Why hire a business broker to sell your business?
When an entrepreneur decides to sell a business, it’s usually a bad idea to jump into a sale without the help of a knowledgeable, experienced business broker. A business owner can prepare for the sale process by retaining an experienced business broker, and, as long as that person is qualified for the job, the return on investment is often high for the seller. The difficulty of selling a business while trying to run it, and the disadvantages of going through the process and leaving empty-handed, are some of the biggest reasons to hire a knowledgeable advisory team like CGK. Read on to learn more about fees, the vetting process, and our role in business brokerage.
What fees can you expect?
An business broker typically sees their biggest payout when a deal is closed. Known as a success fee, this payout is often based on the transaction’s final price. Success fees are typically negotiated by the advisor and the business owner when the relationship is formalized. These fees usually depend on the business’s final sale price. Fees are usually standard in the industry. If the contract calls for a percentage of the sale price, business brokers are motivated to maximize the transaction’s value for the business owner. Along with success fees, many business brokers require upfront or monthly retainer fees, which assure the seller’s commitment to the process. At CGK Business Sales, we do not require upfront fees or monthly retainer fees. We believe that your success is our success. We are only paid when the business sells.
How do you choose the right partner for your business sale?
Business owners should carefully examine a potential business broker’s competence, experience, and reputation before signing a letter of engagement. Sellers should look for a positive history of past deals, advanced education and industry credentials, testimonials from past clients, and endorsements from other industry professionals. When business brokers have worked in similar industries, they may be more acquainted with potential buyers. At CGK Business Sales, we have done deals in nearly every industry, usually multiple times.
What is the business broker’s role in preparing your company for sale?
A considerable amount of work goes into preparing the business’ marketing materials before a sales pitch is made, and adequate financial information is crucial. At CGK, we ensure that our clients have their financial statements adjusted and, if the company is large enough, a quality of earnings report ordered. We see to it that your company is properly valued before the process begins, helping clients understand how their balance sheets and income statements are connected to their cash flow statements. Beyond financial information, your CGK business broker also ensures that working capital and physical materials, such as inventory and property, plant, and equipment are all at proper levels. Getting an idea of supplier and customer concentration levels is another important task, as potential buyers will want some level of assurance that current customers will stay as the company changes hands. CGK leads you through this complex process step-by-step.
How do business brokers bring your company to market?
During this stage, CGK Business Sales puts the company on the market and chooses a method that maximizes the seller’s chances of success. In many cases, this involves contacting select, potential buyers ahead of time to gauge their interest. We also manage the process efficiently by qualifying buyers based on seriousness, expertise, and available capital. Depending on the business, we may also decide to show the business to a limited number of potential buyers at one time. No two companies are the same, and your CGK advisor tailors their approach to your needs.
How is the deal finalized?
Finally, you can feel confident knowing that your CGK business broker will help you negotiate terms, including the working capital included, escrows, asset allocation (if it is an asset deal), and other important issues. If contingent payments, non-compete clauses, or consulting contracts are needed, CGK will help you formalize these components as well. Call your nearest nearest CGK Business Sales team or contact us today.
What They're Saying
OUR TEAM
GregKnox
ManagingPrincipal
Greg Knox, CFA has spent his 20+ year career in investment banking, private equity, a hedge fund, and institutional trading, at institutions as Deutsche Bank, T. Rowe Price, and Wachovia. After his MBA at Cornell...(click Greg's picture to read more)
DerikPolay
ManagingDirector
Derik Polay has over twenty years of experience in distressed securities and mergers and acquisitions and seven-plus years of upper-management positions at small and middle-market businesses. Derik’s previous ... (click Derik's picture to read more)
EricLewis
ManagingDirector
Eric Lewis has over 17 years of experience in the financial industry. He has worked for a breadth of companies ranging from investment banks to proprietary trading firms. Following his MBA at the University of Chicago, Eric... (click Eric's picture to read more)
JasonClendaniel
ManagingDirector
Jason Clendaniel has been in “business” since he was seven years old. Whether mowing lawns, or delivering papers, Jason learned business from the ground up. After graduating from the United States Naval Academy... (click Jason's picture to read more)
MatthewMistica
ManagingDirector
Matthew Mistica has 13+ years of experience in finance and entrepreneurship. Matthew spent 7 years in Corporate Finance working for Chevron and Shell Oil. After his MBA at the University of Houston, Matt became... (click Matthew's picture to read more)
WesMcDonough
ManagingPrincipal
Wes McDonough has over 18 years of experience in M&A, corporate finance, and entrepreneurship. Previous to CGK, Wes held numerous positions, including accounting, payroll, billing, project management, and IT/Application Support at ... (click Wes' picture to read more)
MatthewZienty
ManagingDirector
Matthew Zienty has 20+ years of financial industry experience in areas ranging from institutional equity trading, currency trading, financial sales, RIA valuations, payout/loan negotiations & compliance. He has worked for ... (click Matthew's picture to read more)
DavidSmoot
ManagingDirector
David Smoot has 20 successful years working for Fortune 500 companies in sales and finance and owning his own small businesses. His leadership roles included sales, finance, managing multi-million dollar product launches, training new ... (click David's picture to read more)
ThomasLennon
ManagingDirector
Mr. Thomas “Jay” Lennon is an Air Force veteran, combat aviator, and distinguished leader with 26 years’ experience leading multi-million dollar projects, finance, and organizational transitions, inside and outside of the.... (click Jay's picture to read more)
LanceHupfield
Director of Business Development
Lance Hupfeld has over 25 years of experience in sales and business development management. With a broad array of valuable experience, Lance has deep knowledge in healthcare consulting... (click Lance's picture to read more)
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The experts at CGK Business Sales are ready to talk to you about mergers & acquisitions and business brokers’ role in the process. And it’s always 100% confidential.
While we certainly love when you call, as you can imagine, we spend the majority of our day on the phone, closing deals, so we love it even more when you use this form to email us! We will get back to you as quickly as possible! Seriously! This form only goes to Greg’s email (CGK’s owner), so it’s completely confidential!
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