Publications

Mid-market companies often look to private equity groups for capital and business expertise that can take them to the next level. But unlike the big deals flagged in the news media, these agreements routinely fly under the radar.  That’s because about 80 percent of mid-market companies are privately held and many of these deals fall

Business owners often face a once in a lifetime deal as they contemplate the sale of their company. It’s best to think of the process as a marathon rather than a sprint, considering that it begin well before due diligence and extends well past the deal’s completion.  Acquisitions usually take six to 12 months or

Acquisition can be the fastest and most effective way for a company to gain new customers and boost productivity and profits. Most companies will never succeed on organic growth alone.  Almost every large company in the world has been built on at least one, if not more, acquisitions and mergers. Depending on the level of

Most owners of family businesses dream of their grandchildren and great-grandchildren taking over the enterprise someday.  But the reality is, only 43 percent of them have a succession plan to ensure the company’s longevity and only 12 percent make it to the third generation. “If there is one area in which most family businesses could

A financial valuation is critical to succession planning, whether it’s accomplished by selling the business, establishing partner ownership percentages or seeking financing.  The exit strategy will hinge on valuation that, among other things, will consider earnings, assets and how the business compares to its competition. In a broad sense, a financial valuation takes markets and

A successful middle market business that thrives for generations will eventually outlive its founders. To protect it’s intrinsic value and long-term survival, top management must prepare to turn it over to future leaders. That’s when succession planning can pay off in spades.  Finding and training the company’s top future executives is at the crux of

There are now more financing sources for succession planning than ever before.  While some options involve insurance or reserve funds, most business leaders will still have to make the difficult choice between debt or equity financing. Simply put, succession planning prepares a company for the future.  Many profitable businesses operate for decades, so it only

If business partners had a special knack for seeing into the future, and avoiding issues that can destroy a business, they would surely draw up a buy-sell agreement long before one of the partners dies, retires, becomes disabled or suddenly chooses to leave. Without the legal contract, they will struggle to keep a clear head

  This is a really tricky question.  I’ll attempt to offer a way to quantify (at least in part) when may be the best time for a business exit. As I write this, our economy is humming along really well, and a lot of business owners who might be thinking about a business exit are