The Worst Time To Sell A Privately Held BusinessPublished February 10, 2019 | By Achim Neumann, President“When is the best time for me to sell my company?’ – a question we have heard time and time again from business owners. “says Achim Neumann, President, A Neumann & Associates LLC, a New Jersey based Mergers & Acquisitions advisory and Business Brokerage firm, “And the question ... [read more]
ESOP as alternate exit strategyPublished September 9, 2018 | By Achim Neumann, PresidentQuite frequently, we are confronted by retiring business owners with the question, if it’s not more favorable to use an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) as an exit vehicle instead of selling outright to an investor. The aforementioned question is often motivated by one of two aspects, namely, ... [read more]
Business Marketing with Impact!Published August 12, 2018 | By Achim Neumann, PresidentIn developing a marketing campaign for selling a business in Pennsylvania or any other state, the effectiveness of a broad campaign versus the risk of breach of confidentiality must be carefully weighted. The M&A advisor needs to analyze the potential target market for the business to be sold to... [read more]
What Drives Value Creation in a Turnaround SituationPublished July 15, 2018 | By Tom Hewlett, Managing DirectorIs your company facing a turnaround? To answer that question, perhaps we should first define a turnaround. According to Investopedia, “A turnaround is the financial recovery of a company that has been performing poorly for an extended period of time. To effect a turnaround, a company must ackn... [read more]
A Buyer’s Top Five Mistakes When Buying a BusinessPublished June 10, 2018 | By Achim Neumann, PresidentOver the years, we have seen certain buy-side mistakes that recur again and again. Here is a list of some of the more common problems seen over the years. #1 – Insufficient Information Verification Important information about the business should be verified, in particular as it relates to trend li... [read more]
Not A Penny More!Published May 13, 2018 | By Achim Neumann, President“Not a penny more” or “this is the percentage commission I’m willing to pay out, and not a point more!”- familiar words every business owner has heard in the past from one of the business’ customers. What do you do? Whereas this negotiation approach might be viable in an ongoing business... [read more]
Selling Your Business – The Top Reasons to Hire An AdvisorPublished April 8, 2018 | By Achim Neumann, President‘I know the value of my business and I have three buyers knocking on my door each week, I will sell my business on my own (and save the commissions)’ – statements often expressed by business sellers. “As the old adage goes, ‘you don’t know, what you don’t know’ – this is exactl... [read more]
The Industry Specialist – A Poor ChoicePublished March 11, 2018 | By Achim Neumann, President“Only an industry specialist in the Mergers & Acquisition field can sell our company, nobody else,” – sentiments quite often expressed by business sellers. “Nothing can be further from the truth than such statements,” says Achim Neumann, President, A Neumann & Associates, LLC, ... [read more]
Post-Closing Business Seller Liabilities When Transferring A CompanyPublished February 12, 2018 | By Achim Neumann, PresidentImage from Alpha Stock Images CC license Approximately 8 out of 10 businesses fail within the first 18 months; only 4% make it to $1M in revenue and only 0.4% to $10M, according to Forbes. Thus, for any business owner having succeeded among the 500,000+ businesses started each year and come to the p... [read more]
The Three Most Important Aspects Business Buyers SeekPublished October 9, 2017 | By Achim Neumann, President Assuming a particular industry has been pre-selected, there are several criteria that an investor is seeking when evaluating various businesses to purchase within that industry. “It is important for a business seller to know these criteria” says Achim Neumann, President, A Neumann & Associa... [read more]
Poor Legal & Accounting AdvicePublished September 11, 2017 | By Achim Neumann, PresidentPoor Legal & Accounting AdviceOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA A typical sale of a business is not simply facilitated by a business broker or M&A advisor. “As a matter of fact, a successful transfer is always a team approach” says Achim Neumann, President, A Neumann & Associates, LLC, a leading New Jersey-based mergers & a... [read more]
Valuation On-Hand – What Does A Business Owner Need An Advisor For To Sell The Business?Published July 10, 2017 | By Achim Neumann, President“At times, after we have completed a business valuation, a business owner feels there is no need for an advisor anymore in selling his or her business,” says Achim Neumann, President, A Neumann & Associates, LLC, a leading New Jersey-based mergers & acquisitions and business brokerag... [read more]
Is Confidentiality Even Relevant in Selling a Business?Published April 10, 2017 | By Achim Neumann, PresidentTransactions in small to mid-sized businesses must be kept confidential. In particular, every effort must be undertaken to keep a pending sale unknown to competitors. But even the circle of employees in the need-to-know realm should be limited to an absolute minimum of the most trusted team member... [read more]
What Makes Business Buyers Walk – Out?Published March 13, 2017 | By Achim Neumann, President(Excerpt of the forthcoming book ‘The Road Beyond’) Recently, many buyers with strong résumés in the corporate environment have come into the business-buying market. These buyers often have significant IRA or 401k accounts that can be dissolved tax free under current IRS rules, with the funds ... [read more]
The ABCs Of Selling A BusinessPublished January 16, 2017 | By Glen Michalske, Managing DirectorAfter years of sweat equity, careful investments, fighting with banks and government regulations, you’ve built your business into a successful venture. However, for whatever reason, it is time to move on. There is a litany of methods to divest your business; however, the most popular way t... [read more]
A Good Business Buyer IntroductionPublished October 9, 2016 | By Achim Neumann, PresidentRegardless of how successful a business is managed, business owners often express quite a bit of anxiety when meeting the first potential buyer for their business. “There is no question, these folks are quite nervous before the first meeting, as they don’t know what to expect,” says Achim Neum... [read more]