Why the majority of businesses never sell

Recent information shared by my US-based brethren suggests that only a minority of businesses they work with ever find a buyer.  The actual figures vary per advisor and are heavily influenced by their current economy, location, industries serviced and size of business...

No Surprises: Taking the sting out of due diligence

If there is one thing that buyers of or investors in privately-owned businesses hate more than anything else, it is surprises (and I’m not talking the more than welcome gift-wrapped ones): unsigned contracts, undetected accounting anomalies, undisclosed...

Employee Equity: Golden Handcuffs or Ball & Chain?

The concept of employee share ownership has been raised by a number of business owners in recent discussions, each with their own motivations and intended structures.  What these discussions have clearly demonstrated is both the desire to invite key staff to share in...

Get big, get niche or get out

Lunching with an associate recently I was reminded of this phrase in relation to business strategy: get big, get niche or get out.  To me, it encapsulated beautifully one of the key drivers of exit-readiness: appeal. Why is it so pertinent?  Fundamentally, if your...