Business for Sale

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View > Want higher value? Small and smart can get you more: Tuesday, 17 June 2008 Small can be worth a lot more for growing value, especially if you can hone that strategic asset that your business brings to market. By TOM McKASKILL

View > How to get on the big guys’ radar: Tuesday, 3 June 2008 There are some practical steps you can take to make sure global corporations know your business is a good prospect. By TOM McKASKILL

View > Protecting your company secrets in a sale: Monday, 19 May 2008 You need to show the goods to make a sale, but at the same time you don’t want to give away your value-creating edge to competitive shysters. TOM McKASKILL reveals the safer way

View > How many potential buyers do you need?: Tuesday, 6 May 2008 Having multiple parties vying for your business is not always a given. It can pay to lay the groundwork before the For Sale sign is put out. By TOM McKASKILL

View > He who hesitates makes losses: Tuesday, 22 April 2008 Drawn out delays in off-loading a business, deliberate or not, can erode not only the value of the business, but the nerves of the seller. By TOM McKASKILL

View > Accentuate the positive: Tuesday, 8 April 2008 If your business has unrealised potential – in the right hands –underlining this fact can work in your favour. By TOM McKASKILL.

View > Is the deal better without you?: Tuesday, 25 March 2008 You’ve built your baby from scratch, but when selling, it may be better to extract yourself from the business’s value. By TOM McKASKILL.

View > Selling? It’s worth spending to match ‘means’ to ‘ends’: Tuesday, 11 March 2008 Consider bringing in an investor to help re-structure your business before selling to maximise the price. By TOM McKASKILL.

View > Step up: The premium of the right advice: Tuesday, 4 March 2008 When selling your business, should you use a business broker, professional adviser or investment bank? By TOM McKASKILL.

View > Want maximum value? Find the right buyer: Tuesday, 19 February 2008 Preparing your business for sale will not only help maximise the value, but can quicken up the sale process. By TOM McKASKILL.

View > Brighten up your strategic value: Tuesday, 5 February 2008 Good businesses will always fetch a fair price – outstanding businesses have already sold at a premium. How can you put your enterprise in the latter? By TOM McKASKILL.

View > An offer you shouldn’t refuse: Tuesday, 22 January 2008 An out-of-the-blue offer to buy your business does not necessarily mean that you have to settle for a less-then-premium price. By TOM McKASKILL.

View > Find the value of your business: Tuesday, 8 January 2008 Real value is best seen through the eyes of the buyer, and the best buyer for your business is the one that can realise the potential you have hopefully created. By TOM McKASKILL.

View > Fire-sale: Plan to keep up value: Tuesday, 18 December 2007 If your business gets into serious trouble and you have to sell, you will best maintain value by having the right plan. By TOM McKASKILL.

View > How to get closer to a strategic buyer: Tuesday, 4 December 2007 Corporations are often on the lookout for complementary operations they can buy up and exploit. Getting on their radar may be simpler than you thought. By TOM McKASKILL.

View > Minority stakes: The pros and cons: Tuesday, 20 November 2007 Allowing a larger corporation to take a small stake in your business is an option, but there are traps. The entrepreneur needs to weigh up the benefits with the restrictions and loss of flexibility. By TOM McKASKILL.

View > Shares or cash – which is best?: Tuesday, 6 November 2007 It really does depend on the circumstances of the buyer, and specific considerations need to be undertaken when deciding if your business’s value is better represented by cash or equity. By TOM McKASKILL.

View > The earnout imperative: Tuesday, 30 October 2007 How soon, and by how much, should you agree to an earnout arrangement when selling? By TOM McKASKILL.

View > Due diligence: An ally in the vendor’s hand: Tuesday, 16 October 2007 Being able to move quickly – and with assured information – will make any business more attractive. By TOM McKASKILL.

View > Split the difference, and double the value: Tuesday, 9 October 2007 If your business has both financial value and strategic value, it could be of interest to more than one buyer. By TOM McKASKILL.

View > Find the value of your business: Tuesday, 2 October 2007 Real value is best seen through the eyes of the buyer, and the best buyer for your business is the one that can realise the potential you have hopefully created. By TOM McKASKILL.

View > Influence your multiple, stand out from the crowd: Tuesday, 25 September 2007 Valuations may be necessary, but they can also be frustrating. But there are things you can do to improve your standing. By TOM McKASKILL.

View > Strategic value sale: A boost you can bank on: Tuesday, 18 September 2007 It is often the unrecognised assets or capabilities of a small busuiness, which a larger corporation can exploit, that best gives greater value come sale time. By TOM McKASKILL.

View > Get on the right buyer’s radar: Tuesday, 11 September 2007 If your business is already known throughout its industry, selling can be a breeze. Getting on the marketplace’s radar now will pay off when the time comes to sell. By TOM McKASKILL.

View > Factor growth into your EBIT multiple: Tuesday, 4 September 2007 Where standard metrics are relied upon to evaluate your business for sale, any boost is worth pursuing. By TOM McKASKILL.

View > Can growth potential improve your sales value?: Tuesday, 28 August 2007 As a business owner, you can see the potential that your company has. Convincing a buyer is a positive step, but winning premium from it is even better. By TOM McKASKILL

View > Divide and prosper: Tuesday, 21 August 2007 How often have you heard that the sum of the parts is often worth more than the whole? The same can be true for SMEs. By TOM McKASKILL.

View > In a strategic sale, does size matter?: Tuesday, 14 August 2007 In a conventional business sale, profitability and growth are paramount. But in a strategic sale, value is entirely based on how quickly the buyer can exploit capability. Size may matter. By TOM McKASKILL

View > How to deal with redundant staff: Tuesday, 7 August 2007 For the business owner, to make an employee who has been a loyal worker redundant is a stressful event, often seen as a failure by the owner himself. By TOM McKASKILL

View > Do I need the support of my managers?: Monday, 30 July 2007 Like it or not, your present managers will be heavily involved in a successful sales process. By TOM McKASKILL.

View > IP you can bite into: Tuesday, 24 July 2007 Having an intellectual property proportion in the value that your business is sold with can give you a huge advantage. By TOM McKASKILL.

View > A succession plan will help the fit: Tuesday, 17 July 2007 Once a new owner starts to put their stamp on operations, the entrepreneur who offloaded their baby may not fit in, so transitioning business knowledge becomes paramount. By TOM McKASKILL.

View > The value of a good reputation: Tuesday, 10 July 2007 A positive reputation is important in the sales process, and there are steps you can take now to ensure you have one. By TOM McKASKILL.

View > Why scalability is important: Tuesday, 3 July 2007 True understanding of a business can be demonstrated most successfully when the seller can demonstrate future, hopefully early, potential to a prospective buyer. By TOM McKASKILL.

View > Dealing with competitors once the morsel is out there: Tuesday, 26 June 2007 If your competitors know you are up for sale, they could use this information to undermine your business. TOM McKASKILL outlines your best strategy.

View > What is the strategic value of my business?: Tuesday, 19 June 2007 Strategic value is where a buyer can make more from a business than it would have otherwise realised, and is the gravy that makes an otherwise square meal a picnic. By TOM McKASKILL

View > Why is it important to look beyond the sale date: Tuesday, 12 June 2007 Garnering a premium on the business you are selling will seem more straightforward if you put yourself into the position of the potential buyer. By TOM McKASKILL

View > How do I reduce risks to the buyer?: Tuesday, 5 June 2007 Really smart buyers purchase companies that are efficiently operated and are prepared for a new owner. By TOM McKASKILL.

View > Dealing with minority shareholders: Tuesday, 29 May 2007 Each and every shareholder deserves a voice when the time to sell comes along, but there are efficient ways to handle the demands of those with smaller holdings. By TOM McKASKILL

View > Strategic value or profit?: Tuesday, 22 May 2007 Often, a company will not have the necessary resources to achieve both goals of building profits and developing underlying assets. When do you focus? TOM McKASKILL has some pointers.

View > For sale: Should I tell my staff?: Tuesday, 15 May 2007 It is an issue that can polarise SMEs, but any business that is put up for sale will have to make a decision one way or another. By TOM McKASKILL

View > The odd one out can sell too cheaply: Tuesday, 8 May 2007 Many businesses are predicted to change hands in the next five years. What business owners don’t know is that they will be settling for a lower sales price. By TOM McKASKILL

View > Getting the best price for a medium-sized business: Tuesday, 1 May 2007 A demonstrable good profit history is a great asset, but far more valuable is the promise of future viability. By ANDREW KENT

View > Getting the best price for a small business: Tuesday, 24 April 2007 The price difference between a poorly presented and a well presented business can be up to 10 times. By ANDREW KENT.

View > Owners ‘give away’ the business in rush to retirement: Thursday, 19 April 2007 Is your business worth less than a year's earnings? You need to ensure you get fair value, ANDREW KENT reports.

View > Franchises make an offer few can refuse: Tuesday, 10 April 2007 Franchising's smooth selling tactics are making it harder for independent SMEs to attract buyers. By ANDREW KENT

View > Prices are down, so focus on future earnings: Tuesday, 3 April 2007 An estimated 44% of Australia’s businesses will be sold over the next 10 years. If you want to snare the full value of your business, presentation may make all the diference. By ANDREW KENT.

View > Franchises: Aim low for better targets: Tuesday, 27 March 2007 There are more than 1000 different franchise chains offering businesses to potential owners throughout Australia, reports ANDREW KENT, but the point to remember is to be selective.

View > Private equity shops the SME market: Friday, 16 March 2007 Businesses wanting to exit are finding that it is more and more becoming a sellers maket. SMEs can actively position themselves to appeal to private equity. ANDREW KENT reports.

View > How to tell if the profits are real: Tuesday, 13 March 2007 Don't let the dream turn into a nightmare: a profitless business is no business at all.

View > Bargains at the lower end: How to buy a business: Tuesday, 6 March 2007 Starting a business doesn't always mean starting from scratch. Often, getting an establishd smaller concern will better suit your aims. By ANDREW KENT.

View > Let it all hang out!: Tuesday, 27 February 2007 If you want to sell your business, you need to let the market know it's available. By ANDREW KENT

View > Take another look at investing in a start-up: Tuesday, 20 February 2007 There are bargains to be had at the bottom end of the market for investors as start-ups struggle to compete with superannuation funds for capital.

View > Everyone wants to buy retail: Tuesday, 13 February 2007 It’s a good time to be selling a retail business: retail is attracting the strongest demand from buyers, closely followed by accommodation, cafes and restaurants, according to BizExchange research. By ANDREW KENT

View > Killer drought spawns opportunities: Tuesday, 6 February 2007 Is the drought the death-knell for regional businesses or an opportunity to buy in at the bottom? By ANDREW KENT

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