The Importance of a Professional First Impression
In today’s business world, effective communication is paramount, and the telephone remains one of the most essential tools for engaging with clients, prospects, and partners. Automated answering services, voicemail systems, or hold music can significantly impact your company’s image and customer satisfaction. Therefore, it’s important to ensure that the telephone is a productive sales tool rather than a hindrance.... Continue Reading →
The Risks of Under-Reporting Income for Business Owners
One of the most critical questions for prospective buyers, investors, and lenders is understanding a business’s true income. However, it should come as no surprise that the party most invested in uncovering this information is the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Why is determining a business’s real income so difficult? While financial records should provide a clear picture, business owners often engage in practices ranging... Continue Reading →
Understanding the Odds of Selling a Business
When it comes to buying or selling a business, we often get asked two common questions: “How many businesses are for sale?” and “What percentage of businesses on the market actually sell?”
To get a sense of the market, it’s important to break things down by business category. The industries that make up the majority of small to mid-sized business sales include: manufacturing, wholesale trade, retail trade,... Continue Reading →
Does Your Company Have an “Orphaned” Product or Service?
Many businesses have a product or service that’s performing reasonably well, perhaps even thriving, but doesn’t quite align with the company’s core offerings. It’s often called an “orphaned” product—a good or service that is disconnected from the company’s main focus. If you find yourself in this situation, don’t panic. It’s more common than you might think. In fact, there are... Continue Reading →
Leveraging Customer Feedback to Improve Your Business
If your business interacts with customers, it’s inevitable that at some point, you will receive customer complaints or negative feedback. The key to turning these situations into opportunities is how you handle them. Ignoring or dismissing customer complaints can damage your brand’s reputation and customer loyalty. However, addressing these issues effectively can improve your operations, boost customer satisfaction, and even... Continue Reading →
3 Steps to Sell Your Business Quickly and Efficiently
Before delving into the specific steps that benefit business owners who are looking to sell quickly, it’s crucial to understand the buyer’s viewpoint. For many buyers, purchasing a business is a once-in-a-lifetime event, often involving significant personal and financial risk. Therefore, sellers must take proactive steps to ensure their business is as appealing and risk-free as possible.
There are three key areas to focus on... Continue Reading →
You Have a Buyer for Your Business – Now What?
While learning that you have a serious buyer for your business may feel like a cause for celebration, it’s important to hold off on the champagne. The journey from a buyer expressing interest to a finalized sale involves several steps, and your business broker or M&A advisor will play a crucial role in guiding you through the process.
Step 1: Preparing the Offer
Once a buyer is genuinely interested in your business, your broker will... Continue Reading →
Simple Tips for Being a More Efficient Business Owner
As a business owner, one of your ongoing priorities should be finding ways to save money. Ultimately, this will boost your bottom line and make your business more attractive to buyers. Let’s take a look at some strategies to run a more efficient and cost-effective business.
1. Consolidate Services for Better Deals
There are many clever ways to save money, and some are easier than others. One simple strategy is to consolidate your... Continue Reading →
How to Know You’re Charging Enough
Most business owners fret about whether they are asking too much or not enough for their goods or services. This dilemma keeps many prospective sellers up at night. Ask too much, and you may fail to attract enough customers; ask too little, and you’re cutting yourself short. In this article, we’ll examine how to determine if you are charging the right amount for your goods and services.
Many business owners begin working with an M... Continue Reading →
Navigating the Decision to Sell Your Business
For many business owners, deciding to sell their company is one of the most significant financial decisions they will ever face. This choice not only alters their financial situation but also impacts their lives as a whole. Life after selling a business can be vastly different, so it’s essential for owners to consider what their future might look like post-sale.
Sellers must carefully contemplate both the financial and personal... Continue Reading →