Equity Building

Our services were built on experience in small business management consulting – core services we still offer today.  Our business acquisition management and business brokerage services grew from these activities, so we are not just about selling businesses, we are about building them too.

Mergers and Acquisitions

Acquisitions offer a fast-track to business ownership or growth.  There is no quicker or more effective method for building revenue and profits. Using proven approaches, we can help you take your business to the next level with a comprehensive list of acquisition services, from target identification through post-acquisition integration.

For individuals interested in owning a business, the success rate of purchased businesses far exceeds those started from scratch.  Further, acquiring a business can produce instant cash flow where even successful business start-ups often lose money for a long period of time.  Our firm is one of very few that has successfully offered individual entrepreneurs help in finding, purchasing, building, and now exiting, businesses. 

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Strategic Planning

You are likely familiar with many popular strategic planning tools such as S. W. O. T., Force-Field Analysis, Mission/Vision/Values, etc.  These tools serve a useful purpose, but their general nature can result in wasted time and strategic initiatives that fail upon implementation. 

There is a military saying that “amateurs talk strategy and professionals talk logistics.”  We think there is wisdom in that statement. The real challenge involves linking strategy with organizational execution. Therefore, we offer a strategic planning model that goes beyond business strategy and addresses the human, organizational and financial influences that are the key factors to successful implementation.

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Organizational Development

Growth eventually requires a transition from an owner-managed to an owner-led business, a transition that is often cited as the most treacherous transition a small business owner can face.  While some business owners opt for a "lifestyle" business, those that choose to make the leap must invest in organizational development activities.

Our experience is that most business owners are adept at running their companies, but few have any experience managing such transitional periods – they are often once-in-a-lifetime events.  We can help small business owners through these critical transitions by assisting with organizational structure and development programs.

Businesses that invest in organizational development not only perform better, their owners also get paid a premium when their business is sold.  And for those contemplating growth through acquisition, their success will depend on organizational management, which is why we view this as a key component of our service offering.  Ultimately, our clients' success depends on it, which means ours does too.

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Equity Management

While we tend to work on issues related to business transactions, like valuation, cash flow analysis, forecasting, and financing, our experience has shown that most business owners can benefit greatly from improved equity management.  It is so easily overlooked, yet poor equity management robs business owners day-in, day-out, 24/7, greatly reducing the amount of money they receive over the lifetime of their ownership. 

Debt, taxes and budgeting lead the list, but there are other issues that can greatly impact a small business owner’s personal wealth over the long run. Often, in only a few hours we can identify ways business owners can increase the amount of money they put in their pockets.

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Equity Harvesting

We believe the ownership transfer of a business interest should be approached in a professional manner on par with doctors, accountants, attorneys and others in professional practice.  When your accountant prepares your taxes, he doesn’t charge you based on your income or on how much money you may be getting back.  The price inequity and integrity implications are clear. Instead, your accountant charges you based on the value of the services delivered.   The services you receive when it comes time to harvest your equity should be no different.

We offer a menu of exit planning and business brokerage services to fit your unique situation. You can choose individual services or have a package tailored to your specific needs, including the DoneDeal Exit Plan™ and the DoneDeal Brokerage Plan™.

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DoneDeal Exit Plan™

Working with an Exit Strategist top develop an exit strategy encompasses far more than brokerage services or that of any one professional discipline, such as accountants, attorneys, or financial planners. The DoneDeal Exit Plan™ is a strategic approach to getting and retaining the highest amount of tangible and intangible compensation for the exiting business owner, whether it be an ESOP sale, sale to family members, sale to managment, phase-out, or another exit method. Further, under the DoneDeal Exit Plan™ there is an opportuntiy for significant transactional savings on a successful ownership transfer.

To learn the 8 ways an Exit Strategist can deliver value to a business owner click here.

For specific information on the DoneDeal Exit Plan™ process and deliverables click here.

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DoneDeal Brokerage Plan™

The standard approach in the business brokerage world still stems from a history of selling “Main Street” businesses (i.e. barber shops, meat markets, gas stations, etc.).  These businesses typically owned real estate, which was often the most valuable part of the transaction.  It is for this reason the business brokerage industry evolved with the real estate industry and why many brokerage houses still operate just like a residential real estate firm – get a listing, put some information together, put a few ads out, see what happens and hopefully collect a commission.  It is an antiquated system that creates incentive for deceptive practices and often results in successful sellers paying fees far beyond the value of the services provided.

It is for this reason we offer individual and packaged services under various fee structures, including the DoneDeal Brokerage Plan™.  We believe success comes form delivering value, not trying to collect a commission. So, whether you want assistance from beginning to end or just need a little help preparing your business for sale, we will develop a plan that works for you.

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Business Valuation

Business valuations are performed for many purposes, which can affect the methodology used and the cost related to the report.  For this reason, we offer three valuation models to meet our clients' needs.

The Limited Business Valuation is for those that don’t require in-depth investigation and analysis.The Limited Business Valuation is based on a capitalized earnings approach combined with the market value of assets to determine the value.  The process is limited to a review of general business and financial information provided by the business owner or person requesting the valuation.  It is an inexpensive alternative for those that want to know an approximate value of their business.

The Hybrid Business Valuation is for those wanting a valuation for personal or internal use, such as those looking at buying or selling a business. It includes everything that would be done under a Reviewed Valuation plus aspects of the Comprehensive Business Valuation.  Which aspects of the Comprehensive Business Valuation model used depend on the valuation's purpose and business characteristics.

The Comprehensive Business Valuation is for those needing a valuation that meets generally accepted business valuation standards. It relies on a number of valuation methodologies, which may include capitalized earnings, discounted cash flow, asset accumulation, replacement value, and market value of assets approaches to determine value under generally accepted business valuation standards.  The process includes a complete review of the business operations and financial statements and records.  It also includes assurance of ownership in assets and appraisals on all real estate and property typically with an estimated value in excess of $20,000.  Finally, any major agreements, including licenses and certificates, are reviewed to address any specific contractual risk.

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