Morgan & Westfield - Deal Talk

With several exceptions, most of us have no interest in selling our businesses immediately because we have so much more we want to achieve with our companies. However, the simple fact is that "life happens." And sometimes that means circumstances beyond our control and even welcome surprises happen when we least expect them, making the need to sell our businesses sooner rather than later a pressing priority. That, according to our guest, is the reason why we need to get our businesses "sell-ready." Marc Borrelli, CFA, Vistage chair and accomplished global M&A advisor, talks with host Jeff Allen about the steps every business owner should begin to take now to get their businesses sell-ready as soon as possible, because you never know what the future will bring. 

If you like “free,” this program is for you, particularly if you’re looking for free advice on real ideas to help you improve the value of your business. You may already be doing a couple of the things on our list, but some of our guest expert’s suggestions may take you by surprise as the types of suggestions that you can actually begin to institute right away.  Ms. Anja Bernier is a Fortune 500 trained company sale and acquisition advisor. As the CEO of Efficient Evolutions LLC in Boston, MA, Ms. Bernier specializes in working with small businesses in all stages of the M&A process as well as those companies looking to grow.

The financial market collapse of 2008 resulted in tougher standards and regulations for the nation’s largest banks, making it more difficult in many cases for small business owners to secure the funds they need to grow their business. Since the financial crisis, crowdfunding has emerged as a real—and credible—alternative to banks, private equity, and venture capital. This edition of Deal Talk delves into the details of what crowdfunding is, its advantages over traditional funding sources and how the application process works. Jeff Allen talks with Mr. Markus Lampinen, CEO of Crowdvalley.com in San Francisco for an in-depth discussion of an option that could help your raise the capital you need.

If you're a business owner looking to diversify your holdings and/or to create a business portfolio, then owning a business franchise may be the way to go. And what you learn along the way may benefit your own privately held company, particularly where systems come into play. Terry Coker, a consultant at Franchoice joins host Jeff Allen for a discussion of the various types of systems that franchisors put into place to help ensure the success of their individual franchise owners and the corporation overall.

Our ongoing series of discussions with small business owners about their business-selling experience continues as we talk with the now-former owner of Treasure Chest Foods, Mr. Matt Wakelin. As the long-time owner of a company specializing in high-quality meats and seafood delivered “to your door,” Matt knew that his business was valuable, but the first couple business brokers he worked with may not have seen it that way. On this edition of “Deal Talk,” Jeff Allen speaks with Matt about his experience working with brokers who seemed to be more motivated by their commission check, until he connected with a company that put his business first and got him the results he had wanted from the start.

Knowing what your fellow business owners (your competitors) don't know can play substantially to your advantage. How well do you really know your customers? How well do you know your competitors’ customers? How well do you know the market in general? You need to know the answers to these and many other important questions now and several years from now in order to help continue to lift the value of your company, because your potential buyers are looking for a company with an advantage in the marketplace. And that should be your company, shouldn't it? Our guest has essential insight on value drivers for business owners with their "eyes on the prize." Host Jeff Allen visits with an investor, consultant, and corporate strategist Andrew Cadwell on this edition of "Deal Talk."

There is so much to know about selling your business, and here on “Deal Talk” we examine different pieces of the M&A process on each edition of the show. However, if you are waiting for a show that will lay out every stage of the business-selling process step by step in a comprehensive yet easy to understand way in about 30 minutes, the wait is over. Host Jeff Allen welcomes back certified business broker Andrew Rogerson to the program for a quick walk-through of the entire business-sales process, from the moment the owner knows they want to sell to the moment after the signatures are applied at the signing table. This will be one of the fastest half-hours you'll spend all week!

The growth of franchising is indisputable. Yet, while many business owners have elected to expand their companies through franchising, the owners of many other privately held businesses may be intimidated by what they perceive to be an industry that is simply too saturated or too highly competitive to give them much of a chance to succeed through franchising. But what's the truth? Is there enough room for your business? Do you have to start out with a hundred locations to be a success? What are some of the latest business trends responsible for the growth of franchising? Our guest has some great thoughts on these and other points. Hear what he has to say when Jeff Allen visits with James Channer, senior franchise business advisor with Your Franchise Success, LLC.

Since selling your company is the most important professional transaction you will likely make, is there a way to ensure that you will get the most money possible for your business? When it comes to M&A, you need to know where to look for “intangible” value drivers, and believe it or not, you may have many more of these intangible drivers (or assets) than you might think. On this edition of "Deal Talk," business broker and consultant Mark Sievers will fill us in on what some of the most critical drivers of value are, where to look for others and how you can work with the buyer to build value after the sale.

The amount of money you spend paying a contractor to perform small repairs, improvements or major construction-related projects could be small compared to potentially greater costs resulting from a dispute with the prime contractor or any of the subcontractors they hire. Stricter laws and regulations offer some protection against unlicensed contractors; however, if you are like many small business owners, you may not know what questions to ask or what resources are available to you to help you screen contractors during the bidding process. To help us understand what we can do to avoid the risks associated with working with contractors, we are happy to be joined once again by attorney Virginia Suveiu, specializing in commercial and contract law and developer of the Legal Risk Management Certificate Program at the University of California, Irvine. 

There are several routes you can take to selling your company. No matter which way you decide to go, the buyer involved in the process will have a slightly different perspective. On this edition of Deal Talk, you will learn the difference between M&A firms and investment banks and, specifically, how some buy-side consultants work with their clients to assist in the early stages of the M&A process. Is your company being targeted for an acquisition? What are potential buyers thinking? How is a price determined for your business? What are some of the potential hurdles to a deal? For answers, listen to Jeff Allen's conversation with Nonye Ukawuba, CPA and M&A Advisor at Riveron Consulting in Chicago.

Believe it or not, a business appraisal may not always be necessary to sell your company; however, you may need one for any number of other reasons such as in the case of a divorce settlement, buying out a partner, or simply for a tax-related reason among many others. In any case, the type of appraisal you receive and the company performing that appraisal need to be right for the specific task at hand. Why is that important? Our guest will tell you. Ryan Kinahan is the owner and Managing Director of RK Valuation Advisory LLC. His thoughts and guidance may help you avoid leaving money on the table and/or spending too much on the wrong thing.

The purpose of owning your own business may be as simple as providing you with a source of income as an alternative to working for someone else to earn a living. However, if you’re like many business owners, the purpose may be much greater. Whether you desire to leave a legacy, makes others’ lives better or have some other reason in mind, knowing why you own your business may have a profound influence on your ability to sell your business at the price it deserves. Our guest speaks from a deep background of experience as a business owner in Australia and in the U.S. Don’t miss our conversation with author and certified business broker, Andrew Rogerson, owner of Rogerson Business Services.  

Business and end-consumers in Europe have an appetite for American products and services, so it’s no surprise that there is a growing interest among entrepreneurs to grow their businesses by expanding into Europe. Andrew Pike, Managing Director at AN Valuation Services in The Netherlands has nearly 2 decades of investment industry experience as a valuation advisor and provider of M&A and transaction support in addition to other specialties. He’ll explain how cultural differences from country to country influence the way executives do business there and how expanding your company into European markets may be easier that you think.

A business appraisal can actually lift the value of yourcompany, which would be useful, particularly when you know you wantto sell your business. However, did you know that a valuation isnot always necessary and — according to this segment’s guest — notalways recommended when you know you are getting ready to sell yourbusiness. David Bookbinder is a valuation expert at GBQ Consultingand contributing writer to The Huffington Post. On this installmentof “Deal Talk,” David explains to Jeff Allen when and whyvaluations may not be needed. He’ll also talk about a few thingsyou absolutely need in order to get the best deal for yourcompany.

You may have a particular value in mind for your company, but what are you basing that value on?  Revenue? Profits? A multiple of EBITDA? Some companies are fetching far more than their ownership had ever believed possible—in some cases, double their actual appraised value. So the next question is: how do they do it? Kevin M. Short knows. He is the managing partner at Clayton Capital Partners in St. Louis and the author of “Sell Your Business for an Outrageous Price.” Through his 25 years of M & A experience and diligent research, Mr. Short has unlocked the secret that may allow some businesses to command far more than their owners can imagine. What’s the secret?  Find out on Deal Talk!

Post-merger integration isn’t just some fancy name for an M and A concept. In truth, the success of the transition from one owner to another of any business depends very heavily on what happens in the days and weeks after the acquiring company officially takes over. As you’ll find out in our discussion, both the new owner and exiting owner share a responsibility to make certain the business that was sold continues to succeed and thrive well into the future, for the sake of the deal itself and for all of the people involved including the employees. Join Jeff Allen as he welcomes Mr. Stuart Diamond, management consultant from Houston, Texas.

When considering having your business appraised, you might want to give some thought to how the numbers could be impacted by a variety of issues both internal and external, some of which may be well within your control. The fact is that valuations often reveal the consequences of a lack of oversight that could lower your company’s true value, leaving money on the table and jeopardizing the prospects for a successful sale in the future. On this edition of Deal Talk, Trisch Garthoeffner, Founder and President of Anchor Business Valuations & Financial Services, LLC, returns to talk about the most common factors that influence the result of a valuation as well as the appraisal process itself.

In an ongoing effort to help you and all business owners get your arms around a common problem—cash flow (or NO cash flow), Jeff Allen welcomes another expert who has worked with hundreds of business owners to get their money moving again.  Scott Shields, CPA and founding partner of Shields, Blice & Company CPA’s in Ohio returns for his second appearance on Deal Talk. In our discussion, Scott explains the impact cash flow can have on the very value of your business as well as any attempt you make to sell you company. Then, in the second half of our program, he’ll talk about the steps you can take right now to quickly improve cash flow in your business.  

Our mission on “Deal Talk” is to bring you information you can use to help you build your bottom line and improve your company’s value.  However, as we’ve learned on the program, not all value drivers may be so apparent, and as our guest on this edition of the program will tell you, sometimes you have to dig deeply to discover those important intangible factors that could help lift your business’s value to a level you never thought possible. Join us for an insightful chat with Dr. Carl Sheeler, who discusses his unique perspective on improving value as found in his book, “Equity Value Enhancement - A Tool to Leverage Human and Financial Capital While Managing Risk.”