Finance
Value Creation Strategies: Meet Charlie
You heard through the grapevine that “Charlie” just sold his business for a ton of money. What confounds you is you know from talking with him occasionally at the annual trade show, his business is pretty darn similar to yours.
However you know the value of your business is never going to bring in what you understand he drove off with!
What is it he knew that you don’t?
This happens all the time. See, you have a fine business, but it’s a business built to sustain your lifestyle. It pays your bills, let’s you go on vacation and pay your mortgage.
It’s not a business built to sell.
And now that it’s time to sell, after 30 looong years of building it to where it is, you are scratching your head wondering how “Charlie” pulled it off. As much as you might think your business is worth enough to sustain your retirement and let you go sailing off in the sun; the reality is, it’s probably worth a lot less than you think.
Plus, it’s not just what you think about your business to sell it for a great price, it’s about what a potential buyer thinks!
Here’s the 3 Secrets to Selling your business for a great price:
1. With respect to “Value”, EBITDA and Multiples are virtually EVERYTHING for most businesses.
2. Understanding how to manage the component parts of your multiple unlocks tremendous Value Creation… as in 25 – 50 even 100% greater value than today’s ‘lifestyle business’. The 7 Pillars of Value Creation unlocks that door.
3. AND… you have no time to waste! Time is not your friend.
You see, what “Charlie” understood was how to reposition his company from a ‘Built for Lifestyle’ business to a ‘Built for Sale’ business.
He was able to improve the multiples as well as increase the EBITDA through 2 of the 7 Pillars, which when all combined, boosted the value of his EBITDA from $1.6million, to $2.1 million.
His multiple a buyer was willing to pay went from 4.4 to 6.0.
What does all that mean?
He turned a business valued at $7,000,000 a year or two ago into a sale for $12,600,000 in very short order. This is real. It is what happens when you understand how a buyer looks at your EBITDA, and how to improve the confidence that buyer has your EBITDA will still be there after you, the founder, depart.
To do this, we’ve created the ‘7 Pillars of Value Creation’ that is designed to identify where your company is falling short, and tell you EXACTLY what to do to improve various aspects of your business.
Do that, and the multiple rises, and your sale price dramatically increases.
And now, Charlie is driving off into the sunset and his pals from the trade association are still working well past their retirement targets… with a great lifestyle, but not what they wanted, and not having any idea what happens around the corner…
If you want to discover how the ‘7 Pillars of Value Creation’ can help you, it starts by taking our Saleability Survey. Your score determines your current position, and then we can show you EXACTLY where you need help to increase the value of your business.
30 Jan, 2020
Steve Vesey
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