Expediting Change Post-Closing

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The deal is done and you have completed the closing.  Now what do you do?  You help the new owner because chances are that you have some vested interest in the new entity, and it is in your best interest that the new owner is successful.

For example:
– there may be an escrow account due you.
– the buyer may have given you a note.
– you may be the landlord, and the buyer the tenant.
– your name remains on the company letterhead, and your personal reputation continues to be associated with the business.
– your former employees depend on you to have made the right decision in selling to the particular buyer, thus preserving their jobs.

Selling: What Does An Intermediary Expect From You

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If you are seriously considering selling your company, you have no doubt considered using the services of an intermediary.  You probably have wondered what you could expect from him or her.  It works both ways.  To do their job, which is selling your company; maximizing the selling price, terms and net proceeds; plus handling the details effectively; there are some things intermediaries will expect from you.  By understanding these expectations, you will greatly improve the chances of a successful sale. Here are just a few:

• Next to continuing to run the business, working with your intermediary in helping to sell the company is a close second.  It takes this kind of partnering to get the job done.  You have to return all of his or her telephone calls promptly and be available to handle any other requests.  You, other key executives, and primary advisors have to be readily available to your intermediary.

• Selling a company is a group effort that will involve you, key executives, and your financial and legal advisors all working in a coordinated manner with the intermediary.  Beginning with the gathering of information, through the transaction closing, you need input about all aspects of the sale.  Only they can provide the necessary information.

• Keep in mind that the selling process can take anywhere from six months to a year — or even a bit longer.  An intermediary needs to know what is happening — and changing — within the company, the competition, customers, etc.  The lines of communication must be kept open.

• The intermediary will need key management’s cooperation in preparation for the future visits from prospective acquirers.  They will need to know just what is required, and expected, from such visits.

• You will rightfully expect the intermediary to develop a list of possible acquirers.  You can help in several ways.  First, you could offer the names of possible candidates who might be interested in acquiring your business.  Second, supplying the intermediary with industry publications, magazines and directories will help in increasing the number of possible purchasers, and will help in educating the intermediary in the nature of your business.

• Keep your intermediary in the loop.  Hopefully, at some point, a letter of intent will be signed and the deal turned over to the lawyers for the drafting of the final documents.  Now is not the time to assume that the intermediary’s job is done.  It may just be beginning as the details of financing are completed and final deal points are resolved.  The intermediary knows the buyer, the seller, and what they really agreed on.  You may be keeping the deal from falling apart by keeping the intermediary involved in the negotiations.

• Be open to all suggestions.  You may feel that you only want one type of buyer to look at your business.  For example, you may think that only a foreign company will pay you what you want for the company.  Your intermediary may have some other prospects.  Sometimes you have to be willing to change directions.

The time to call a business intermediary professional is when you are considering the sale of your company.  He or she is a major member of your team.  Selling a company can be a long-term proposition.  Make sure you are willing to be involved in the process until the job is done.  Maintain open communications with the intermediary.  And, most of all – listen. He or she is the expert.

Surveying the Business Scene: How Many Sell?

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One of the most frequently-asked questions by those looking at the independent business scene is: “How many are for sale?” Right on the heels of that question comes another: “How many actually sell?”

To determine how many of these businesses are for sale at any one time, and what percentage of these get sold, it is necessary first to define terms by business category. The industry groups that account for the majority of small to mid-sized business sales are: manufacturing, wholesale trade, retail trade, business and personal services, and household/miscellaneous services. Using these categories as components, the total number of businesses that apply to our “survey” is approximately 6.3 million.

Of this total, businesses that are for sale at any one time account for roughly 20 percent. There is naturally going to be a higher percentage of businesses for sale that employ four or less workers, but some independent business experts feel that fewer of these businesses–at least percentage-wise–sell than do the larger ones. Of those businesses with four or less employees, one expert’s estimate is that one out of six actually sells; with five to nine employees, about one out of five sells; and the trend continues.

Why is the actual-sale percentage lower for very small businesses? Many factors operate to affect this tendency. For example, the much smaller business may suffer more from unsubstantiated income or inaccurate financial information. Some owners may not be realistic in their pricing or simply aren’t serious about selling (problems that can threaten the sale of a business at any level). Still others may simply pay the bills and close the doors.

However, no matter what the percentages show, a business owner considering putting a company on the market should remember this: most businesses are salable if the seller is realistic in assessing value and is aware that the marketplace is the final arbiter of the selling price.

Rating Buyer Seriousness

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Use the following criteria to separate the serious buyers from window-shoppers. (Add up plus points, subtract minus points. The serious buyer will rate a 6 or above.)

Minus Point Factors

  • -4 needs outside financing (excluding home equity)
  • -4 been looking for 6 months or more
  • -3 no available cash
  • -3 still working in corporate world
  • -2 spouse not supportive of buying a business
  • -2 uses a legal pad or clipboard and takes too many notes
  • -2 feels leisurely about finding the “just-right” business
  • -1 now renting (although has lived in area for some time)
  • -1 under 25 or over 62

Plus Point Factors

  • +3 does not have a job or has just resigned
  • +3 understands that books and records are not the only indicators of value
  • +2 has enough money to buy a business
  • +2 no dependents
  • +2 family member or close relative has been a business owner
  • +2 willing to take the time to look without a lot of notice
  • +1 location is not a prime consideration
  • +1 age 25 to 62
  • +1 skilled worker or professional

Family-Owned Businesses Do Have Choices

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Family-owned businesses do have some options when it comes time to sell.  Selling the entire business may not be the best choice when there are no other family members involved.  Here are some choices to be considered:

Internal Transactions

  • Hire a CEO – This approach is a management exit strategy in which the owner retires, lives off the company’s dividends and possibly sells the company many years later.
  • Transition ownership within the family – Keeping the business in the family is a noble endeavor, but the parent seldom liquefies his investment in the short-term, and the son or daughter may run the company into the ground.
  • Recapitalization – By recapitalizing the company by increasing the debt to as much as 70 percent of the capitalization, the owner(s) is/are able to liquefy most of their investment now with the intent to pay down the debt and sell the company later on.
  • Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) – Many types of companies such as construction, engineering, and architectural are difficult to sell to a third party, because the employees are the major asset.  ESOPs are a useful vehicle in this regard, but are usually sold in stages over a time period as long as ten years.

External Transactions

  • Third party sale – The process could take six months to a year to complete.  This method should produce a high valuation, sometimes all cash at closing and often the ability of the owner to walk away right after the closing.
  • Complete sale over time – The owner can sell a minority interest now with the balance sold after maybe five years.  Such an approach allows the owner to liquefy some of his investment now, continue to run the company, and hopefully receive a higher valuation for the company years later.
  • Management buy-outs (MBOs) – Selling to the owners’ key employee(s) is an easy transaction and a way to reward them for years of hard work.  Often the owner does not maximize the selling price, and usually the owner participates in the financing.
  • Initial public offering (IPO) – In today’s marketplace, a company should have revenues of $100+ million to become a viable candidate.  IPOs receive the highest valuation, but management must remain to run the company.

Source: “Buying & Selling Companies,” a presentation by Russ Robb, Editor, M&A Today

Who Is Today’s Buyer?

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It has always been the American Dream to be independent and in control of one’s own destiny. Owning your own business is the best way to meet that goal.  Many people dream about owning their own business, but when it gets right down to it, they just can’t make that leap of faith that is necessary to actually own one’s own business.  Business brokers know from their experience that out of fifteen or so people who inquire about buying a business, only one will become an owner of a business.

Today’s buyer is most likely from the corporate world and well-educated, but not experienced in the business-buying process.  These buyers are very number-conscious and detail-oriented.  They require supporting documents for almost everything and will either use outside advisors or will do the verification themselves, but verify they will.  A person who is realistic and understands that he or she can’t buy a business with a profit of millions for $10 down is probably serious.  They must be able to make decisions and not depend on outside parties to do it for them.  They must also have the financial resources available, have an open mind, and understand that owning one’s own business means being the proverbial chief cook and bottle washer.

Today’s buyers are usually what might be termed “event” driven.  This means that the desire to own their own business is coupled with a need or reason.  Maybe they have been downsized out of a job, they don’t want to be transferred, they travel too much, they see no future in their current position, etc.  Many people have the desire, but not the reason.  Most people don’t have the courage to quit a job and the paycheck to venture out on their own.

There are the perennial lookers.  Those people who dream about owning their own business, are constantly looking, but will never leave the job to fulfill the dream.  In fact, perspective business buyers who have been looking for over six months would probably fit into this category.

Business brokers spend a lot of time interviewing buyers.  Here are just a few of the questions they will ask. The answers they receive will determine whether or not the prospective buyer is serious and qualified.

  • Why is the person considering buying a business?
  • Has the person ever owned their own business?
  • How long has the person been looking?
  • Is the person currently employed?
  • What kind of business is the person looking for?
  • Is he or she flexible in the kind of business?
  • What are the most important considerations?
  • How much money is available?
  • What is the person’s timeframe?
  • Does the person’s experience match the type of business under consideration?
  • Who else is involved in the purchase decision?
  • Is the person’s spouse positive about owning a business?

There are other questions and considerations, but those cited above reveal the depth of a buyer interview.  Business brokers want to work only with buyers who are serious about purchasing a business.  They don’t want to show a business to anyone who is not qualified, which is simply a waste of their time and the seller’s time.

Why Deals Fall Apart — Loss of Momentum

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Deals fall apart for many reasons – some reasonable, others unreasonable.

For example:

• The seller doesn’t have all his financials up to date.
• The seller doesn’t have his legal/environmental/administrative affairs up to date.
• The buyer can’t come up with the necessary financing.
• The well known “surprise” surfaces causing the deal to fall apart.

The list could go on and on and this subject has been covered many times. However, there are more hidden reasons that threaten to end a deal usually half to three-quarters of the way to closing. These hidden reasons silently lead to a lack of or loss of momentum.

This essentially means a lack of forward progress. No one notices at first. Even the advisors who are busy doing the necessary due diligence and paperwork don’t notice the waning or missing momentum.  Even though a slow-down in momentum may not be noticeable at first, an experienced business intermediary will catch it.

Let’s say a buyer can’t get through to the seller.  The buyer leaves repeated messages, but the calls are not returned.  (The reverse can also happen, but for our example we’ll assume the seller is unresponsive.) The buyer then calls the intermediary.  The intermediary assures the buyer that he or she will call the seller and have him or her get in touch.  The intermediary calls the seller and receives the same response. Calls are not returned.  Even if calls are returned the seller may fail to provide documents, financial information, etc.

To the experienced intermediary the “red flag” goes up. Something is wrong. If not resolved immediately, the deal will lose its momentum and things can fall apart quite rapidly. What is this hidden element that causes a loss of momentum? It is generally not price or anything concrete.

It often boils down to an emotional issue. The buyer or seller gets what we call “cold feet.” Often it is the seller who has decided that he really doesn’t want to sell and doesn’t know what to do.  It may also be that the buyer has discovered something that is quite concerning and doesn’t know how to handle it. Maybe the chemistry between buyer and seller is just not there for one or the other of them. Whatever the reason, the reluctant party just tries to ignore the proceedings and lack of momentum occurs.

The sooner this loss of momentum is addressed, the better the chance for the deal to continue to closing. Because the root of the problem is often an emotional issue, it has to be faced directly. An advisor, the intermediary or someone close to the person should immediately make a personal visit. Another suggestion is to get the buyer and seller together for lunch or dinner, preferably the latter. Regardless of how it happens, the loss of momentum should be addressed if the sale has any chance of closing.

How’s Your Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)?

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Your first question may be, “Just what is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)?” We see CSR demonstrated in a variety of ways in areas such as:

THE COMMUNITY:
o Contributing to local community programs through financial support and personal involvement

THE ENVIRONMENT:
o Using packaging and containers that are environmentally-friendly
o Recycling
o Using low-emission and high mileage vehicles where possible
o Seeking more efficient manufacturing processes, etc.

THE MARKETPLACE:
o Utilizing responsible advertising, public relations and business conduct
o Exercising fair treatment of suppliers/vendors, contractors and shareholder

THE WORKPLACE:
o Implementing fair and equitable treatment of employees
o Upholding workplace safety, equal opportunity employment and labor standards

Actions such as these not only uphold today’s business standards, but they also pave the way for future generations. In years past, many of these elements were considered almost anti-business and some had to be enforced by governmental regulation.

Successful companies such as Tom’s of Maine (producer of natural personal care products) and Newman’s Own have practically been built on CSR. More and more companies – public and private – are following the elements of CSR. Google is a desired workplace because of the way they treat their employees: great benefits, great food in the employee cafeteria, exercise equipment – you name it, Google provides it.

Recognizing CSR in today’s business climate not only increases shareholder/investor interest, but also increases value. Socially-conscious companies are considered sound investments.  They attract buyer interest and acquire higher selling prices when it comes time to sell. After all, most buyers want to find a business with the following attributes:

• Good relations with the local community
• Products and/or services that are meeting the current trends in the marketplace and are positioned to meet future trends
• Positive relations with employees and low-turn-over
• Excellent customer loyalty
• Good relationships with suppliers and vendors
• No “skeletons” in the company closet

In addition, good environmental practices reduce costs, create efficiencies and provide excellent public relations. Good employee relations make for happy workers, which translates to higher productivity and lower absenteeism. Good relationships with customers and suppliers eliminate, or greatly reduce, the possibility of legal entanglements.

All in all, Corporate Social Responsibility not only creates additional value and helps in creating a higher selling price when that time comes – it is also very good business for now and in the future.

Personal Goodwill: Who Owns It?

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Personal Goodwill has always been a fascinating subject, impacting the sale of many small to medium-sized businesses – and possibly even larger companies. How is personal goodwill developed? An individual starts a business and, during the process, builds one or more of the following:

• A positive personal reputation
• A personal relationship with many of the largest customers and/or suppliers
• Company products, publications, etc., as the sole author, designer, or inventor

The creation of personal goodwill occurs far beyond just customers and suppliers. Over the years, personal goodwill has been established through relationships with tax advisors, doctors, dentists, attorneys, and other personal service providers.  While these relationships are wonderful benefits, they are, unfortunately, non-transferable. There is an old saying:  In businesses built around personal goodwill, the goodwill goes home at night.

It can be difficult to sell a business, regardless of size, where personal goodwill plays an integral role in the business’ success. The larger the business, the less likely that one person holds the key to its profitability. In small to medium-sized businesses, personal goodwill can be a crucial ingredient.  A buyer certainly has to consider it when considering whether to buy such a business.

In the case of the sale of a medical, accounting, or legal practice, existing clients/patients may visit a new owner of the same practice; they are used to coming to that location, they have an immediate problem, or they have some other practical reason for staying with the same practice. However, if existing clients or patients don’t like the new owner, or they don’t feel that their needs were handled the way the old owner cared for them, they may look for a new provider. The new owner might be as competent as, or more competent than, his predecessor, but chemistry, or the lack of it, can supersede competency in the eyes of a customer.

Businesses centered on the goodwill of the owner can certainly be sold, but usually the buyer will want some protection in case business is lost with the departure of the seller. One simple method requires the seller to stay for a sufficient period after the sale to allow him or her to work with the new owner and slowly transfer the goodwill. No doubt, some goodwill will be lost, but that expectation should be built into the price.

Another approach uses some form of “earnout.” At the end of the year, the lost business that can be attributed to the goodwill of the seller is tallied.  A percentage is then subtracted from monies owed to the seller, or funds from the down payment are placed in escrow, and adjustments are made from that source.

In some cases, the sale of goodwill may offer some favorable tax benefits for the seller. If the seller of the business is also the owner of the personal goodwill, the sale can essentially be two taxable events. The tax courts have ruled that the business doesn’t own the goodwill, the owner of the business does. The seller thus sells the business and then also sells his or her personal goodwill. The seller’s tax professional will be able to give further advice on this matter.

Ownership Transition — Survey Results

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Mass Mutual Life Insurance Company provided the following survey results based on family-owned businesses. Although the survey was conducted several years ago, the results are still quite revealing, and still applicable.

• Four out of five companies are still controlled by the founders.
• 30% of family-owned companies will change leadership within the next five years.
• 55% of companies fail to conduct regular valuations of the company.
• 55% of CEOs who are 61 or older have not chosen a successor.
• 13% of CEOs will never retire.
• 90% of businesses will continue as family owned.
• 85% of successor CEOs will be a family member.
• 20% of family owners have not completed any estate planning.
• 55% of family owners do not have a formal company valuation for estate tax estimates.
• 60% of businesses do not have a written strategic plan.
• 48% of companies rely on life insurance to cover estate taxes.

The above survey indicates that many family businesses are not optimizing their opportunities. Their insular approach to succession, leadership, planning, etc., indicates their vulnerability for the long term. These vulnerabilities suggest that many business owners should work with professional advisors to resolve these issues. A professional intermediary is an essential member of this advisor group.