Blog

Small Companies Are Innovators

Small companies are the innovators. The need for large companies to acquire small companies is necessary in order for the former to capture new products and services.  According to Fortune magazine, “Big companies almost never innovate. This is unfortunate because innovation is one of the few ways to gain proprietary advantage and stay profitable.  It’s not that innovation itself...Read More

Small Company Growth Trends

The median sales of a company going public has gone from an average $15 million in 1999 and 2000 to $164 million in 2004.  Smaller companies have decided not to go public as often as in years past, and they reap the quick – and cheap – money as a result of that decision.  The question is “why?” A company with only $15 million in annual revenues would most likely not want to have...Read More

A Board of Advisors

In most jurisdictions, a board of directors is not required for privately held companies.  However, many of these companies have appointed what might be termed advisory boards.  Although they may not have any legal authority, owners of these privately owned companies have discovered that this team of outside advisors can assist them in many ways. One important way they can help is just by...Read More

Closing the Price Gap

The deal is getting down to the wire, the price differential is close, but the parties are not yet in agreement. Following are some ideas that might get the ball rolling and help bring the parties together. Let the seller retain the real estate and rent it to the buyer, thus reducing the price. The same could be done for major pieces of equipment. Let the seller lease them to the buyer...Read More

M&A Trends

A  recent article in M&A Today offered some observations concerning current and future M&A trends. “The business world is constantly changing.  For the first half of the 20th century, vertical integration was the objective in which, oil companies, for example, owned the entire process from drilling to retailing at the gas station.  From 1950 to 1980, diversification was in vogue....Read More

How Many Businesses Are There?

We suspect that the answer to this question depends on who you ask! The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reports that they received some 24.8 million business tax returns for the year 1999. We can hear the joyful sounds emanating from new business brokers and those considering the profession. Wow, almost 25 million businesses! We can hear them adding up the commission dollars. This is a very...Read More

Size Breakdown of Businesses

Here is a common and much-used breakdown by the federal government: Small Business Administration (SBA): Very Small Business = 19 or fewer employees Small Business = 20 to 99 employees Medium-Size Business = 100 to 499 employees Large Business = 500+ employees Read More

Checklist for Valuation

1. Start with the business –  Value Drivers:  Size, growth rate, management, niche, history –  Value Detractors:  Customer concentration Poor financials Outdated M&E Few assets Lack of agreements with employees, customers, suppliers Poor exit possibilities Small market Potential technology changes Product or service very price sensitive 2. Financial analysis: Market Value...Read More

Simplifying the Valuation

“There are many reasons for valuing an entity, and those circumstances can lead to different outcomes…For instance, a business’s value for sale on a going-concern basis will differ from its value for liquidation purposes.  It similarly makes a difference if the valuation is for an orderly liquidation as opposed to a forced one.  For example, the value of a company for estate-tax purposes...Read More

What Is a Business Worth?

Many courts and the Internal Revenue Service have defined fair market value as: “The amount at which property would exchange between a willing buyer and a willing seller, neither being under any compulsion to buy or sell and both having a reasonable knowledge of relevant facts.” You may have to read this several times to get the gist and depth of this definition. The problem with...Read More