Business Owner Advisory Services
Comprehensive transition planning to help make your company – and you – transaction ready
Find out why in What’s on the Other Side of 2020?
Brett Dearing, Partner and Exit Planning Specialist, delves into the economic and industry headwinds facing business owners, especially those looking to transition their enterprises in 2021.
Your company is thriving. When is the right time to start thinking about the next stage or making a transition? At retirement? Five years before? Now?
The decision to transition your business – either by sale or succession plan – is one of the most difficult and emotional decisions you’ll ever have to make. After all, you’ve devoted a significant part of your life to building and growing your company.
We work closely with owners of privately-held businesses to help them create and execute transition plans that provide a seamless and successful exit for themselves, their families and other stakeholders.
Why start planning now? On average, it can take up to two years from the time you make your decision to the time the transaction closes.
You likely have big plans for your transaction proceeds—a new business venture, a passion project, an activity-filled retirement. Fulfilling this vision depends on you maximizing the net amount you receive and putting the funds to work for you. That’s where we come in.
Through our exit planning process, we help you:
Failure to prepare is one of the primary reasons most businesses don’t sell or sell for substantially less than expected. Our established exit-planning process helps you avoid being one of them. We’re by your side during every stage of the transition—pre-transaction, transaction and post-transaction.
There are many ways to transition a business such as selling to a family member, a managed buyout, or recapitalization. The best option for you is the one that matches your goals and long-term vision. We help you weigh the positives and negatives of each choice so you can make a sound decision.
To secure the best price for your business, you need to enter negotiations with the highest possible valuation. We conduct a thorough analysis of your company to assess its “sale readiness” and identify issues that may make it less attractive to buyers.
Identifying potential “value detractors” is just the first step. Next, we work with you to develop a 30-,60- and 90-day action plan to resolve the issues that have the greatest impact on offer price.
Transitioning a business is a complex legal and financial transaction involving investment bankers, M&A attorneys, accountants and other advisors. We help you identify the right people for your team, negotiate engagement letters, and establish communication workflows.
You don’t have time to worry about the day-to-day activities involving the transaction. We serve as your project manager, working behind the scenes with your investment banker to streamline the flow of information and coordinate other team members.
A successful transition also depends on the owner’s readiness. Are you emotionally prepared for the sale? What are your plans for the future? How will you manage the proceeds? We work with you to create a comprehensive financial plan that gives you the confidence to embark on the next chapter of your life.
Business owners often wonder about the value of their businesses and whether they should extract some or all of it at any given time. We assist business owners in exploring the merits and best options for realizing this value.
Brett Dearing
Partner
The key to a successful transition? Getting your business in order before you go to market or pass it to family members. Our team has a deep understanding of M&A trends and issues that impact enterprise value.
Don’t settle for less than what your business is worth.