The Advantages of Seller Financing

Business owners who want to sell their business are often told by business brokers and intermediaries that they will have to consider financing the sale themselves. Many owners would like to receive all cash, but many also understand that there…

Financing the Business Purchase

Where can buyers turn for help with what is likely to be the largest single investment of their lives? For most small to mid-sized business acquisitions, here are the best ways to go: Personal Equity Typically, anywhere from 20 to…

Financing the Business Acquisition

The epidemic of corporate downsizing in the US has made owning a business a more attractive proposition than ever before. As increasing numbers of prospective buyers embark on the process of becoming independent business owners, many of them voice a…

Friends and Family: A Financing Option

The first job facing many prospective business owners is rounding up the cash necessary to make the purchase. They may find that banks have made borrowing difficult (or all but impossible), and that even SBA loans have requirements too stringent…

Venture Financing: The Hard Facts

Government financing and venture capital financing account for less than one percent of all new business financing. Sixty-seven percent of all small to mid-sized businesses are financed by personal savings or friends; thirty-three percent are financed by lending institutions. The…

Key Items Necessary for Selling a Business

Three years of profit and loss statements Federal taxes for the same three years Current list of fixtures and equipment The lease and related documents Franchise agreement (if applicable) List of encumbrances, loans, equipment leases, etc. Approximate amount of inventory…

What Makes a Business Unique

Most business owners think that their business is unique. There are obviously many different attributes that can make a business stand out from others. However, there are some key factors that make a business both unique and, at the same…

Are You Serious?

There are three good questions to consider before selling your business. First, “Do you really want to sell this business?” If you’re really serious about selling and have a solid reason (or reasons) why you want to sell, it will…

What Sellers Can Do

In addition to using a business broker, there are specific steps you can take to increase the chance of a successful closing. Know why you want to sell your business. Before placing your business for sale, it is important that…