The Sign Businesses For Sale Blog
Family Businesses
A recent study revealed that only about 28 percent of family businesses have developed a succession plan. Here are a few tips for family-owned businesses to ponder when considering
selling the business:
- You may have to consider a lower price if maintaining jobs for family members is important.
- Make sure that your legal and accounting representatives have “deal” experience. Too many times, the outside advisers have been with the business since the beginning and just are not “deal” savvy.
- Keep in mind that family members who stay with the buyer(s) will most likely have to answer to new management, an outside board of directors and/or outside investors.
- All family members involved either as employees and/or investors in the business must be in agreement regarding the sale of the company. They must also be in agreement about price and terms of the sale.
- Confidentiality in the sale of a family business is a must.
- Meetings should be held off-site and selling documentation kept off-site, if possible.
- Family owners should appoint one member who can speak for everyone. If family members have to be involved in all decision-making, delays are often created, causing many deals to fall apart.
Many experts in family-owned businesses suggest that a professional intermediary be engaged by the family to handle the sale. Intermediaries are aware of the critical time element and can help sellers locate experienced outside advisers. They can also move the sales process along as quickly as possible and assist in negotiations.
Keeping it in the Family
It’s hard to transfer a family business to a younger kin. Below are some statistics regarding family businesses.
- 30% of family businesses pass to a second generation.
- 10% of family businesses reach a third generation.
- 40% to 60% of owners want to keep firms in their family.
- 28% of family businesses have developed a succession plan.
- 80% to 95% of all businesses are family owned.
Source: Ted Clark, Northeastern University Center for Family Business
© Copyright 2015 Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
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Two Similar Companies ~ Big Difference in Value
Consider two different companies in virtually the same industry. Both companies have an EBITDA of $6 million – but, they have very different valuations. One is valued at five times EBITDA, pricing it at $30 million. The other is valued at seven times EBITDA, making it $42 million. What’s the difference?
One can look at the usual checklist for the answer, such as:
- The Market
- Management/Employees
- Uniqueness/Proprietary
- Systems/Controls
- Revenue Size
- Profitability
- Regional/Global Distribution
- Capital Equipment Requirements
- Intangibles (brand/patents/etc.)
- Growth Rate
There is the key, at the very end of the checklist – the growth rate. This value driver is a major consideration when buyers are considering value. For example, the seven times EBITDA company has a growth rate of 50 percent, while the five times EBITDA company has a growth rate of only 12 percent. In order to arrive at the real growth story, some important questions need to be answered. For example:
- Are the company’s projections believable?
- Where is the growth coming from?
- What services/products are creating the growth?
- Where are the customers coming from to support the projected growth – and why?
- Are there long-term contracts in place?
- How reliable are the contracts/orders?
The difference in value usually lies somewhere in the company’s growth rate!
© Copyright 2015 Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
Photo Credit: jeltovski via morgueFile
What Are Buyers Looking for in a Company?
It has often been said that valuing companies is an art, not a science. When a buyer considers the purchase of a company, three main things are almost always considered when arriving at an offering price. Quality of the Earnings Some accountants and intermediaries are very aggressive…