Author: Joseph Eneldas

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December 16, 2009

EBITDA: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly!

By Joseph Eneldas

“EBITDA” is one of those terms that has received increased usage but usually for the wrong reason. This short article will define it and discuss how it can be useful but also misleading. EBITDA is an abbreviation for “earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.” It is calculated by taking operating income and adding back…

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November 24, 2009

Confidentiality Agreements: Their Importance To Business Buyers And Sellers

By Joseph Eneldas

If you are planning to buy a business in the near future, or sell one for that matter, then you are probably thinking about the price you may have to pay, scheduling business appraisers, collating legal documents, putting in an offer and so on. The list of things to do is indeed long. However, one…

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November 11, 2009

Small-Business Myths Busted

By Joseph Eneldas

So many aspiring entrepreneurs dream of the numerous rewards that await them when they finally break free of the shackles of the rat race and become their own boss. But many see only the gold at the end of the rainbow–and go into it with misconceptions about what’s it’s really like to own their own…

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October 23, 2009

The Eight Biggest Mistakes….

By Joseph Eneldas

Many people dream of owning a business. I was a teenager when I started my first business. Since then I have bought or started many businesses and helped others do the same. Here are some common mistakes I have witnessed or committed myself. Mistake #1 – Paying too much This results from the combination of…

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October 13, 2009

SBA Loan Development

By Joseph Eneldas

The Small Business Administration ended its 2009 fiscal year on Wednesday, marking the close of a tumultuous year of lending initiatives to keep banks’ doors open. Despite the efforts to revive the credit market, the SBA approved less than 45,000 loans, down 36% compared to last year and 56% from 2007. The loan volume reflects…

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October 6, 2009

Find the Right Company

By Joseph Eneldas

As briefly mentioned in our last newsletter, we have noticed a significant amount of “cash” sitting on the sidelines – buyers, who are ready to move due to the dissatisfactory investment returns obtained in this market. After all, what does a treasury bill really yield these days? We see this trend even further enhanced by…

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September 23, 2009

SBA Revises Good Will Caps

By Joseph Eneldas

Effective with loan applications on or after October 1, 2009, the Small Business Administration revokes its position that acquisition financing is limited to buy-sells involving goodwill amounts up to $250,000. NO GOODWILL CAP EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1, 2009 Specifically, the SBA changed the rules for financing transactions involving goodwill: a. If a transaction includes $500,00 or…

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September 17, 2009

Plumbing for Joy? Be Your Own Boss

By Joseph Eneldas

By economic yardsticks, Roger the Plumber should be feeling pretty low. Roger Peugeot, owner of the 14-employee Overland Park, Kan., plumbing company that bears his name, is part of a sector hit hard by shrunken credit and slumping sales. He has been forced to reduce staff and is battling new competition from other plumbers fleeing…

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September 9, 2009

What Is An Investor To Do Now?

By Joseph Eneldas

What is the investor to do now? With record amounts of cash on the sidelines, debt yields at history lows and gold hitting new highs, many potential investors/business buyers are questioning where the economy will be heading from here and what is the best time to acquire a business. Whereas we would never claim to…