Frequently Asked Questions
The business owner is an expert at running the business but may not be as knowledgeable about the selling/buying process. An intermediary/M&A advisor can assist the business owner to reach their goal of a successful transaction.
If you’ve ever bought or sold a home, then chances are you’ve worked with a real estate agent. You can think of a M&A advisor’s role being very similar to a real estate agent, however, the M&A advisor is helping you buy or sell a business, a more complex endeavor.
M&A advisors can play a very valuable role in the process as they provide guidance, advice, and other resources that can save you precious time and money in making the transaction happen. M&A Advisors are well connected with finance professionals, accountants, attorneys, and other professionals who may be needed to facilitate the sale.
For sellers, M&A advisor can put together the marketing package, help determine the appropriate price for the business, and do all the leg work necessary to market the business for sale. However, a M&A advisor is not a magician who can sell an overpriced business. Most businesses are saleable if priced and structured properly.
For buyers, a M&A advisor can present to them motivated sellers and opportunities that meet their particular skills set, passions, and financial objectives or goals.
Now is really when the process should start. Sometimes, we don’t get to exit on our own terms and things can happen unexpectedly. People become disabled, the economy changes, and people die. Even if your business is in growth mode and you have no thoughts of retirement, you still need to deal with the contingencies of a forced exit. Peace of mind and security for you, your family and employees – these are all reasons to think about your exit plan well before you determine your exit date.
Exclusive representation means you agree not to work with a number of M&A advisors at the same time. The exclusive M&A advisor has sole rights to your sale for so long as the listing agreement lasts, which is typically not less than six months.
Geographical representation of NTA
Our primary focus is businesses in Texas and more specifically in the Austin MSA / San Antonio MSA corridor.
If you run a business, then it’s probably safe to say yes. In fact, you may require more than one business plan: one for raising capital and one for running your business. The former is a compact, easily digested strategic document that is designed to persuade potential investors to show interest in your business. The latter is a more detailed document serving as a day-to-day roadmap, detailing the tactics supporting your overall strategy. The former needs to be an attractive document that sells; the latter can be a collection of spreadsheets, lists, research summaries, and other documents stuffed in a binder that you refer to and update on a regular basis.
You’ve worked in your industries for years so we’re not going to pretend to know about your industry than you do. However, we take pride in our ability to learn the fundamentals of virtually any industry or technology quickly. Some of the markets we’ve worked with include retail, technology, manufacturing, healthcare, aviation, insurance, and professional services. Having said that, we believe that the value we bring to the table is not industry expertise — which you already possess in abundance — but rather an understanding of what grows businesses and what investors like to see in a potential opportunity.
The sooner the better. The ideal time to develop an Exit Strategy for your business is when you start or purchase a business. However, industry statistics indicate that 85% of all business owners do not have a defined exit strategy although, on average 75% of their net worth is tied up in their business.
EBITDA is a measure that represents a company’s total Earnings Before Interest Taxes Depreciation and Amortization are subtracted out. It is a performance measure widely used in buying, selling or otherwise valuing a small- and mid-market company.
There are two easy ways to find your NAICS code. You can find your code in the upper left hand corner of the first page of your company’s tax return or visit https://www.naics.com/naics-search-results. Here you will be able to put in keywords to help you find your Industry code. Some companies may have more than one NAICS code. In this case, it is necessary to know what percentage of your business revenue represents. For example, a restaurant with a bakery inside of the same location could be: Restaurant 722511 for 75% and Bakery 311812 for 25%.
Possibly. Unlike many firms in the M&A advisor field, National Transaction Advisors works with individuals and businesses interested in acquiring businesses. Additionally, National Transaction Advisors has an extensive network of high net worth individuals, corporations, and private equity groups. NTA will also perform a customized marketing plan to target qualified buyers for your company.
It generally takes, on average, between six to nine months to sell most businesses. Keep in mind that an average is just that. Some businesses will take longer to sell, while others will sell in a shorter period of time. The sooner we have all the information needed to begin the marketing process, the shorter the time period should be. It is also important that the business be priced properly right from the start. Some sellers, operating under the premise that they can always come down in price, overprice their business. This theory often “backfires,” because buyers often will refuse to look at an overpriced business.
That will vary by industry and size of the business. 70% of the buyers for small businesses are first-time buyers. Other pools of buyers are: Competitors, Vendors, Existing Employees, Investment Groups, Relatives, and Public Companies.
We recognize that in some instances, a business owner may have their own prospective buyer. Most of the time, these prospects do not move forward because the buyer and seller are unaware of the process and ultimately a deal never materializes.
National Transaction Advisors can work with the seller and the buyer to facilitate the sale of the business. The process will vary depending on the situation. We are available, at your convenience, to speak with you by phone to determine the level of service required to accomplish your goals and objectives.
Confidentiality in dealing with internal personnel and external sources is highly encouraged and is critical to achieve a successful transaction. For the Seller’s protection, National Transaction Advisors requires a Buyer’s Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) to be signed by the potential buyer before the release of the Confidential Business Review (CBR).
You should sell your business when you are ready and when the time is right. The following list of items will not only add value to a business but will also increase its marketability. If you are not ready, contact us today to learn how our Advisory Services can increase the value of your business.
- Increase sales annually
- Remove yourself from the business
- Develop a strong management team
- Replace family members that work in the business
- Reduce the amount of owner perks
- Sell unnecessary assets
- Reduce inventory to a manageable level
- Develop a strong sales force
- Diversify the customer base
- Develop an organizational chart
- Reduce unnecessary large purchases
- Additional steps used to prepare for a later sale
• Eliminate unproductive employees
• Develop and/or improve company website
• Have written procedures for operations (i.e. employee manuals)
• Keep you’re A/R higher than A/P
• Keep A/R within 30-60 days
You can cooperate fully with NTA and any other professionals that you are using. A buyer will want up-to-date financial information. If you use accountants, you can work with them on making current information available. If you are using an attorney, make sure they are familiar with the business closing process and the laws of your particular state. You might also ask if their schedule will allow them to participate in the closing on very short notice. Time is of the essence in any business sale transaction. The failure to close on schedule permits the buyer to reconsider or make changes in the original proposal.
And, finally, your team of advisors must all be working towards the common goal of selling your business for the best price and terms available in the marketplace, and closing the sale as quickly as possible! Remember that, as your professional Business Intermediary we are on your side. Only by being as cooperative as possible with us can we best handle your business interests.
The value of a business is in the eye of the beholder. So, the factors that impact a specific business’ value can vary.
The value of the business consists of not just the Price (i.e., the amount to be paid for the business) but also the associated Terms and the Deal Structure.
Different values for a business can exist because of different operating assumptions, deal structures, payment terms, etc., not due to use of different valuation methods.
A few of the value drivers are:
1) Future Performance
2) Deal Structure
3) Financial Leverage
4) Asset Type
5) Financial Return Expectation
6) Exit Strategy
7) Cash Flow, Not Profits
8) Leadership Team
These value drivers impact business value in many different ways