There once was a family-owned bakery that had sales in the millions. The bakery sold bread to restaurants, supermarkets and some retail outlets. The founder gave each of his 5 children 20 percent ownership of the business.  The kids really…

Much has been written about “fairness opinions” due to the financial manipulations among companies such as Enron, Tyco and others.  The conflict in the use of fairness opinions  was (and is) that an investment banking firm not only handled the…

This is just a partial list: Church’s Chicken, Uno Chicago Grill, Charlie Brown’s, Domino’s Pizza, Burger King, Cinnabon, Sizzler.  The first response would be that they are all in the food business, and that’s correct.  Now name the second thing…

If Starbucks raised the price of a cappuccino, sales most likely would not be affected. If your attorney raised his or her hourly rate, would you switch law firms?  If a company or service firm does not have pricing power,…

When one sells their house, the best deal is usually the highest price.  When one decides to sell their business, there may be other factors to consider.  Many buyers are similar to the “overlooked” buyer described below, serious and qualified;…

A recent article in INC magazine titled”Street Smarts,” by Norm Brodsky (his column is worth the price of the magazine) addressed the subject of the title above.  However, in the very first paragraph of the article, Mr. Brodsky stated, “Unfortunately,…

Does your business have an orphan product or service that is doing okay, but doesn’t seem to fit into your core business?  Many companies, private equity groups and even some individual buyers are seeking product lines to augment existing ones,…

The first key is to have your accountant take a look at your accounting procedures and make recommendations on how to improve them.  He or she may also help in preparing financial projections for the coming year(s).  Getting your company’s…

Every company has weaknesses; the trick is to fix them.  There is a saying that the test of a good company president or CEO is what happens to the company when he or she leaves.  Some companies–on paper–may look the…

Companies can be in trouble or headed for it for many reasons.  However, most of them can be linked to one or more of the following: • Lack of proper focus • Poor management • Poor financial controls • Loss of key employee(s) • Loss…

In the proverbial “perfect world,” business owners would plan three to five years ahead to sell their companies.  But, as one industry expert has suggested, business owners very seldom plan to sell; rather, selling is “event driven.”  Partner disputes, divorce,…

Valuation of private companies is much more subjective than public companies because there is no free trading marketplace for the private companies’ stock.  Just like a champion Olympic figure skater, the performance has to be flawless.  Take a look at…