of buying an absentee run small to mid-sized business.
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 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.
It is not uncommon for business Owner/Sellers to get uncomfortable when a potential Buyer requires a SBA loan to purchase the Seller's business. Often times Owner/Sellers will say "the Buyer is the one getting the loan; why am I the one under the microscope?" This blog post addresses this topic.
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.
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.
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 my opinion and experience, an LOI may very well be appropriate for lower middle market transactions of $5,000,000 or more; but, for deals less than that an Asset Purchase Agreement ("APA") with contingencies on the actions of the buyer (and seller) is much more efficient and effective.
80% of all California business buyers never end up buying a business! Many factors contribute to this statistic, but by following the points below and utilizing the ProBuy Method of buying a business you should be successful in locating a business that interests you and completing the transaction!
Demonstrating sufficient cash flow to cover a business acquisition loan is key to getting a lender's approval. But buyer must be knowledgeable. Support a business acquisition loan with the target company's cash flow. And know how to determine the actual cash flow amount. Peter Siegel, MBA explains.
For those who don't know, a non-compete agreement is a contract between a buyer and seller of a business, which after the sale, prohibits the seller from engaging in direct competition with the business they previously sold. Joe Ranieri (Business Broker) adds this topic to a BizBen Discussion Post.
In our BizBen.com June 2021 Monthly Report the top ProIntermediaries and ProAdvisors on BizBen offer their thoughts about the current status of the business for sale marketplace with trends and predictions for Business Buyers, Owner/Sellers, Business Brokers, Agents, Advisors in the near future.
Sometimes business brokers just can't win with their clients, because if an offer comes in too fast & too early then they must have lowballed the price & the seller is suspicious, and if not enough offers come in after putting the business on the market - they may look unproductive to their clients.
As the year winds down, it's tempting for business brokers to go through their old files and throw them out to make room for new client's folders, but that would be foolish. Joe Ranieri (Orange County Business broker) discusses strategies for saving files - a key annual strategy for brokers/agents.
When seeking SBA loan financing many potential business buyers have wrong information about the process of securing the best financing to buy a business. Peter Siegel, MBA a business purchase financing expert delves into the myths regarding SBA financing and business purchase financing.
We're hearing more and more about "crowd funding" through sites like gofundme and kickstarter as a possible way to raise the cash needed to buy a small business. This method of collecting funds has proven successful in other kinds of situations. Could this strategy work when buying a small business?
We all understand the idea of paying too much for a small business. But is there such a thing as not paying enough? That seems like an odd notion, but I'm familiar with situations in which a buyer acquired a small business for a figure substantially under what probably was market value.
Buying a small business is hard enough when there is no competition, so how might a buyer navigate the process when there is additional competition from other buyers? Peter Siegel, MBA (BizBen ProBuy Program) and others explain a few of the ways that a buyer can beat out other buyers.
When purchasing a small to mid-szied business, there are a multitude of things to evaluate. One area that is often overlooked is the business's culture. Peter Siegel, MBA with BizBen discusses with potential buyers the importance of understanding how the business runs on a day-to-day basis.
Negotiating the terms of a business deal is a delicate process, where one wrong move can cost you the business that you wanted to purchase. Peter Siegel, MBA (BizBen ProBuy Program) discusses the ins and outs of negotiations, and how to work well with the seller to get a deal done.
It's important to remember that selling a business takes time. Unlike selling a house, which can be sold relatively fast, a business can take up to six months to a year to sell. I discuss this topic with other advisors and intermediaries on this BizBen Discussion.
There are a lot of misconceptions about what enhances the value of a business. The following factors in this Discussion are aspects of a business that really drives its value and pricing. A business owner asked me this question today so I wanted to get others view points as well in this Discussion.
It can take months, sometimes longer to sell a small business. Here are 6 questions plus other information from myself plus other BizBen Users to ask yourself to help you determine why your small to mid-sized California business isn't selling. You might be surprised what those reasons are!
Should I Sell My Business During The Holidays Or Wait Till After The New Year? Business Broker Joe Ranieri and others chime in on this BizBen Discussion about selling a business during the Holiday Season.
Applying for a business acquisition loan can be challenging for someone who hasn't been through that process in the past. If one has a mortgage one knows that the value of the property being pledged has to at least equal the amount of the loan, SBA loans to buy a small business are very different.
Yes, there are ways to find businesses with growth potential that can be purchased with modest investments. But before offering any ideas about finding cheap businesses, it's important to review some of the risks involved. Peter Siegel (BizBen ProBuy Program) discusses this topic with others.
At What Point Do You Show Key Marketing Info And Materials To Buyers? Robb Hartman, Business Broker at BizBen discusses this topic with others on this BizBen Discussion.
Business buyers many times ask in my ProBuy consulting sessions - how long should I ask for due-diligence when buying a small business? The answer really depends on several factors. They include: type of business, demand for the business, complexity of the business. Advisors weigh in on this topic.
The owner selling the business doesn't have recent financial information or documentation but insists revenues are increasing. Should buyers believe the seller? What should buyers do in this situation? ProIntermediaries on BizBen answer the question of verifying seller / owner's financial claims.
When considering buying a business that is losing money one has to be very careful. There are reasons that the business could be losing money that aren't fatal or extremely difficult to fix and there are other reasons that should send you running in the other direction. Peter Siegel, MBA explains.
Asking the seller straightforward questions and getting straightforward answers in return is an important part of the buying and due diligence process. In this Discussion, both ProIntermediaries and Advisors offer thorough questions you should be asking during your meeting with a business seller.
Valuing a small business is not guess work. It's not what some other businesses of the same type may have or may not have been sold for, it's not even what a business owner "feels" they want or deserve. It is a formula based on many factors. Peter Siegel, MBA from BizBen & others discuss this topic.
