From A Bad Experience To A Good Experience

ABC Auto Body Of Boulder
By Jesse B. “Bernie” Meyer
Former Owner Of ABC Auto Body Of Boulder

Here’s my story. I had been a business owner-operator in Boulder since the mid 1970s. The business, like any, had its ups and downs, including a partnership split. In what I thought was a good idea, I decided to sell the business to an employee in 2000. I was to finance the sale of the business and become the landlord. I had an attorney draw up the […]

2015-03-06T15:16:08-07:00March 6th, 2015|Blog|

About, But Not Just For, Women

(This article appeared in the May 2013 issue of the International Business Brokers Association newsletter.)

suzanne_color_100-135By Suzanne De Lucia CBI, Fellow Of The IBBA

Keith McLeod recently asked me to pen a monthly column about women for the IBBA newsletter.  Quite frankly, I wasn’t sure where to go with this subject.

Sure, we all about know that ‘men are from Mars and women are from Venus.’ Undoubtedly, every one of us on either side of the gender gap has wondered what planet their counterpart was […]

2013-05-31T09:32:33-07:00May 31st, 2013|Blog|

Selling Your Business For Top Dollar.

By Suzanne De Lucia CBI, Fellow Of The IBBA

Most business owners assume that when they are ready to sell their business, buyers will be plentiful, that they will receive all cash at closing and that they will be able to exit the business shortly after the sale. The reality is that only one out of five businesses (20%) which go to market actually sells, many for far less than sellers expected and even fewer for all cash.

Most sellers carry part of the business sale in the form of a note and many have to stay for longer than desired […]

2011-04-01T00:01:01-07:00April 1st, 2011|Blog|

No Easy Way To Figure A Shop’s Sales Price.

By Alan Coté
Reprinted With Permission From Bicycle Retailer And Industry News

BRECKENRIDGE, CO—”What’s my business worth?” It’s a question that virtually all bicycle shop owners ask themselves, yet there’s no easy answer. Unlike the sale of a residential property, where recent comparable transactions are usually easy to find, the sale of a retail bicycle shop can be tricky business.

In interviewing a number of experts on the topic, as well as bike shop owners who had purchased their businesses from previous proprietors, it’s clear there’s no certain formula for finding a shop’s overall worth.

A number of common rules-of-thumb […]

2010-02-01T00:01:31-07:00February 1st, 2010|Blog|

Can’t Small Business Have A Little Of That Bonus Money, Too?

By Suzanne De Lucia CBI, Fellow Of The IBBA

You never really believe it until it happens to you, but I have just learned firsthand that small business lending in the United States is in big trouble.

My partner and I own a small food manufacturing and distribution business. Since we acquired the business in March 2009, we have added seven jobs to our work force and have managed to grow sales by over 20% in a down economy.

We put together a business plan that clearly and compellingly spells out how an infusion of capital would help us to acquire equipment, […]

2010-01-01T00:01:09-07:00January 1st, 2010|Blog|

A Different Seat At The Closing Table.

By Suzanne De Lucia CBI, Fellow Of The IBBA

After 20 years as a business intermediary, I finally did it, I bought a business. Now that I have a solid six months of ownership under my belt, I would like to share the experience.

From the beginning, it’s been a fantastic journey. The business, a food manufacturing and distribution company, came to me as a potential listing last November 2008.

I first looked at the business through my intermediary eyes and identified all of the benefits and pitfalls. On the plus side, the business had a proprietary product, which was actually quite good, […]

2009-11-01T00:01:59-07:00November 1st, 2009|Blog|

The SBA Is Making Loans Again!

By Paul Chambliss CBI

The Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed loan program (7a) for small business purchases has been on a one-year virtual hiatus, but as of October 1, 2009, the new rules are in place.

The big roadblock that stood in the way of the purchase and sale of small businesses has been removed. The SBA has finally eliminated the cap on goodwill value in a transaction. Previously, they only financed goodwill if it was under $250,000, which limited the sale of a lot of good businesses. Now, transactions with intangible assets (including goodwill) that are valued up to $500,000 can […]

2009-10-01T00:01:37-07:00October 1st, 2009|Blog|

Those Great Business Relationships Can Be Harmful To The Health Of The Business!

By Michael Marks CBI, Fellow Of The IBBA

Building strong business relationships with customers and suppliers is always an important goal for a business owner. Customers become more loyal and suppliers become more responsive.

When you work with a good customer, not only do you get more business, but it can be more enjoyable as well. Sometimes the relationship even gets to be more social – going to lunch, playing golf or attending industry events together. Many business owners have their own special accounts and work with them for years.

The same strong relationships can also develop with suppliers – buying from them […]

2009-09-01T00:01:59-07:00September 1st, 2009|Blog|

Business Owners Have A Love-Hate Relationship With Technology.

By Michael Marks CBI, Fellow Of The IBBA

Who can believe the pace of the changes in technology in our world today? For business owners, it can mean amazing advances in systems, communications, and capabilities. And many companies will jump on the latest and greatest technology to stay on the cutting edge.

But many small business owners just can’t handle these changes. For some, the cost is way too high; and for others, they lack the energy or aren’t willing to learn the new technologies. Of course there is no question, age can be a big factor. Try discussing Twitter or Facebook […]

2009-08-01T00:01:57-07:00August 1st, 2009|Blog|
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