Do have all of your business documentation ready. Everything starts with it. Don’t underestimate the value of your business. Owners of privately held businesses usually minimize profits to lower taxes. The financial statements may not reflect the real value of…

Some of you might remember the commercial for one of the major airlines in which a business lost a major client, because they never saw anyone from the company. The president handed out airline tickets to the entire sales staff…

In the day-to-day activity of making a business work, many owners overlook the importance of the buy-sell agreement. This document (also referred to as a business continuity agreement) is like a will; no one thinks about it until it’s too…

There are several things to consider when buying or selling a business. The most important is to listen to the other side. There are always reasons why someone wants something – even if you don’t agree at first. Find out…

The buyer and seller have both agreed on the sale price and the terms of the transaction. Everyone appears satisfied. As the day of closing approaches, the seller seems less cooperative and more apprehensive about selling the business. Ultimately, the…

If you are considering selling your business, remember that there are positive factors that influence value and those that detract from it. Looking at your business from a buyer’s perspective is important since a prudent buyer will be adding and…

Experienced buyers of large businesses have tended to spurn the smaller business, citing traditional “negatives” involved in this type of transaction. Now big-time buyers are throwing away the don’t-buy-small book; or at least, they are beginning to read between the…

It’s easy to be negative about cost-cutting. “Everything just costs more,” a business owner will say; the subtext being, “What’s the use?” Don’t give up! There are ways to cut costs. The first step is to identify where the money…