Last month, I made a mistake that cost me a deal and taught me a painful lesson about exactly how fragile trust can be in this business. A Promising Lead and a Costly Assumption I received a promising lead from our marketing department for an owner who was considering an ownership transition. I re
READ MORE »The Quiet Saturday Morning Meeting Last year, a local Southeast Minnesota business owner and I met at his office early on a Saturday morning. The building was completely empty, the perfect setting to have a highly confidential conversation without employees or competitors finding out prematurely.
READ MORE »Building the Bridge: The Great Divide Between Buyer and Seller Needs In my last post, I mentioned that after my time as an Army helicopter mechanic and a CPA, I found my true calling as a "bridge builder" for business ownership transitions here in Southeast Minnesota. But what exactly does that br
READ MORE »What to Expect When Working with a Business Broker in Southeast Minnesota You have spent years—maybe decades—building your business. You know exactly how to run your day-to-day operations, but when it comes time to plan your exit, you are suddenly navigating uncharted territory. Most busines
READ MORE »Prospective business buyers often make the terrible mistake of being overzealous when talking with a seller for the first time. I get it; you’re excited. Perhaps you have spent a ton of time looking at listings and do not want to waste any time on potential businesses that fail to meet your cr
READ MORE »Natural disasters may hit at any time of the year, but the recent wildfires in Colorado and derecho (line of violent thunderstorms) that cut a path across the Midwest and mid-Atlantic have made Americans aware that the atmosphere is often very unstable during the summer months. Have you given any t
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