View all current blog posts, discussions and podcast sessions by ProIntermediaries and ProAdvisors on BizBen.com that are associated
with selling and buying Action Sports Stores small businesses throughout the USA. Thanks.
In The New Economy that we are buying and selling and businesses in, finding funding can be the most challenging part of a sale. Many buyers will have limited funding and need to finance a good portion of the sale but what happens when a buyer has NO money? Peter Siegel with BizBen explains how.
A business plan is a living document that should serve several purposes for your business. When you are buying a small business, a business plan will assist you in obtaining business purchase financing by showing lenders and investors how you plan to repay their loan by running a profitable company.
To be successful in buying a small business you must be able to look objectively at the company and determine whether or not it is a business that will be able to grow into the future. The key to long term survival is when a business is able to change and grow along with the needs of their consumer.
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.
A business buyer in the BizBen ProBuy Program asks how to handle the inventory amount in the purchase price of a business. Other questions answered in this article: Do you add the inventory value to the business value? Should the owner be expected to take back a note for the value of the inventory?
Each day, more than 10,000 Baby Boomers turn 62. Around this age, Americans, many of which are small business owners, start to think about their exit strategy from the workforce. For a small business owner, the process can be complex and their decision to retire has an impact on many others.
When selling a California business, owners should use our salability checklist to determine whether the effort will be successful. Ten factors must be considered to properly prepare a business for sale. Three of the factors account for more than 50% probability of achieving success in selling!
Throughout the recession, it was very difficult to get approved for business purchase financing. If you are considering incorporating some alternative funding sources in your next small business acquisition, here is what you need to know to protect yourself and your investment.
The good news is that the recently enacted Federal small business lending provisions will make it easier for prospective purchasers of small California businesses to borrow money they'll need to complete a deal. But it's only good news if buyers move now, to get pre-qualified for an SBA loan.
A micro business is a type of small business that typically has fewer than five employees or as many as ten. It is often a one-person operation or a very small team, and it operates on a small scale.
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.
Maintaining confidentiality is not a simple task. It is a complex, interlocking process that has to be methodically practiced. The methodology that we believe most successful in maintaining confidentiality is using a business intermediary, an attorney, CPA or some other third party to act as a...
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.
Many California small business owners know that when selling a California business it's vital to get a landlord commitment and have relevant financial information ready for review. Peter Siegel, MBA with BizBen.com discusses three common mistakes California owner/sellers need to avoid.
Can a seller of a small business back out of an ongoing escrow? Probably, yes, it all depends how far along the escrow is, which will dictate how messy things will get for both owner & buyer. Joe Ranieri (Southern California Business Broker) gives his feedback with others on this BizBen Discussion.
Many business buyers complain to me about business intermediaries not getting any financial information about the business they may be interested in purchasing. There are multiple reasons for this but I agree that financial information should be readily be available to interested buyers upfront.
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.
Buying a business with a partner/partners, family members can make one think twice about ever doing it twice! However in this BizBen Discussion Post I chat with others about identifying roles, defining goals, attorney visits, and other relating issues.
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.
A seller just posed this question to me in a BizBen ProSell session. Any feedback for this business owner, potential seller? I would like to hear some feedback from my fellow BBNers on this topic. Make sure you're comfortable with the person with whom you are dealing.
Changing hands of business ownership can seem both exciting and daunting to all parties involved, but it's important that a smooth transition occurs to maintain or achieve success of the business. Here are some tips I recommend ensuring things go smoothly when buying a California small business.
What percentage of businesses for sale that are advertised and/or sold are pocket listings? What is the best way to find out about pocket listings? Are they advertised? Are they a big part of the businesses sold marketplace? In this Discussion ProIntermediaries and ProAdvisors discuss this topic.
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.
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.
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?
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.
When selling a small to mid-sized business, owners should have their paperwork and financial information ready to go! They should also have a short business plan of past history, current operations, and potential for the future. In this BizBen Discussion several advisors and intermediaries weigh in.
Was just asked the question from a business owner what the "typical commission" amount is for a broker and if upfront fees are common? Thought this might be a great Discussion topic on BizBen for both business owner/sellers and potentially for business buyers (buyer representation).