Articles

Small Business Buyer’s Wish List

Buy a Business Small Business

Posted by Murphy Business & Financial Corporation LLC on

We recently presented a wish list for a typical seller of a small business. Now, it's the buyer's turn. Entrepreneurs - whether they are buyers or sellers - generally agree on several factors that make the business transfer process more seamless overall. A buyer wants: A solid business ...
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Develop a Negotiation Strategy when Selling a Business

Business For Sale

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By Murphy Business & Financial Corporation LLC When you begin to negotiate the sale of the business, you will be much better off if you have developed a personal plan and have prioritized which items in the deal are the most important to you and which items you can compromise on and still acc ...
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Develop a Negotiation Strategy when Selling a Business

Sell a Business Selling a business

Posted by Murphy Business & Financial Corporation LLC on

When you begin to negotiate the sale of the business, you will be much better off if you have developed a personal plan and have prioritized which items in the deal are the most important to you and which items you can compromise on and still accomplish your objectives. Prioritize which items are ...
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Would You Give Up $2 to Save 30 Cents?

Business For Sale

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I’ve noticed a recurring theme across many business owners that is seriously dampening the value of their companies – that is, running personal expenses through the company.  Perhaps unknowingly, they are doing just that – giving up $2 to save 30 cents. Certain types of personal expenses ...
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Picking an attorney to help with your transaction

Business For Sale

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When selling your company, a good attorney can help make your transaction go smoothly while protecting you from unnecessary legal risks. When looking for an attorney, start with one that you are comfortable with and have used before.  The first question to ask your existing attorney is if they exp ...
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You Have Goodwill…Because??

Business For Sale

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By Dick Halterman Murphy Business – Shenandoah Valley, Virginia From time to time, I am in the unfortunate position of telling some 50-year old business owner that they “just don’t have any goodwill”. “But we have been around forever, or our name is like a household word in the commun ...
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You Have Goodwill Because?

Buy a Business Sell a Business Valuation

Posted by Dick Halterman Murphy Business – Shenandoah Valley, Virginia on

From time to time, I am in the unfortunate position of telling some 50-year old business owner that they "just don’t have any goodwill". "But we have been around forever, or our name is like a household word in the community, or we literally have thousands of customers"&nbs ...
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How To Get Your Business Ready To Sell

Business For Sale

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by Murphy Business & Financial Corporation LLC (edited by Murphy Business Broker Ron Buck) Here are some of the obvious, and not so obvious, steps you can take as you get ready to sell your business: Clean the premises Organize the books and records Deal with any customer/vendor/emp ...
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How To Get Your Business Ready To Sell

Business For Sale

Posted by Murphy Business & Financial Corporation LLC on

Here are some of the obvious, and not so obvious, steps you can take as you get ready to sell your business: Clean the premises Organize the books and records Deal with any customer/vendor/employee issues prior to the sale Try to increase revenues without sacrificing margin (increasing revenue ...
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The Importance of Intangible Assets When Selling a Business – Business For Sale

Business For Sale

Posted by Business Broker Russell Cohen | Murphy Business & Financial Corporation LLC on

You've spent a lifetime building up your business. Whether you have always planned to move on or are selling your business due to the continuing pressures exerted by the many recent economic downturns, you will be looking to achieve the greatest profit attainable for your efforts. That is why i ...
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How can I increase the purchase price of my company?

Business For Sale

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The most important and fundamental thing you can do to increase the purchase price of your company is to increase the sustainable cash flow or Seller’s Discretionary Earnings (click here). After that there a number of things that you can do: the self-serving answer is to make sure you hire a profe ...
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When is the best time to sell a business? – Timing is Everything!

Business For Sale

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By Murphy Business & Financial Corporation LLC The biggest financial transaction in a private business owner’s life is likely the sale of his or her business. Although many transfers are predetermined, others result from unplanned events, which is why it is essential for business owners to ...
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How can I increase the value of my company?

Business For Sale

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There are many ways to increase the value of your company.  As we discussed before, for the most part “buyers buy cash flow.”  Therefore, the best way to increase the value of your company is to increase the quality and amount of your sustainable cash flow (one-time gimmicks or accounting tric ...
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When is the best time to sell a business? – Timing is Everything!

Business Sell a Business

Posted by Murphy Business & Financial Corporation LLC on

The biggest financial transaction in a private business owner's life is likely the sale of his or her business. Although many transfers are predetermined, others result from unplanned events, which is why it is essential for business owners to have an exit strategy. Operate your business as if ...
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Three Reasons to Sell Your Business Now

Business For Sale

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Great Forbes article highlighting the alignment of three key factors making it advantageous to sell now:  low interest rates, $1.2 trillion in private equity dry powder, and the coming boomer retirement wave. Forbes Article ...
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What is Seller Discretionary Earnings, or SDE?

Business For Sale

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Seller’s Discretionary Earnings (“SDE”) is a common, and highly correlated, metric used in valuations of companies with enterprise values less than $3 million +/-.  For companies with values above $3 million, adjusted EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, income Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortizat ...
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Business Plan Basics

Business For Sale

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By Murphy Business & Financial Corporation LLC   Ho-hum, you may be thinking. Or, boring. Maybe even, when can I possibly fit this into my hectic week? As an entrepreneur, you are an extremely busy individual who probably shoots from the hip more often than not. So, do you really n ...
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Business Plan Basics

Business

Posted by Murphy Business & Financial Corporation LLC on

Ho-hum, you may be thinking. Or, boring. Maybe even, when can I possibly fit this into my hectic week? As an entrepreneur, you are an extremely busy individual who probably shoots from the hip more often than not. So, do you really need to take the time and effort to put a business plan in writing? ...
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What is my company worth?

Business For Sale

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The true answer is a company’s value is what a buyer is willing to pay and a seller is willing to accept in an arm’s length transaction.  In determining the starting point, or asking price, a valuation will be performed on the company that takes into account the financial trends and opportuniti ...
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What is the process to sell a company?

Business For Sale

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Question of the Week:  What is the process to sell a company? The process is different for every company depending on the structure and type of buyer, but all transactions follow the same general outline:  planning, marketing, deal making, and closing.  At Murphy, we further break down the pro ...
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