Mergers & Acquisitions Advisory

A Neumann & Associates, LLC

June 9, 2020

Is There A Buyer For My Business?

By Jeremy Albelda

business-buyers

In good economic times (like the good old days just a couple of months ago) or in a period of uncertainty like today, the first question that business owners ask us is, “Do you have a buyer for my business?” The simple answer is a resounding, yes! Certainly, this will depend on the quality of the business as to who and how many buyers might be interested. The next question that inevitably follows is, “So who is it?”

When business owners are approached by an intermediary, they often believe that they are being targeted by a specific buyer. This is not normally the case. The majority of potential investors do not have a specific target in mind but have a broader mandate. Although we do have requests for buy-side engagements targeting specific companies, this is a smaller segment of the lower market M&A world.

That brings me to the next statement a seller often makes, “If you don’t have a specific buyer for my company, then I am not interested.” We can understand that sentiment. They don’t want to waste their time unless there is someone specifically interested in buying their company. However, if you would be interested in selling your company, if a specific buyer approached you, then how much more should you be interested if there were multiple potential buyers? As with any deal, having multiple buyers creates flexibility and diversification. Sometimes there is even a bidding war (cha-ching!). By talking to an advisor, you can get the information needed to understand the entire process.

Buyers can fall into many categories. They can be a local competitor looking to secure more local market share for their business through an acquisition, or an out-of-town company looking to expand into a certain geographic area. It could be an ex-corporate executive, maybe a high-net-worth individual, or a family office that is seeking a new investment opportunity. There are also private equity groups and international sovereign funds looking to add to their portfolio. Suffice to say, there are more buyers than sellers.

With liquidity being abundant and everyone looking for the next deal, we try to obtain multiple offers for your company, not just one. Even more so in today’s business climate with historically low-interest rates, plenty of capital and little taxation, everyone is searching for a return on investment. An existing company with earnings is a safer investment than many other types of opportunities.

The “professional” business buyers have general investment criteria that focus on certain industries and sectors. They also have specific earnings thresholds. Some look at only controlling ownership interests while others might look for a minority stake. Because of their mandate to deploy their capital, they are in a constant search for businesses to buy. This need for “deal flow” can be an opportunity for the business owner.

Let us assist you in finding the best buyer for your business by matching you with a pool of potential buyers, not just one. Although it may be flattering to have a buyer specifically seeking you out, if you go through the entire M&A process, you are in a better position to explore all deal options and not leave any money on the table, even with that one potential buyer.

For example, in the DC metro area, we have over 400 pre-qualified individual buyers on file and even more in our other regions of Florida, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, as well as internationally. Our proprietary CRM Database contains 550,000 investor contracts, many of them pre-qualified with cash position and net worth, and ready to make a move for the next deal.

About A Neumann & Associates, LLC

A Neumann & Associates, LLC is a professional mergers & acquisitions and business brokerage firm having assisted business owners and buyers in the business valuation and business transfer process through its affiliations for the past 30 years. With an A+ Better Business Bureau rating, the company has senior trusted professionals with a deep knowledge based in multiple field offices along the East Coast and has performed hundreds of business valuations in its history. The firm’s competitive transaction fees are based on successfully completing transactions. For more information, please contact A Neumann & Associates at 732-872-6777 or info@neumannassociates.com

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Client Testimonials

“ I appreciate your diligent approach to screening buyers and sellers as well as the high quality CIM that you produce.”

Andrey O, Investor

“Finally enjoying retirement after recently selling my business using the services of A Neumann & Associates. Joe Oddo provided the conduit to a successful transaction. Joe knew when to inject input and when to simply listen and allow the buyers to vent, step back and regroup. The outcome met our expectations and got us to the finish line, which included my staying with the company six months in order for the buyers to get their footing and keep our workforce in the loop. He helped at every step by providing his expert guidance & resources. Thank you!”

Emily Parker Myers, Co-Owner - Myers McRae

“I had been in touch with Karin and Gary from A Neumann & Associates regarding some opportunities and was looking forward to meeting with them. Hence, when they organized a seminar in Princeton, NJ, I was quick to sign up. The seminar was very informative as the team walked the attendees through various scenarios and referenced real life buying/selling situations they had been through. The sessions by Gary, Karin and Achim were crisp and focused and brought clarity to potential seller and buyers. I strongly recommend the team and look forward to continue working with them.”

Gaurav Tyagi

“Thank you for your Event on "How to value, Sell, and Buy A Business for Maximum Profit" and the insight into ANA’s approach on what is involved in the Business Exit for sellers. Garys Hervieiou's "Business Valuation", Achim's "Deal structure" presentation and Karin’s "Preparing the Package" are real street knowledge shared. They answered attendees questions which makes it more interesting for learning from others. Great for small businesses like us. The presentations were totally worth our time and travel for the event to Princeton, NJ from Rockville MD. Ravi Bhutani, President, CIPS”

Ravi Bhutani

“Gary, this is to thank you for an excellent job done in selling our business. We could never have done it without your professional expertise, dedication and time put in without reservation to make it happen. We will gladly and highly recommend you to anybody in our position.  It was a pleasure to work with you.”

Pat Iammatteo, Owner

“Your vetting is simply outstanding, among the best I've seen from a broker.”

Eric H., Investor

“I recently contacted A. Neumann and Associates about getting a valuation of my business done. I spoke with Marc, who explained the process in detail. After meeting with Marc in order to get a clear understanding of my business, and what I was hoping to accomplish. His patience in answering all my questions and his knowledge of the proper way to market my business gave me great confidence that this is the firm I will be using to sell my business for max value. Working with Marc at A Neumann & Associates was very easy and professional. I did not know all that was going to be involved in selling my business but they helped me through the process. What I thought was going to be a just another one of those pushy sales companies was just the opposite. Polite, knowledgeable, and a pleasure to talk to and deal with. I highly recommend this firm to anybody who wants to sell now or down the road. Marc not only knows his stuff, but actually is a real nice guy.”

Double Diamond

“Used A Neumann & Associates to sale my business. could not imagine having done it with out the patience and experience Gary provided. Thanks Gary,”

Dennis Frazier

“Working with Marc and his company was a pleasure. What I thought was going to be a just another one of those pushy sales companies was just the opposite. Polite, knowledgeable, and a pleasure to talk to and deal with. Marc handled most of the interaction and he has one of the greatest demeanors. Again, it was a pleasure working with him and his firm.”

Douglas DiCeglio

“I recently completed an acquisition using A Neumann & Associates. Tony Valentino was very helpful and accessible during the entire process. They do a thorough job vetting both parties and got us to the finish line.”

Srini Mudambi
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Contact A Neumann & Associates, LLC

If you are considering selling your business, please contact us to learn more about our comprehensive service spectrum. Our experienced professionals will answer all your questions about selling a privately held business in complete confidentiality. Please fill out our contact form, or call us at 732-872-6777. We will contact you directly and will never identify ourselves to your employees.

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