Category Archives: Selling my South Carolina Business

Businesses Selling at Record High Rate

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Businesses Selling at a Record High

Number of Businesses Selling at 10 Year High

Businesses are selling at Highest Rate in Years . The below information and charts are based upon  Market Information gathered by a survey of over 275 Professional Business Brokers and reveal the current information of the market defining what businesses are selling for AND why. This information is based on the sales of hundreds of business during Q1 2018 and some behind the scenes info of the hows and whys-

As a Professional Business Broker working with business buyers and sellers in South Carolina and Florida knowledge of the current market is essential.  Understanding what businesses are selling for in Anderson South Carolina, Greenville South Carolina and throughout Florida and nationally is essential. Below is current information on the market along with a brief clarification. Possibly the most important note is that How and Why businesses sell vary greatly based on the size of the business.  So it always best to view a business that is similar to your size to best use as a comparison and or basis.

SDE equals Sellers Discretionary Earnings which is what a seller earns through wages and  benefits along with any Interest, Depreciation and Ammortization that is expense on the company Profit/Loss Statement.

Businesses Selling at record high

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Businesses Selling at Record High

The reason a Seller sells or looks to sell varies greatly and again very often dependent on the business size. BUT also take note of how often a business sells because of “Unsolicited Offers”.  Which essentially is someone randomly approaching you to buy your business.  Most recent data shows it happens between 0%-3% of the time -NOT OFTEN.

 

Businesses selling at record high

 

Over 50% of businesses that try to sell and are valued under $500k DO NOT SELL. Businesses valued over $1M sell at a much greater success rate.  Planning and preparing helps sell a business.  If you own a small printing company in Greenville South Carolina planning for a sale greatly increase the likelihood of a successful sale.  If you own a larger business in Anderson South Carolina it is more likely you will plan for a sale and be successful in finding the right buyer.  How do you plan to try to sell your business next year ?  Start by having a discussion with an experienced trusted advisor this year. 

 

 

Businesses selling at record high

 

The “Business Selling Market” is doing better than it has in years.  Maybe now is the time to consider the sale of your South Carolina business or the sale of your Florida business. The sale of your business is very dependent on business size.  Finally, planning for the sale of your business greatly increases the likelihood of a successful sale. For more information on selling a business in Anderson South Carolina, selling a business in Greenville South Carolina, or selling a business in Florida contact me- Scott Messinger at Scott@GatewayBusinessAdvisors.com

 

Above information Source is a survey I personally have been participating in for several years.  Results are compiled and provided by International Business Brokers Association, M&A Source, and Pepperdine University

 

 

 

 

 

Number One Reason For Selling Your Business

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What is Number 1 Reason for Selling your Business

– Thinking about Selling your South Carolina Business?

What is the Number 1 Reason I hear when speaking to Business Owners about selling their business?-  Why are you looking to sell your Business?  — ” Because  I Am Ready”.     For those of you who have owned a business for any period of time this is a response that is fairly easy to understand.

Selling Your Business

 

I am a business broker working in both South Carolina and  Florida (and business owner)  and speak to many prospective buyers and sellers of business and understanding  the “Why” for both parties is so important in assisting the buyers and sellers of businesses.  I really think that most people that have given a fleeting thought to buying a business believe that business owners want to sell their business and therefore something must be wrong with the business.  Actually I am currently working on selling a Landscape Business in Florida.

The business owner has a  good quality business for sale, good cash flow, a comfortable lifestyle.  He has owned the business for x years and is “ready to do something else”.  He will be relocating out of state, he owns a successful business he is looking to sell. Recently we spoke about the potential purchase of another business in an unrelated field and his hesitancy about buying a business because why would someone sell a “good” business- .  And this comment is coming from someone selling a “good business”.

I also am currently helping an owner of a Computer Service Store For Sale who`s revenues are up 30% over last year, Profits are up 20% plus and is seeking to sell his business at less than 1 times annual adjusted cash flow.  He also is anxious to start a new business opportunity with a close friend, and that endevor is awaiting the sale of his business.  A good business at a good price and the owner is “ready to move on”.

Solid Reason For Selling Your Business

What is the number one reason for selling your business?

Good businesses get sold for very good reasons.  Being “ready to do something else” is a good reason.    A seller of a business needs to be ready to sell.  Really- you only really exit your business by 2 means.

1. By your choice-your timeframe, your plan.

2. Not by your choice– closing due to business failure, business conditions, bankruptcy,Forced Sale.

Granted there may be certain undesirable business or personal events that prompts one to “be ready”.  A business owner may have additional employee problems and decide that enough is enough and that is the impetus to sell ones business.  New frustrating regulation, customer problems, and any one of numerous  problems a business owner may face may be  the “final straw” and induce a business owner to pursue the sale of the business.

But again for any  business owner that has owned and managed a business for an extended period of time problems such as these come and go.  Business can be going quite well and the owner may just be ready to move on.  Actually selling a business while the business is doing well is a well thought out exit strategy for a business owner.  And yes problems can and, do come along with the business.  Problems within the business does not make a business a bad business.

A business owner may “just be Ready” to:

  • retire
  • try  something new- a second career
  • want to move or relocate
  • Just be done running the business I have been running for the last 20 years

I am not aware of the existence of a Perfect Business. Even the best of business opportunities will likely contain issues and or undesirable situations.  But if you truly want to own your own business and move into the role of business owner- Understand that good business are being sold by business owners that are just ready…. to move on.

Scott M Messinger is a Business Broker in Anderson South Carolina and Florida as well.  I work with both business sellers and buyers.  Looking to sell your Anderson South Carolina business or Selling your Upstate business?  Contact me for a free confidential discussion.

Selling a Business 2 Most Important Elements

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Selling a Business- 2  Most Important Elements

 Thinking about Selling your Business? 

selling a business

Selling a business very often involves many many moving parts and finding the right Buyer for your business can be a very involved process. Do you use a business broker to sell your business? Do you try to sell the business yourself? These are just a couple of the initial questions a business owner must answer to begin the process of selling ones business.

When selling a business it is easy to think that I will sell my business to “the first person to comes along with enough money to pay my asking price.” The sale of a business involves many terms and conditions by both the buyer and seller that must be met to consummate in a sale. Very often as you go through the process of due diligence by both the buyer and seller, wants and needs are uncovered, and potential roadblocks to completing the sale can occur.

Two important elements have a very strong impact on increasing the likelihood of a successful sale of a business. When trying to sell your business are you working with:

  1. An Interested business buyer
  2. A Qualified business buyer

As a  business broker , with focus as a South Carolina Business Broker and Florida Business Broker one of my more important responsibilities when I represent a business owner selling a business is to qualify or “pre-screen” the various inquiries on the business for sale. There are many people that inquire/ask about a business for sale and probably less than 5% , 4%,  2% of those buyer prospects actually buy a business at all.

A Qualified buyer can mean many things, but having the adequate available cash, equity, financing, special skillset, proper personal family and life situations are important to establish.

An Interested Buyer is one that wants to buy the business. They have seen basic information on the business and based on that, if no significant negatives or unknowns surface, they want to buy the business.

There will always be a lot of due diligence, verification, questions and answers, but this buyers desires to see the process move forward. If my wife and I were looking to buy a new home, and she finds a home that she likes- I am pretty much transformed into an Interested Buyer. I may turn from looking to buy a home to working to buy this certain home. Issues may occur when doing the due diligence on buying the home but I task these as issues to overcome, not reasons to get out of the deal- If I am a truly interested buyer (and or my wife really wants the house.)

When going through proper due diligence many discoveries, questions, and uncertainties can be uncovered. When you have a Seller that is truly interested in selling a business and you are working with an interested and qualified buyer, issues uncovered in due diligence are not “Gotcha” moments but rather are business related issues that both parties seek equitable resolution and or explanation on. Issues that surface become hurdles but not roadblocks.

Buying and selling a business is a process. When Selling your business at some point in the process you ascertain that you are working with an interested qualified buyer. From my perspective, having an interested Seller and recognizing that you are working with a truly interested qualified buyer are two important ingredients towards a successful sale of a business.   Having just one of those elements will likely have bad results.  When Selling a business remember the 2 most important elements to look for – a Qualified and Interested Business Buyer.  Now the question is- How do I find one?   For More information contact Scott Messinger  Business Broker serving South Carolina Florida and Southeast USA.

Selling Your Business Not to Donald Trump

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Selling Your Business Not to Donald Trump

selling a business or buying a business

selling a business or buying a business not thru a rearview mirror

Donald Trump has bought many businesses in his career. He has sold many as well.  Most business Owners looking to Sell a Business have not sold a business before.   Likewise the majority of those that buy a business have not bought a business as well.

Like with most statements there are exceptions to the rule.

There are many Strategic Business Buyers that make multiple Business purchases within a year.  Sometimes a business owner had sold a previous business as well.   But from all my experiences involved with business buying and business selling over the last 25 plus years the majority of business sellers are selling a business only once maybe twice in a lifetime.

As a prior business owner and a current business owner and a buyer of multiple businesses, and a Business Broker in South Carolina and Florida I recognize the benefit of hindsight.  We all know in running or growing a business, we make mistakes.  We dont know it all.  But we know more than we did 10, 20 or 30 years ago.   How good can one be when doing things for the first time?  Very often you just don’t know what you don’t know.

Buying or selling a business is not a perfect process.  Things can and will go wrong during the process of buying a business and selling a business.  Things can and will go wrong while running a business.

I have never witness a Perfect Business being sold by a Perfect business Seller to a Perfect Business Buyer.

The goal to buying or selling a business for the 1st or 2nd time in ones life should be to mitigate your situations of “I didnt know that”.   Surround yourself with people that you can trust that have been through the process before.   Ask questions. Seek answers .

Below are some common misconceptions I have come across from both business buyers and Sellers.

  1. Business Seller- ” I want 100% of my Selling price to be paid at closing. I do not want to offer any financing”- To that I say- We All Do.  We all want to be paid completely at closing-” How do I know Buyer will pay me”.   Buyer will say, “what assurances do I get that this business is what I think it is.  “Without looking at sales of businesses over last 5-10 years I would venture to say that 80-90% or more of all business sales involve financing from SBA Lender, Seller, or other 3rd party financing.  -As a business broker  I seek to secure “SBA Lender Prequalification” for a business I am representing to sell.  The quantity of Buyers willing to pay 100% cash for a business is minimal.  The amount of prospective buyers that are willing or in the position to pay a down payment and finance the balance is significantly greater.
  2. Business Buyer- “I’m buying a business, so either the Seller meets all my demands or I walk.”  Normally a business Sale involves some “give and take”.
  3. Business Seller- “Let the Buyer make an offer then I will provide that information.” – Certain information is needed in order to make an offer. Not all request are reasonable- the responsibility of an advisor is to “advise” on what may or may not be a reasonable request.
  4. Business Buyer- I found the right business, but I am going to wait to see if they reduce the price.- Finding the right business is not an easy task. If I find the business I am looking for, I am going to pull the trigger or else deal with the remorse of missing out on this opportunity.  I’ve done that before, and wont again.

So what are some key take-aways when looking at buying or selling a business for the 1st time?

Know what is important to you.  Know your timing.  Seek advice of trusted advisors.  Ask questions. Measure twice, cut once.  Mistakes can and will be made.  Not Doing your best to mitigate those mistakes could be your biggest mistake.

For More information on buying or selling a business, business value points or transition/exit strategy please feel free to contact me Scott Messinger at (864) 210-8226  or (239)770-2421 – Scott@GatewayBusinessAdvisors.com

 

How to Sell a Business – What Matters

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How to Sell a Business – What Matters

How to Sell a Business What Matters

 

Selling a business  can be a difficult process.  Knowing How to Sell a Business and what matters greatly increase your chances of a successful Sale and transition.  Someone may walk in your office one day and offer you 100% cash  at an elevated valuation but that is not very likely at all.  I had owned a business in a very fast growing industry and I was presented with a couple very strong cash offers at fairly lofty valuations but these offers where based on the growth curve of the industry and market conditions overall.  I wasn’t ready to sell my business at that time and several years later when I was ready to sell,  the process of selling  the business and  finding the right buyer and transition for my business  presented a much different challenge.

Ive been involved with the business acquisition  process for over 25 years as a Business Buyer of Multiple businesses, a business Seller, and as a Business Broker assisting others.  I find the following to be important when both Selling a Business and Buying a Business.

  • The quality of the business is important- “We are the highest rated Window Washing business in Jacksonville”
  • The quality of the industry is important – Are you in a growth industry? or a Mature  industry ?    “A rising tide raises all ships”
  • The quality or the overall marketplace we all conduct our business in is important. During our recently experienced recession obtaining money to finance an acquisition was difficult and overall number of business sales were down significantly.
  • The timing of when your business may be best ready to sell and when you as a business owner are ready to sell may not coincide.

 

As you can see some aspects that affect the likelihood of successfully selling your business may reside out of your immediate control.  But knowing more about the process, How to Sell a Business and What Matters, and the current market can only aid in your decision making process.

A Recent survey of fellow business broker professionals involving 100’s of business broker professionals denote  consolidate information regarding Buying a Business in South Carolina, Florida and the entire US as well as Selling a Business in South Carolina, Florida and the US.     Topics in this survey included information regarding who is likely to buy your business,  why will they buy your business and what will they pay for your business.  All businesses have differences yet many businesses share similarities:

Why Will You Sell Your Business?

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Who will Buy your Business?

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Why will they Buy your Business?

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What will they Pay For Your Business?

whats my business worth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Business Sold for Multiples

 

 

 

 

 

The amount that Buyers are paying for Businesses ( as a multiple of earnings or cash flow  has remained fairly constant over the last few years.)

SDE- Sellers Discretionary Earnings

EBITDA – Earnings Before Taxes Interest Depreciation and Amortization

So, Timing, knowing who you may best market your business to, what sort of value expectations  you can expect all affect the likelihood of a successful business sale and transition.  There is a lot to knowing How to Sell a Business but getting ready to sell your business and knowing  when you are ready are  are a couple of the very important 1st steps.

Above data  provided by survey of over 300 business brokers throughout the USA coordinated thru International Business Brokers Assn and M&A Source and Graziadio School of Business.

Looking to Sell a Business in South Carolina Florida or SE USA or looking to Buy a Business in South Carolina Florida or SE USA please contact me Scott M Messinger  at Scott@GatewayBusinessAdvisors.com or directly at   for more info see www. SellaBusinessAdvisors.com