Buyers are expected to perform a thorough due diligence on both the business and the seller(s). However, many sellers don’t do an extensive due diligence on the buyer(s). Deals do not always close; many are aborted in the very early stages, and others tank somewhere along the way to what was hoped to be a successful closing. So, what happens that prevents a deal from closing, especially one...Read More
Sellers have to ask this question and give it serious thought prior to making the decision to sell. In too many instances, sellers get to the proverbial altar and then back down the aisle. In most cases, this happens because the seller’s decision to sell has not been considered carefully enough.
There are the obvious event-driven reasons such as failing health, partnership, marital issues or...Read More
The reasons for selling a business can be divided into two main categories. The first is a sale that is planned almost from the beginning or by an owner who knows that selling is or should be a planned event. The second is exactly the opposite – unplanned; the sale is motivated by a specific event such as health, divorce, business crises, etc. However, in between the two major reasons, are a...Read More
The “loose lips” tagline was a common World War II phrase and was on posters everywhere. The problem continues on the business battlefront today. Leaks of confidential information coming from, apparently, some of the Directors of HP have been in the news everywhere. This is an ongoing story. If it can happen to HP, it can happen to anyone. Leaks of confidential data are a serious issue at...Read More
The 65-year old owner of a multi-location retail operation doing $30 million in annual sales decided to retire. He interviewed a highly recommended intermediary and was impressed. However, he had a nephew who had just received his MBA and who told his uncle that he could handle the sale and save him some money. He would do it for half of what the intermediary said his fee would be – so the...Read More
