News
10 Things That Make Your Business More Valuable Than That of Your Industry Peers
The value of your company is partly determined by your industry. For example, cloud-based software companies are generally worth a lot more than printing companies these days.
However, when we analyze businesses in the same industry, we still see major variations in valuation. So we dug through the data available to us from our partners at The Value Builder System™ and we found 10 things that will make your company more valuable than its industry peer group.
1. Recurring Revenue
The moe revenue you have from automatically recurring contracts or subscriptions... Read More
Is Now the Time To Sell Your Business?
Have you been thinking about selling your business but just can’t decide if now is the best time? Do you find yourself repeatedly analyzing the economic situation and wishing you had a crystal ball? There are positive signs and there are negative signs….
If you’re still up in the air and can’t quite decide whether or not to hit the eject button, here are six reasons you might want to consider getting out now.
1. You’re less interested in fighting the good fight
A lot of business owners took the Great Recession in the teeth. If you’ve got your business stabilized and the prospect of possibly having... Read More
As owners set out to begin creating a written Exit Plan, they may want to know that the most successful owners tend to establish their goals before they begin implementing a process. This newsletter outlines the three types of goals most owners set
With the new year upon us, many people have begun their journeys to fulfill their New Year’s resolutions. For business owners, it’s no different. Between creating goals for the business to achieve and assuring that the business keeps growing, owners will have much to consider this year. One of the goals most commonly shared by owners is to successfully exit their businesses over the... Read More
It’s the Christmas season – which for a lot of us is a busy time of gift buying, wrapping, and quality time with your in-laws. However, if you have the job of Programming Manager for the Freeform Channel (what a sweet gig) – this is when you book that trip to Maui. It’s basically an auto-shuffle of “Elf”, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, The Polar Express, and of course The Santa Clause franchise.
I found myself scrolling the channels last night and stumbling upon Tim Allen’s version of Saint Nick. The bowl game that was on didn’t look very interesting, so somehow I zoned out on The Santa Clause – Part 1 (which should have been the only one made in my humble opinion) But... Read More
When planning business exits, many owners overlook the possibility that they will die or become permanently incapacitated before they complete their exits. In such tragic cases, owners’ families are often left responsible for the business, whether they want it or not. This newsletter presents strategies that can help families of deceased owners handle business matters in the most difficult times.
As owners approach their business exits, one topic that’s often overlooked is unexpected death or permanent incapacitation. One reason owners gloss over this topic is because it injects an uncontrollable element into a controlled process. Many successful business owners take pride in th... Read More
You can now buy a subscription for everything from dog treats to razor blades. Music subscription services are booming as our appetite to buy tracks is replaced by our willingness to rent access to them. Starbucks now even offers coffee on subscription.
Why are so many companies leveraging the subscription business model? The obvious reason is that recurring revenue boosts your company’s value, but there are some hidden benefits to augmenting your business with a subscription offering.
Free Market Research
Finding out what your customers want is expen... Read More
For some business owners, a third-party sale is their best option for a successful business exit. Third-party sales are popular because owners often believe they can get the most money from their businesses in as little time as possible from a third-party buyer. They might be right. But what they may not consider is how little control they have over their businesses, their schedules, and even their futures once the third-party sale process begins. Consider the following case study:
After 35 years of building a successful manufacturing company, which employed about 100 people, Lemont Lemieux was ready to retire. Always a do-it-... Read More
GREENE - Dennis Hobson has owned and served as president for American Tool & Engineering Inc. in Greene for 25 years. A few years ago, he decided he'd like to someday retire.
Hobson attended a business seminar with his daughter, Sonja - who is transitioning to own the business with her brother, Matt - that started them on the path to pass the plastic molding company onto his kids.
"What you hope for is you go to one of these, and every question you have is answered. 'Oh, I've got a plan now," Hobson explains. "Well, what you do is you go to one of those and you put up this idea and this idea, and then you maybe go to another one, and..." READ MORE
It’s likely that few people, if any, have ever told you, “You need to make yourself less important,” regarding your business. But sophisticated buyers look for businesses that can operate without their owners. Unless your goal is to sell or transfer your business, and then stay with the business as a subordinate to assure a smooth transition, you’ll need to train a management staff that can run the business without you. This is the most important Value Driver you’ll install, and for many owners, it’s the hardest, because they aren’t prepared to expend the emotional and mental energy required to remove themselves from their businesses.
There are countless technical strategies to m... Read More
Many owners and advisors talk about the importance of growing business value, and there are nearly unlimited options to help business owners do just that. Wouldn’t you agree that growing business value is pointless if you don’t know how to reduce the threats to that growth? As you prepare for an eventual exit from your business, there are several threats to business value that you need to be aware of:
Key employees leaving the company and competing by taking customers, employees, and/or trade secrets. Key employees dying or otherwise leaving without a replacement. Data security breaches. Uninsured casualty loss. Fraud and embezzlement. Losses from high-risk operations. Any nu... Read More