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How to Fuel Your Business Sales Growth – Organic vs. Acquisition

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Sales Growth. Every business needs sales growth. When the company bottom line is lacking and cash flow is deficient a business owner may pour thru his/hers monthly financials or spreadsheets reviewing line entries to find out where the business is and to find any glaring problems. Most often this analysis results with the same outcome. INCREASE SALES or DECREASE EXPENSES.

I, and many other business owners, recognize that reducing expenses is always a good thing, and during an economic downturn such as the one we are presently experiencing it is more than necessary. But my experience is that you can only reduce expenses so much. It helps your situation month after month to attempt to reduce your expenses to improve your bottom line, (and is a great business discipline), yet at some point you get to the place that you cant really reduce expenses much more, YOU NEED TO GROW SALES.

Types Of Business Grow

Sales growth also occurs across many different efforts, but these different efforts can be simplified to categorize sales growth as:

  1. Internal Sales Growth (or referred to as organic growth)
  2. Growth thru Acquisition

Companies may tend to use just one of the above means, or both of them. In my last business our sales growth came thru a combination of both internal growth and growth thru acquisition. Both means have advantages and potential disadvantages. But both should be considered. The longevity of the business may also dictate what means to utilize for sales growth. Speaking from personal experience of growing and running a business for 20 years here are a few of my findings.

In the early years annualized sales growth of high double digits and or low triple digits was very attainable thru internal growth. But as your sales grows and your year over year comparisons are based on higher sales numbers attaining the higher sales growth figures became more difficult. So acquisitions helped support our internal growth efforts. Efforts for internal growth never stopped, they just got supplemented with strategic acquisitions. Recognize that acquisitions that are synergistic in nature can have some tremendous results on your bottom line.

A poorly performed acquisition can also have the opposite result and can be very costly to the business. Where do you look for potential acquisitions? Competitors are always the first best place to keep your eyes open to. Below are some of the pros, cons associated with growth thru acquisition and thru organic efforts.

Business Growth

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Sales Growth Thru Acquisition and Organic Efforts

Pros/Cons – When acquisitions are truely synergistic the effect on your bottom line can be significant. Even when considering the acquisition cost of money consider the following. If you sell Yellow Widgets and your sales are $10,000 a month – you may have the monthly cost of business to sell those widgets including a building, a telephone, insurance, advertising, company car, receptionist, etc -cost totalling $6,000 per month. You decide to buy a local competitor that sells Red Widgets and his sales are $7,000 per month. He also has similar cost of business- you may find that you may increase your sales now to $17,000 and you no longer need his building, phone, company car, and receptionist. Even considering the cost of money for acquisition- you probably have increased your bottom line virtually overnight. So immediate sales increase is a plus – But consider:

  • Handling/managing a big bump in sales “overnight” can be a daunting task and business can be lost in transition and may need to be factored into the acquisition decision analysis.
  • The customers of the “other” company are used to doing things in a different way. Your way may be an improved way, but the difference may be detrimental in the eyes of some acquired customers.
  • Financing the acquisition can be difficult- Financing thru the Seller is usually easiest, and being they are in the business- they can better understand and see where the money is coming from and the likelihood of payment.
  • Acquisition can grow sales at a much higher more immediate rate. You gain the benefit to the bottom line “today”.
  • In current economic times Acquisitions may be had at more favorable multiples of earnings.
  • Organic growth – the customer is “brought along” with your company philosophy, approach ,and methods and have a certain “comfort factor” with this approach.
  • Organic growth rates may decline as the maturity of the business grows.
  • Organic growth adds to the stability of the company. If acquisitions are not available the company can rely on own internal efforts and have control of those efforts.

Acquisitions for most businesses should be considered. Organic growth can be more “slow and steady”, but “slow and steady” with a surge here and there can be a beneficial company business model towards fueling business Sales Growth.

Is Selling My Business the End Game ?

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The End Game

In the business world, your professional career, your job, what is your end game? Do you have a goal to “be done by the time I turn___ years old”? What is your goal? Starting a business and selling it for a very comfortable profit- is that your goal? Climbing the corporate ladder to the top- is that your goal?

Too Busy To Set Goals?

Putting a good meal on the table for the family and retiring comfortably at the age of 65 is that your goal? Retiring by the age of 30, 40, 50 60,70? Is that your goal? Sometime we get mired in our professional/business life and are to busy solving todays problem and have no time to really plan for tomorrow or for the years of tomorrows we will have after “retiring”.

“I want to start a business- grow the business-make it profitable – and hopefully be able to sell it for enough money for me to retire on.”

I believe this to be a reasonable and fairly common goal among business owners and or entrepreneurs.

But I think, like a lot of complex situations, the devil is in the detail. Lets say you are enormously successful and able to financially to accomplish your goal and sell your business at the age of 30, 40, 50, 60 years old? Do you plan to then just relax, and play out your years playing golf, tennis, and waiting for the 5:00 Cocktail hour?

Business Goals

Is Selling A Business Your Ultimate Goal?

Is selling your business the end game, finishing point, or just a step or part of your business life? The demographics of where I live is such that there are many many people retired (ages 50-80) who we live among and interact with on a regular basis. The need to stay active physically and mentally is a priority for most of them, and these are generally people than can be retired and “do nothing.” Exit planning from a business requires careful thought and potentially some soul searching as well.

Selling your business and retiring very often is not the end game rather the beginning of something new. There may be some people that can retire at the age of 35 and play golf, fish, play tennis for the next 40 plus years – And more power to them, but many cannot. And as we get wrapped up in the day to day task, opining to be out on a golf course day after day sounds pretty damn good. Do more than just daydream of retirement and recognize the need to have an exit plan. Take the time to consider your exit strategy to increase your chances for the best decisions for you and your family.

Profits are Up 90% – Sell My Business?

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I contribute a weekly blog post for a website called Noobpreneur that reaches and provides valuable information to entrepreneurs. New entrepreneurs or “newbies” are the focus. My current business activities focus on the buying and selling of businesses. Most /many “new” entrepreneurs are in the exploration, startup or newly started stage of their business venture.

Business Cycle – Start, Run and Sell

Where does selling a business enter into this paradigm? Everything seems to run in cycles. There is a start, a middle and an end. Much of the focus of a new entrepreneur is full of excitement and somewhat shorter term perspective of “starting, building, growing something.” Some entrepreneurs start a business with the specific goal of selling that business.

Some entrepreneurs goal is to buy a business with no goal of selling that business. But it is very easy to start a new venture without clearly outlining an end. Again most every business will have a start, something you may refer as to “the middle”, and an end. It is so much more desirable to sell your business when you plan to in lieu of being “forced” to sell your business.

Business Planning

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The Importance Of Business Planning

Starting a business is an exciting time, and it takes a lot of work and effort to build a successful business. Afford yourself the time to consider your exit strategy. Too often one is “too busy running their business”, to fully consider where they are going. Planning to sell instead of “needing to sell” is so much more rewarding for the hard working entrepreneur.

You pick the time – Don’t let the time pick you. I know things may be looking good and everything is lined up, but what if General Motors 20 years ago targeted the sale of their business and provided all that value to their shareholders in lieu of the need for government assistance and bankruptcy?

Again, your business may be going gang busters, but I’m kind of thinking that if a Generals Motors can have an exit (or almost) exerted on them, maybe your exit of your business may not be what you planned on or didn’t plan on.

Due Diligence – How’s that Going to Make Me any Money?

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“Make sure you perform your due diligence.” A simple statement that can have tremendously far reaching consequences. I work with people interested in buying a business or selling a business, and this statement can almost appears like “boiler plate” language and get glossed over by the parties involved. What does due diligence have to do with running my business or starting my business? – due diligence is just for buying a business .

Due Diligence – Definition

Due Diligence is a term used for a number of concepts involving either the performance of an investigation of a business or person, or the performance of an act with a certain standard of care. It can be a legal obligation, but the term will more commonly apply to voluntary investigations. A common example of due diligence in various industries is the process through which a potential acquirer evaluates a target company or its assets for acquisition.

Originally the term was limited to public offerings of equity investments, but over time it has come to be associated with investigations of private mergers and acquisitions as well. The term has slowly been adapted for use in other situations (per Wikipedia)

Due diligence is essentially a way of preventing unnecessary harm to either party involved in a transaction. This is a definition when read carefully, can be seen as affecting so many aspects of a business owners life that it can almost become a mantra rather than an after thought.

I’ m ready to get that new office space – Upon completion my due diligence.

I am looking at partnering with my largest customer on a project – After I perform my due diligence.

My business has grown such that I need to select a new accountant and attorney – After I complete necessary due diligence.

I am trying to find a new bank willing to provide the needed Line of Credit and need to perform my due diligence on area banks.

Due Diligence In Business

In business transactions, the due diligence process varies for different types of

Due Diligence

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companies. The relevant areas of concern may include the financial, legal, labor, tax, IT, environment and market/commercial situation of the company. Other areas include intellectual property, real and personal property, insurance and liability coverage, debt instrument review, employee benefits and labor matters, immigration, and international transactions

In Giving: I have used due diligence in investigating charities and organizations I am interested in sharing my hard earned money with. I am a fan of the KIVA organization which provides micro-financing to entrepreneurs in third world countries and allows them to expand their business and or start a new business. I performed my process of due diligence on KIVA www.kiva.org and like the way my money helps others help themselves, like the fact that little of my donations go toward administration fees, and most of the money gets towards the intended recipient. And my daughter and I can research these financially less fortunate entrepreneurs on their website and choose where, and to who our money goes.

You can call it “doing your homework”, “doing my research”, ” checking out the facts surrounding the matter”, or “fact finding”. Whatever you refer to it as, it is most important that the function is performed before most every important decision. And yes, when looking to buy a business or sell a business you must do your due diligence. How much is enough and how much is too much?- That will be dependent upon what you are performing the due diligence on. I have 2 teenage boys (great kids) that tend “jump first look second”. If you are able to reflect on some of your business decisions and find that you have jumped first/looked second- you will know that you have not performed adequate due diligence. Very often the line for enough/not enough is not so clear. For me my gut will tell me if I “feel” I have performed adequate due diligence to make a good decision. Sometimes the result of performing due diligences will result in you not moving ahead with a deal and or transaction. And sometimes the best deal is the deal we did not do.

Legal Disclaimer – Legally, I assume Due Diligence can take on interpretation and meaning that can be thoroughly debated and defined among lawyers. Do you need legal determination of this term? – for that you will need to perform your own due diligence to determine.

Buying an Existing Business vs. Starting my Own Business

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You are an entrepreneur or small business owner or aspiring small business owner and you want a new venture. Do you buy an existing business? Do you start your own business?

Buying an existing business can be safer than starting your own business from start-up. Business startups unfortunately have a fairly high failure rate * Many figures on failure are passed around and it depends on what numbers to believe, but the rate is fairly high (*Statistics I’ve seen from the Small Business Administration (SBA) show that 56% fail within 4 years.)

If you buy an existing business, you’ll have dramatically improved your chances of success. Again, failure/success rates are up for interpretation but your odds are greatly increased. Many businesses for sale have passed the crucial 5 year mark. The owners have run their business successfully for many years. Why would someone want to sell a successful business? There are many real reasons for people wanting to sell a successful business – Retirement, illness, relocation, burnout, etc. There are a lot of good businesses available for sale www.sellabusinessflorida.com that have real value and I have had personal first hand experience with this fact.

Below list reasons and benefits in buying an existing business vs. starting your own business.

Business Startups versus Existing Business Acquisitions

  1. Actual results rather than pro-forma – Sure, business plans and income projections look great on paper…. With an existing business, you already KNOW the ACTUAL performance of the business – you can look at the tax returns, P&L, etc.
  2. Immediate cash flow – You may step into a business that’s already returning a nice cash flow to the owner every month immediately. Start-ups could take years to positive cash flow.
  3. Trained employees in place – Most of our businesses for sale come with well-trained employees already in place. Many have been doing this for years and are experts at what they do. As a new owner, this commodity is invaluable, especially if you don’t know much about the business yet.
  4. Established suppliers and credit – Instead of having to prove yourself and your ability to others in order to get accounts set up, you already have them.
  5. Established customers and referral business – The acquisition will have an established customer base, an asset that can take years to build.
  6. Existing licenses and permits – Licenses can be difficult to obtain. And it may be difficult to learn all that you do need. Existing businesses have learned and instilled what is required . And it turns into a matter of transferring those into your name.
  7. Training by the seller – Very often the seller will help you in the learning process. You benefit from their previous trial and error efforts. Owner can show you the ropes of the business, introduce you to everybody, and make sure its a smooth transition (especially if they are financing your purchase!)
  8. The Owner may provide owner financing – They can kind of become your bank. It is difficult to find a bank to loan money to a startup. Banks have little or no security available in a startup. The reality is that owner financing creates “an interested almost partner type relationship” that has a vested interest in your success. You are on your own- but not really. In startup businesses you are on your own and with all due respect to bankers, I have never been able to view a banker as a partner that would have hands-on assistance in my efforts.

DON’T buy or start a business if your immediate goal is to “be able to spend more time with my family” – long hard hours are usually needed, or “I want to be my own boss and don’t want to have to report to anyone” – even bosses do have to report to IRS, Inspectors, Insurance Co, employees, etc, and “I want my own business because I know it will be easier than my job” – probably wont be.

But if you are seeking a new business venture buying an existing business vs starting a business can greatly increase your chance of success.