Coronavirus – The Perfect StormPublished April 5, 2020 | By Achim Neumann, President In these times of great uncertainty, we would like to give our clients some guidance as to what we see in the mergers & acquisitions and business brokerage market going forward. Without stating the obvious, the arrival of the coronavirus, the oil price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia and an... [read more]
Is 2017 The Year to Sell?Published February 13, 2017 | By Glen Michalske & Achim Neumann, Managing Director & PresidentIf one can go by election promises, the new pro-business administration – supported by a House and Senate majority – should usher in a climate of less regulation, lower taxes and modest inflation. Despite all the uncertainty in the US Economy, modest earnings, and a slowdown of the Globa... [read more]
The Hidden Wall Street Impact on Main Street TransactionsPublished October 12, 2015 | By Achim Neumann, President By Achim Neumann Frequently, we see business owners attempting to “time” the sale of their businesses, motivated by factors like personal lifestyle, tax considerations, business seasonality, or a desire to finish a project before selling. “Over and over, we have cautioned business owners... [read more]
Optimism On Main Street?Published September 10, 2013 | By Achim Neumann, President “The overall economic outlook is unexceptional, but Main Street is more confident about the future than it has been in years” concludes a recent Wall Street Journal Article [WSJ August 29, 2013]. These findings are supported by a WSJ/Vistage survey as well as a Wells Fargo/Gallup poll, which in... [read more]
Middle Market TrendsPublished April 15, 2013 | By Achim Neumann, PresidentAs the “spring market” starts arriving in the North-East US, supported by an improving transaction market, we wanted to give our readers insight into a few current trends and research reports for “Main Street USA”. A recent study conducted by the IBBA (international Business Broker Associati... [read more]
Current Acquisitions Focus on Top Line Revenue GrowthPublished October 9, 2012 | By Achim Neumann, President Two recently published news reports are reflective of trends we have seen in the market, both of which highlight the focus on top line revenue growth and reduced hiring. First, a recent survey of business owners by the Wall Street Journal found that half of small business owners expect that the cou... [read more]
Learn Why NOW Could Be the Best Time to SellPublished September 8, 2012 | By Achim Neumann, PresidentWhile many small business owners are biding their time waiting for the economy to spring back before selling, prime opportunities may be slipping away. At the kick off of a five-seminar fall series beginning on September 19th PEGG (Professional Economic Growth Group) Small Business Symposium – we... [read more]
Slow But Continued GrowthPublished August 1, 2012 | By Achim Neumann, President The summer months have always been somewhat slow in the business brokerage industry. Buyers and sellers prefer the “cool” environment of the beach and parks over the “hot“ transfer of businesses. “We have had a significant number of business valuations performed in the second quarter an... [read more]
Justifying a Sale PricePublished July 8, 2012 | By Achim Neumann, President In a recent banking and finance article in NJ Biz, we underscored the changing attitudes of business owners toward more realistic values for their businesses. “I think everybody recognizes that the market is not going to go back to the crazy days of 2007,” said Achim Neumann, President, A Neuma... [read more]
2012 Seminars & Talks: What Is Your Business Worth?Published February 6, 2012 | By Achim Neumann, President One of the most challenging tasks business owners face is defining the Fair Market Value of their business. Again and again, questions regarding the various methods used to determine a fair asking price are raised. And, for good reason. Defining this number is no easy task— there are many varia... [read more]
Predictions for 2012— What Now?Published January 8, 2012 | By Achim Neumann, President As a recent Wall Street Journal article noted, there had been as many incorrect projections for 2011 as there had been correct ones. Thus, we will not even venture to attempt a prediction for 2012, short of noting that the three key challenges transferred from 2011 into the new year are the same: a... [read more]
Where is “the beef?”Published November 7, 2011 | By Achim Neumann, President Borrowing from a recently revamped Wendy’s advertising campaign, the question “where is the beef” is often translated by business owners into “how will the buyer finance the transaction?” “In times when financial resources are more limited, a financial structure becomes paramount in fac... [read more]
How Do You Measure Goodwill?Published October 9, 2011 | By Achim Neumann, President We are often asked by clients how we assess Goodwill. “It must be the most frequently raised issue in the valuating process,” says Achim Neumann, President of A Neumann & Associates, New Jersey, “and indeed from an owner’s perspective, several issues come into play, such as customer a... [read more]
Small Business Climate Change?Published September 14, 2011 | By Achim Neumann, President Traditionally, the summer months of July and August have been slow in the business brokerage industry. Buyers and sellers do not have their minds set on transferring businesses during the dog days of summer. “This year, however, has been quite different,” says Achim Neumann, President of A Neum... [read more]
The Three Popular “Myths” Of Selling (Or Buying) A Business?Published August 8, 2011 | By Achim Neumann, President Over the past ten years our firm has been involved in many discussions with business owners considering the sale of their businesses. There are a few particular myths that have repeatedly surfaced during these discussions. “A typical business owner will sell a business only once in his or her lif... [read more]
Recession Offers Small Business Opportunities in Second QuarterPublished July 12, 2011 | By Achim Neumann, President For the second quarter of 2011 it looks like Main Street and Wall Street will present two very different pictures. While large publicly traded companies are expected to report strong profits, small businesses across the country are still dealing with tight credit, nervous customers and increased co... [read more]