WHY BUSINESSES FAIL TO SELL: 3 COMMON INVESTOR RED FLAGS
Many retiring business owners seek to sell their companies to a financial investor, like a private equity firm. However, only a small proportion of these owners ever consummate such a sale. This is due, in part, to buyers and sellers not reaching a consensus on valuation but there are also intangible red flags that investors look for to rule out acquisition targets early on. These red flags include, presenting your company as too perfect, having revenue streams that seem difficult to sustain, and any inkling that key employees may be disgruntled with the company or anxious about an ownership change. Fortunately, there are ways to prepare your business for sale, and to present it during the sale process, that will give prospective buyers a fair and accurate, but also favorable, representation of your company.
Learning Objectives:
- Become familiar with some common intangible considerations that make private companies less desirable to investors
- Explore some real examples of the impact of these considerations on aspiring sellers
- Explore how this information can be used to help the attendee’s clients
About the Presenter:
Hear from industry expert Scott Whitbread.
Event Location
Event Details
Who Should Attend?
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Attorneys
You have close relationships with clients, and can benefit from being the first advisor to introduce the idea of exit planning.
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CPAs/Accountants
Owners participating in the State of Owner Readiness research continue to indicate that you are the No. 1 "Most Trusted Advisor." You are a natural fit to lead the exit planning team and deepen your relationship (and retention) of next generation owners.
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Wealth Managers
You’re a skilled relationship person. Being entangled into your clients’ professional lives matters as you build a strategy to manage their wealth upon them harvesting it from their business. Exit planning allows you to build a deeper relationship with your client, expands your COI network, while giving you an early seat at table well before the liquidity event.
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Financial Advisors
One of the critical ‘legs of the stool’ is personal financing planning. An owner must have a strong financial plan & contingency plan post-transition to enable them to thrive in the next act of the lives personally and financially. Exit planning brings this future mindset into the present. Exit is now.
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Valuation Analysts
Valuation is both a billable engagement AND an opportunity to provide owners some perspective on how to accelerate value drivers (and deal with value killers). Use exit planning to make that valuation into a longer term value acceleration engagement.
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Estate Planners
Exit planning is a natural fit for estate planners who want to operate more holistically with their owner clients.
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Investment Bankers
Only 2 of every 10 businesses that come to market actually sell. Learn how exit planning can bring attractive AND ready business to your purview.
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Strategic Consultants
One of the most critical roles in exit planning is building transferable value. Strategic consultants have the ability to expand options and drive rapid business value that affect performance today.
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Insurance Professionals
Exit planning addresses the 5 D's. So do you. Approach the risk conversation differently with exit planning.
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Mergers & Acquisition Advisors
Proper exit planning causes less deals to fall through at the last minute. Connect with CEPAs to build your healthy deal flow network.
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Commercial Lenders
One of the best relationships a business owner makes is with their banker. How can you help your corporate clients think about the future and ensure financial continuity? Answer: exit planning.
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Family Business Advisors
More than 50% of lower middle market business owners would prefer to transition to the next generation. Help them succeed with exit planning strategies.
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Other Professional Advisors
Regardless of your unique specialty, there is seat at the exit planning table for you. Learn more at www.EarnCEPA.com.
EXIT PLANNING IS GOOD BUSINESS STRATEGY
The Exit Planning Institute, provides Financial Advisors, Accountants, Consultants, and other advisors of business owners with the critical education to differentiate themselves and add value to their existing client relationships through a credential, conference, courses, and content. Download the CEPA brochure for more information.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Scott Whitbread is the founder of Elite Manufacturing, LLC, a boutique firm providing top-tier operations consulting services to small and mid-sized industrial businesses. He has over twenty years of experience helping manufacturers and distributors to increase profits and cash flows, having led over 200 performance improvement projects across more than 100 industrial facilities. Scott has deep experience in all aspects of manufacturing performance improvement (throughput/quality/yield/cost), margin enhancement, industrial capital projects, technical problem solving and shop floor change management across a number on industries including food & beverage, pulp & paper, packaging, chemicals, paints & coatings, oil & gas, mining & metals, aerospace & defense and other diversified industrials. Prior to founding his own firm, Scott was an Executive Director with B. Riley Operations Management Services, an operational turnaround firm focused on mid-sized industrial businesses in the United States. Before that he was an Executive Director with Ernst & Young’s M&A practice, helping private equity investors to evaluate industrial acquisitions and then maximize their value after closing. And prior to that he was a Partner with Stroud International, an elite manufacturing consulting boutique, focused on realizing the hidden potential within manufacturing processes of all types. Scott holds a Bachelor of Environmental Engineering from the University of New South Wales.