If you have been part of selling a business in the past, you understand the delicacy of good communication and keeping the news confidential until the time is right. Mishandling communication can lead to a host of problems: valued employees might leave, morale could plummet, and the company's op
READ MORE »The journey of business ownership is an adventure filled with ups and downs. To navigate this path with more ease and clarity, understanding the true value of your business is akin to having a reliable compass. This process isn't just about numbers; it's about making informed choices that shape your
READ MORE »This job is riddled with hard conversations. Recently we talked with a business owner who was making decent money the last few years and this year the train came off the tracks. He blamed all kinds of macro-economic factors, but the reality is that he didn’t adjust his business strategy to acc
READ MORE »August. Here in Southeast Missouri, that means sweltering heat and school starting back up. As families get back into a routine, we also see an uptick in business owners recommitting to their business goals. For some, that’s thinking about strategic growth. For others, it’s considering if it is
READ MORE »Someday you will sell or transfer ownership of your business so you can move into the next chapter of your life. Too often, a business owner waits until they are ready to sell their business to start planning their exit. Unfortunately, this can lead to a decrease in value. Here are some best pra
READ MORE »Most people know what a business valuation is (the process of figuring out what your company is worth), but not everyone knows the different reasons valuations are performed. Aside from the obvious need for a valuation when you’re ready to sell the business, valuations are preformed for many d
READ MORE »Most business owners have no idea what their business is actually worth. The reasons that business owners typically seek out a valuation are: 1) They are working on a financial plan with their financial planner; 2) they are going though a major life event (divorce, illness, etc.); 3) they are
READ MORE »How do you know when it’s time to sell your business? To some it might seem like a silly question, but for a business owner (and particularly for a family-owned business), the decision can cause some sleepless nights. Since we work with a lot of sellers, here is a list of some of the tell-tale sig
READ MORE »We see a lot of businesses. And financial statements. And business models. And methodologies. Some good, some not-so-good. Because of that we’re often asked for recommendations and best practices to increase the value and sellability of a business. So, we thought we would dedicate this month’s n
READ MORE »One of our favorite things to talk about is how to increase the value of small and mid-sized businesses. Most business owners know how to impact line items on their financial statements (i.e. revenue, salaries, bank balances, etc.), but we find that driving the actual value of the business
READ MORE »Have you ever wondered HOW people sell their business when they’re done running it? You may know intuitively that it’s not like selling a car or a piece of real estate, but most people don’t know where to begin when they’re ready to sell their business. At Murphy Business of Cape, we gui
READ MORE »If we had a dime for every time a business owner who told us they wanted to get a million dollars for their business (or even five or ten million)…well, we’d have a LOT of dimes! While we would love to sell every small, main street business out there for this nice, round figure, often times t
READ MORE »Let’s talk more about 2020. Wait…stay with me here…I know we’re all sick of talking about the year that shut down the globe, but it’s one of the most often asked questions we receive these days: “How are you handling 2020 when valuing businesses?” So, let’s talk about it! Firs
READ MORE »It’s a new year! And while it may not feel that much different than the challenging one we left behind, it’s still traditionally a time to assess our current situation and make a resolution to change things that need to be changed. Often, we try to look at ourselves objectively and determine if
READ MORE »“Know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away, and know when to run…” Kenny Rogers may have been talking about gambling, but the lyrics work for business owners too. Over half of businesses in the US have been impacted by COVID this year to some degree and as we
READ MORE »If you’re a savvy business owner, you know that maintaining strict confidentiality is critical when selling your business. Only a handful of people should know you’re thinking of selling: your spouse, financial planner, accountant, and attorney. Often, this element alone will push a seller towar
READ MORE »Three quarters down and one quarter to go for 2020…we can do this! If you’re exhausted with running your business, think COVID is a dirty word, and you’re disenfranchised with all things related to our economy and this upcoming circus of a presidential election: You’re not alone. There i
READ MORE »One of the top questions we’re asked in this unprecedented COVID environment is “are you still selling businesses?” The answer is a resounding YES! The follow up question usually has something to do with how banks are supporting those transactions, so we thought we’d examine what we’re see
READ MORE »[embed]https://youtu.be/VQFHdUgdgTc[/embed] Coronavirus. Yep, we’re jumping on the bandwagon. Why on earth are we, business brokers, talking about Coronavirus?! It has nothing to do with buying or selling business, right? Hang with us for a minute… On March 3rd, the Federal Reserve cut int
READ MORE »Think about the key employees in your business. The ones who understand how everything works: employee roles, client preferences, supply chain, cash flow, compliance, etc. When they take a well-deserved vacation, you FEEL it and so does everyone else. They might be in sales, support, administration,
READ MORE »2019 is in the books. In general, people are feeling pretty good right now. The S&P 500 was up 28.9% and the Nasdaq was up 35.2%. Unemployment is crazy low at 3.5%, optimism is high, and although there has been lots of turmoil nationally and globally, it has mostly impacted a few specific sector
READ MORE »How much is your business worth? How much is it actually worth to a buyer if you were to sell it right now? Even if you’re not ready to sell at this moment, knowing this number is very important for a few reasons: Planning: We know that most business owners work with financial planners and ac
READ MORE »Non-competes. You’ve probably been exposed to them at some point. Perhaps you have employees sign them or maybe you have signed one yourself at some point. Non-competes are also a very important component of a business transfer. Imagine this: You bought a high-end restaurant. Since you struck a
READ MORE »In addition to eating a ridiculous amount of candy corn, with Halloween around the corner, we’ve been thinking about all things scary. Here are some things that can make an entrepreneurial leap a little more comfortable. If you’re a business owner looking to sell, take note of these things too a
READ MORE »With all of the online options at our fingertips these days, it is easier than ever to sell things. You can buy everything from a couch, to a car, to a house just by listing them online. In these days of the FSBO (For Sale By Owner) posts, wouldn’t it just be easier to try to sell your business th
READ MORE »Obviously we think that having a business broker when buying or selling a business is important; that’s why we do what we do. But why do our clients love us? Our broker, Jennifer, and our team are great at getting results. Just read this testimonial from a client whose deal we closed last month:
READ MORE »You’ve probably received a few newsletters from us now that mention getting your business valued and why you should do that. Perhaps you’re wondering how we actually determine the value of your business. Below are the steps in our process. When we compare our valuations to actual sales prices, w
READ MORE »Businesses grow in one of two ways: organically or by acquisition. Growing organically means that you grow slowly but surely over time as the demand and money allows. When you grow by acquisition, you buy another company and absorb them into your organization. Growing by acquisition can be a great b
READ MORE »Do you know what your business is worth? I mean, really know? Most business owners think they have a good idea what their business is worth, but often it is only an unrealistic expectation. Sometimes they shortchange themselves, other times they tend to think it’s worth more
READ MORE »I was at an international convention a few weeks ago and was asked if we can do business valuations in other parts of the world like Europe and Asia. YES! While we primarily work with companies in North America, the Murphy Business team is able to work with other currencies and pull comp
READ MORE »Let’s say that the last few years haven’t been kind to the earnings of your business. Sellers know they have a great business and that it will rebound in the coming years. Buyers get that vision, but aren’t willing to pay for it up front. Therein lays the “v
READ MORE »I recently attended the national Murphy Business conference in Palm Coast, Florida. The beach was nice (although it rained the whole time) and the opportunity to network with other business brokers across the country is a big draw, but the biggest benefit is staying up-to-date with all the lat
READ MORE »You, like many Americans, just might be entrepreneurial. The idea of being your own boss, selling a product or craft that you make yourself, or providing a service to other people or businesses, is tantalizing. You also know that starting a business is easy and so is failure. We have to balanc
READ MORE »My husband is, among many things, a trained classical musician and he’s often asked to explain the difference between a violin and a fiddle. “It depends on whether you’re buying it or selling it,” he says - and he’s not wrong. A buyer wants to depress the fi
READ MORE »After nearly two decades of real estate/fixer-upper/curb appeal/garage sale picker reality television, it’s easy to think that there’s a buyer for everything. That may be true – just not at every price and certainly not at any time. We’ve had business owners approach us intending to have
READ MORE »