Meet The Team: Tony Valentino – Managing Director of Northern New Jersey

Tony, Where did you grow up?

I was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. and was raised in Staten Island, N.Y. before moving to Southern New Jersey.

Where did you study for college?

I received my B.S. in Accounting from Glassboro State College (Currently Rowan University).

What was the first job you had out of college? What was the most important lesson you learned there that has stuck with you for your entire professional career?

I was hired as a staff accountant for CBS Inc.  The most important lesson I learned was that deadlines were important.  All financial results had to be submitted on a timely basis because they were consolidated with other divisions.  Also it was important that financial results were current.  If results were a couple of months old there wasn’t enough time for management to react and correct any problems.

What drew you to working with A Neumann and Associates?

After many years in corporate as a CFO for divisions of Fortune 100 companies I created my own business offering outsourced CFO services to small and medium size businesses as a partner with the largest outsourced CFO service provider.  The most important function I performed was helping small businesses get ready for exiting their business.  I met  A. Neumann & Associates through networking and built a relation with the firm.  I felt joining ANA gave me the opportunity to use my vast M&A experience and help small and medium size businesses get bought and sold.

What counties and states do you represent?

I am the Managing Director of Northern New Jersey. I handle some of the biggest counties in the country including Bergen, Morris, Passaic, Hunterdon, Sussex, Warren, Hudson and Staten Island.

What do you feel makes your region unique compared to others? (tax benefits, special laws, etc.)?

The region I represent includes the largest number of businesses and wealth in the state.  These businesses are close to Manhattan and the center of the greatest financial market in the world.

What do you find is the biggest challenge in your region compared to others?

The business owners are intelligent, skeptical and like to shop for the best situation for them.  It is a challenge to convince an owner that our solution is the best for them.

What do you find is the biggest advantage working in your region compared to others?

I am familiar with this area of the State and understand the personalities of the business owners.  Having worked in Manhattan in financial services and entertainment my whole career, I understand the challenges of the region.  The amount of business in the region and the amount of owners that are preparing to exit their business.

What do you find is the biggest advantage working in your region compared to others?

The amount of businesses in the region and the amount of owners that are preparing to exit their businesses.

What do you think is the most underrated opportunity in your region?

Meeting business owners that are preparing to exit their business and being able to explain the services that ANA offers and how we can help them throughout the process in making the best decisions.

What is the most rewarding experience you’ve had working in your region?

When I meet with a business owner they recognize the experience I bring to the table and are willing to tap into that experience and work with me.

Best advice for someone considering selling a business in New Jersey?

Make sure you get a Certified Independent Business Valuation of your business.  It puts you in control of the whole process and helps you make one of the most important decisions of your life.

Best advice for someone considering buying a business in New Jersey?

Make sure the business has an independent certified valuation.  This way you know what is the value of the business before you start to negotiate other points of the sale.  This also helps when going for financing of the deal.