GTA Business Broker

Finding the Right Buyer or Acquisition Target

Alam Qureshi — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:02:48 +0000

Most companies that choose to acquire another company do so to complement their own business. If you want to sell your business, you should put yourself in the shoes of a seller and make your business just as attractive. Acquisitions provided companies with the needed leverage to be more competitive in the cutthroat business marketplace.

If someone wants expand his business in this present climate, he needs to secure his business first before chartering a new course. It is up to you to find out how the acquisition of your business helps boosts another. It is also up to you to communicate this accordingly.

Do you sell a service that comes with distribution channels or systems? These types of opportunities are better to buy than to build. They might cost a buyer somewhat, however they will save him precious time and the hassles of trial and error. It is crucial to always highlight the opportunities and advantages that your business poses.

We are in dire economic times and this puts people looking to buy a business in a position of power. Do not allow this cramp your style and put you in a place where you sell your business for peanuts. You can retire rich and satisfied if you are patient enough to look for the right acquisition target.

Keep your eyes peeled not only for business buyers in your area, look for people in other geographic areas looking to spread their tentacles to other countries or regions. These companies might not exactly be looking for acquisitions that complement their efforts. They might be on the lookout for existing businesses that only give them national or global reckoning.

People conduct background searches before they choose the company that they want. Ensure that you have your bases covered. Think ahead and preempt what a potential seller would ask for before he actually asks for it. You can hire specialists who can help you sort out all the intricacies of selling a business, if it is too much for you to handle alone.

Be forthright about what you want from the deal. Selling a company because you just want to make money is a recipe for failure. You need to be totally convinced that you want to sell and have a strong plan in place about what you would do with the money.

You can also play smart and put yourself in the scheme of things as a consultant or part of the management board even when you sell. In this vein, you are still part of a business you sold and still get compensated even after walking away.

Good luck.

Importance of Timing When Selling or Buying a Business

Alam Qureshi — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:07:50 +0000

There will come a time when you would want to close up shop and sell your business. It is always crucial that you get everything right. If you do not, you might sell your business on the cheap. If you are looking to buy a business, there are things that you should look out for before splashing the cash. These things give you the heads up about what the business is really worth. In that vein, you pay exactly what the business is worth.

When is it the right time to buy or sell a business? There is never a right time to sell. There is never a right time to buy. But you can prepare yourself towards a sale by ticking some boxes. Firstly, you must be prepped up for the sale mentally. Secondly, you must believe that you can find a buyer for your business or that you can come up with the money. Thirdly, you need to ask yourself if you are psychologically ready to let go of your business or acquire one by covering all the grey areas.

Any serious-minded person who wants to sell his business needs time to get everything in place for an eventual sale; you just do not wake up one day and decide you want to sell your business. You will never get any eventual takers, if you do not straighten out your priorities first. If you want to buy a business, there are signs that you look out for. These signs tell you that the seller is serious and ready to sell. Furthermore, you are rest assured that you are investing in a business that is destined for a downfall.

If you want to time the sell off your business, you need to get your financial house in order. There is no one that would whip out money and pay for a business without finding out how healthy the books are.
When you do this, you prop yourself in a good position to attract a sizable sum for your business. In addition, it helps you see which areas require your attention and financial treatment. Take care of your financial load if you want buyers to feel secure about what they are getting into. Every buyer knows that the timing is always perfect when a business is turning a healthy profit.

If you want to make your business more attractive, you need to take stock of the assets that you have. If you can strengthen your balance sheets with assets, you can dispose of your business quickly. If you see someone looking to sell his business alongside substantial assets, it is a strong signal for you to buy if you can.

M&A Firm Acquisition Opportunity – 750K

Alam Qureshi — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 19:31:29 +0000

Full Service Investor Relations (IR), Mergers (M&A) And Marketing Firm With Turnkey Operation Is Being Offered For Sale $750K (priced to sell). Complete information with history of figures available for due diligence. Average revenue is $7 M plus.

Business Overview

Investor Relations company servicing small cap, micro cap, nano cap and start-up companies. We are the largest firm servicing OTC Market clients (OTCBB and Pink Sheets) with mergers and investor awareness. Over 5% of market share captured. This firm is in business since 2005, includes all relationship all clients, contacts and complete turnkey.This is a well run firm all staff should be assumed as the company is run tight and with well-organized staff.

We are a full service Investor Relations (IR) and Mergers (M&A) Firm with writers, corporate governance, auditors, CFO, ir, social media, executive secretary staff. Our name is paramount in the industry with close to 100,000 social media followers opt in e mails and other followers of the firm. In code share we have an unprecedented 800,000 followers on various social networks.
There are various divisions of the business for sale:

Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A), includes 6 public companies.
Investor Relations and Marketing (IR) 375,000 (Approximately 50 repeat clients).
Investment Banking(IB)– Included with M&A.
Franchising (Under Development) $100,000 spent so far.
Access to Centre In Belgrade Serbia (15 station -15 staff full time x 2 shifts and office manager) available as pay per use to run campaigns for IR division (or buyer can outsource to other competitors) available on a pay as you go service contract.

Functioning of Divisions:

To continue successful operation as an ongoing business concern for best results divisions 1, 2 and 3 work in sync together. These 3 divisions can be purchased for $750K as a package
Division #3 is an investment type instrument and not required in a day to day operation of the business
Item #4 is future growth. This is an investment type instrument and not required in a day to day operation of the business The new owner can continue on this path or terminate the franchise concept.

In summary we are an Investor Relations and Consulting company servicing small cap micro cap nano cap and startup companies for the USA and German market. We offer Investment Banking services (Mezzanine financing for publicly traded companies) those namely being: OTC Markets and OTCBB quoted companies

LOCATION: Situated in premises (under lease) in Head Office in Mississauga Ontario Canada and Regional agent representation in Hong Kong, Jianxi China, Dublin Ireland and New York USA.
Founded: 2005

POSSIBLE CANDIDATES: Ideal for an Ex CEO, CFO, COO or someone with corporate background or as an add on business to an Insurance or Real Estate Brokerage. Other great candidates that could fit the bill are seasoned stock trader, law firm, broker dealer, market maker, retired lawyer, accountant.
Revenue: 2011 ~ $6,570,298, 2010 ~ $7,714,136, 2009 ~ $5,956,169

Reasons for Sale: Company is in a PRE IPO stage, Unique and Amazing opportunity for the right individual/entity. Please note, Company estimated valuation is in excess of $5M but being offered at a fraction of the valuation due to owner/s health and personal situation.

Future plans include a call centre to tackle NASDAQ small cap markets and to service NASDAQ clients including market making functionalities. Currently we use outsourced centres in India and E Europe. The current owners would welcome the opportunity to stay on as advisers or consultants should the new owners subscribe and adapt to this moving forward growth strategy.

- Current owner would prefer to stay on as a consultant if required. No SEC or OSC infractions or any notices. NICE CLEAN OPERATION!

ALL FINANCIALS AND DOCUMENTATION IS AVAILABLE TO QUALIFIED BUYERS.

Existing Business for Sale Inquiry

For inquiry and questions about this business for sale we look forward to hearing from you and assisting you in your acquisition requirements. (NOTE: This form is provided for entrepreneurs & buyers interested in the existing business & should not be used for solicitation or SPAM messages).

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N.B: This Is Confidential Sale of Business, Only Qualified Candidates Will Be Entertained.

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Disclaimer: All information and statements contained herein are from sources deemed reliable and assumed correct, but is provided with no warranty as to the accuracy hereof. It is submitted subject to errors and omissions. Sales figures are based solely on the entries provided by Vendor and are to be verified by Buyer.

Buying a Service Business – What You Need to Know

Alam Qureshi — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 17:35:55 +0000

A service business is an enterprise established and maintained for the purpose of providing services to private and commercial customers. Many service enterprises require minimal start-up capital as compared to wholesale or retail businesses which require large amounts of money. Service operators can afford to work from home, thereby avoiding costly overheads like rent, salaries and payment for amenities like water, gas or electricity.

Most service-oriented businesses tend to be local. If you check out the local listings, you would come across many businesses that fall into the service category. These services include, book-keeping, house painting, child minder services and lawn care. Other service areas which are more professional and require a greater amount of investment include attorneys, doctors, chauffeur driver agencies, car rentals and retirement homes

The world has moved from becoming an industrialized economy to a more service-related economy. This may not be great news in terms of employment and for people who are more comfortable with earning a paycheck. However, it is good news for the entrepreneur or business buyer because it is easy for him to buy a business, be his own boss and set his own work hours.

Furthermore, the service business industry is a booming one and provides an individual the chance to acquire a profitable business without the need to develop specific skill sets or acquire professional qualifications. Service businesses offer generalized and straight forward forms of operation as compared to manufacturing businesses where experience is compulsory.

It is important that you take out time to determine the exclusivity of the service that you are going to provide. Do you have competition? What can be done to stay ahead of the pack as an assurance that you take a sizable chunk out of the customer cake? You will need to work closely with the seller to get the best out of your newly acquired business. His involvement is vital if you want to hit the ground running and not crash or burn out.

Furthermore, discuss the possibility of adding supplementary products or services and selling to repeat customers. You should also consider if the business has the capacity to grow or expand in the long-term. Realize that for you to accomplish this; you need a business that plays more to your strengths and not your weaknesses. So if you have a bubbly personality, love the outdoors and remain keen on meeting people, do not buy a service business that leaves you shackled behind a desk.

Where the concentration of your customers comes from is important as well. Some of these businesses align more with other business owners and not customers. You would need an assurance in all agreements that you sign that this relationship would continue even when the business changes hands. A business transaction must be beneficial to you and not be counter productive.

Service businesses enjoy better profit margins when you compare them to other businesses. Moreover, they offer a viable platform for you to build a business and grow in the future. The day-to-day running expenses are minimal once you are well-prepared for the exciting journey ahead and dig your teeth into a business that you are passionate about.

3 Helpful Tips for Buying the Right Business in Your Situation

Alam Qureshi — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 17:19:55 +0000

Buying a pre-existing business has its benefits. There are chances that you could inherit a good location and hordes of repeat buyers. But it is important for you to realize if it is the right business for you. You need to consider if it is a business that you would be able to run for a long time or whether it would fizzle out when you eventually get bored? Here are 3 helpful tips to ensure if you are investing your time and money in the right business.

It Must Be Right

This might look like a dumb thing to say. After all, how do you recognize the right business when you are not a psychic? But give it some thought for a minute and ask yourself these questions. Do you have a passion for the business? Is it a business that you would enjoy running even if you do not make any profits in the first 12 months?

A business is not a bed of roses. There would be highs and lows. You do not just walk away when the going gets tough. It is your baby to nurture and protect 24-7 and for 365 days in a year. If it is the right business for you, waving a white flag and giving up will never cross your mind. Besides, it might just be a phase. It could be a test of your resolve or a turning point for better things. If you have no drive for your business and just bought it because it was available for sale, you would probably bail out at the first signs of trouble.

Check Out the Books

Before you buy any business, check the books with your accountant. Profit and loss statements are only a scratch on the surface. They do not reveal the big picture. So never make a purchasing decision based on statements alone. Debts can be hidden and accounting practices can be crappy. You need to take out time to see how much comes in and how much goes out. In your bid to choose the right business in your situation, you need to see all the financial papers. This helps you to prepare a great business plan that you could use to attract investors or project properly into the future. It is imperative that you know what you are buying into.

Confidentiality is Key

A business up for sale can have employees, contractors and even customers running helter-skelter. This can crash and burn your newly acquired business before it even takes off. If you are dealing with a business that has been advertised in the papers or by any other public means, ensure that you sign a non-disclosure agreement with emphasis on confidentiality. Try to also secure a non-solicit agreement where you can keep the seller around to help assure a smooth transition and not have employees jumping ship.

Buying a Wholesale Distribution Business: What You Need to Know

Alam Qureshi — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 05:38:10 +0000

Buying a wholesale distribution business can be a great decision for you in the long term. It affords you the opportunity to inherit an expansive customer base instead of depending on a few clients who may not give you business as often as you want. Another great thing about purchasing a wholesale distribution business is that it reduces the competition. You do not have to compete with every wholesaler on the planet since you would all be selling different brands.

A wholesale business is a cool business to run if you purchase one with an active customer base and well developed distribution channels. The strategy is just to continue to seek out new products and cross-sell to your repeat customers. If you want to buy a wholesale distribution business, there are some potent things you should put up for consideration.

The best way to kick off your business on a high is to find a wholesale business that is hot. In other words, it should return high profit margins and strong turnovers. And for you to accomplish this, you need to go for something that people do not want but desperately need.

Another factor you should consider before purchasing a wholesale business is how the income spread comes into your business. Is there a client that accounts for over 10% of the gross income of the business? It is important that you give these clients extra attention. The seller should be a good guy and stick around and help you identity these big players and if possible help break the ice and give you a vote of absolute confidence.

Try to also keep efficient staff for at least 6 months. Buying a pre-existing business provides you with the chance of keeping the people that make the enterprise tick. You need to learn the ropes and know the ins and outs of the business. So it is important that you keep some valuable employees close and this includes the people in the finance department and the sales representatives who meet up with clients and close deals regularly.

A wholesale and distribution business is an exciting prospect to handle once you know what you are doing. It usually involves large sales instead of itty-bitty money trickling into your accounts. It also involves business to business interaction as well. Remember that wholesale clients do not make straight forward payments like other people. It helps to ensure that your customers operate within a 30 day deadline limit. However, try to play it safe and not enter into this business with limited funds after a purchase. You will only struggle, bungle your operations and achieve little or nothing in terms of business growth.

Buying a Manufacturing Business: What You Need to Know

Alam Qureshi — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 05:26:46 +0000

Most business people see the buying of a manufacturing business as a lesser risk as compared to building one from the ground up. It is true that buying a pre-existing business has its high points. But this does not in any way guarantee that the business will succeed in your hands. If you have made up your mind to purchase a manufacturing business, you need to tick some vital boxes and ensure that you are making the right decision.

Get a Valuation

Once you have located a business that fits your business aspirations, it is important that you get a valuation of that business. No bank will touch you with a 10 foot pole and give you a loan without a professional valuation of the company. It is foolhardy to jump in the water and try to take on everything by yourself. Remember you need start-up capital to keep the business running. So do not commit all your cash.

Get professionals in on the valuation job. You cannot afford to rely on your own judgment which might narrow-minded or birthed on sentiments. Business valuation experts always return with the winning numbers to help potential owners decide if they are good to go or if they should abandon a purchase. So do not try to reinvent the wheel.

Keep Diligent Employees

All great businesses are driven by even greater individuals. Do not waltz into the place and fire the people who helped to make the business a success in the first place. It is crucial that you keep hardworking and passionate employees who understand the business, customers and how to handle the competition. If you let them go, your competition might just welcome them with open arms. And this is bad news for you.

Unpaid Bills

Remember that buying a manufacturing company comes with a saddle of hassles. You might be charting new courses or expanding your business terrain. But it is vital that you realize that certain lapses would come with the territory. It is not every business owner that will put you in the loop about talk about unpaid bills or pending debt payments.

It is up to you to play the sleuth and check up on the contractors and tax agencies to find out if the books are clean and healthy. Ensure that you also get 2^nd opinions from the employees about the status of the company accounts.

Profit Projection

You do not just whip out your money and pay for a manufacturing business just because it is there for the taking. You need to know when you will start to rake a profit from the business after getting your principal investment back.

If you are pushing the purchase through with a loan, figure out when your last payment would be paid. Can you wait 5 or 10 years before you start to rake in the profits? If it is going to take you over 2 years to break even, does your financial position allow you to sit comfortably waiting for that to happen?

4 Critical Factors to Consider Before You Buy a Retail Business

Alam Qureshi — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 07:06:01 +0000

Buying an existing retail business can be breeze. If you are lucky, you could end up with a business that has a great location, good reputation and strong customer base. In the same vein, you could buy a retail business that could make you incur heavy losses and send you into bankruptcy. Before you purchase a retail business, there are some critical factors that you should consider. Here are 4 of them.

Play Sherlock Holmes

Before you purchase a business, perform due diligence and monitor it for at least a month or two. Find out why the owner wants to sell. Never rely on what the owner will tell you. He could be economical with the truth. Do not jump into buying a retail business just because you think you are getting a bargain. There could be more to it that meets the eye, refusing to investigate properly could land you in a pit of problems.

Will it Stand the Test of Time?

Never splash cash on a dying business or something that would not be around for the long haul. Do you have a choice to sell hard cover books or to own a coffee shop? You will need to consider the dizzying trend of technology. Ipads, Android tablets and ebooks have taken over. Hardcover books are almost historic and are gradually going the way of the dinosaur. Under the circumstances, buying a coffee shop is a better bet.

Helpful Staff

A business does not just hit the ground and start running all by itself. It requires people to steer it through troublesome waters towards the land of paradise and profit. It is better to keep hold of previous staff if possible rather than employ new ones. The old staff can play the ropes and understand the terrain much better. This helps to make the transition from old to new much easier. Some employees get very agitated when working under new bosses. Assure your workers that their jobs are safe and get some pointers from the seller on how to run the business successfully.

Image is Everything

When you purchase a business decide on how you exactly want to run it. Do you want to maintain the status quo or create some marketing buzz about the new ownership? If the business has a strong reputation or has strong brand presence, there really is no need to make too much noise. On the other hand, if the business is on the wane, you might need to give it a jolt in the arm. This might mean giving the place a facelift, changing the company logo and even reinventing service delivery or management.

5 Powerful Tips You Should Consider Before Buying a Restaurant Business

Alam Qureshi — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 07:03:33 +0000

Buying a restaurant business does not entail just paying for one just because it is available for sale. There are many things that you should consider before you make a purchasing decision. If you work with a business broker, he can help you weigh the pros and cons. It is important to note that not all that glitters is gold. Here are 5 powerful tips you should consider before buying a restaurant business. Follow these tips and you would be making a smart business move instead of wasting your money on some dud.

Location is Key

When you want to decide if a restaurant is going to be a success or not, consider the location. You do not want a restaurant stuck in the middle of nowhere, no matter how good the food might be. You should be looking for a place that is accessible and located in a busy area. If you are in a place that people cannot reach you, your restaurant business is doomed. Nobody likes to go through stress just to grab a meal.

Why is the Owner Selling?

Do not just whip out your wallet and pay for a restaurant business that is up for sale. You need to find out why the owner is putting up his business for sale. Find out if the business has been appraised. Do your research on restaurants in the area and find out how much they are worth. This will help you decide if you are getting a bargain or if the owner is trying to fleece you off your hard-earned cash. Most buyers are economical with the truth. It is up to you to get to the bottom of the reason for the sale and how much the business is actually worth.

Inspection

Before you buy a restaurant ensure that the building is in good shape and everything else is in proper working condition. Imagine, paying up to $50,000 in cash and finding out that the air-conditioning is a relic from the 1980’s. The restaurant should be fully functional. If you do not carry out a proper inspection, chances are you would hit by a ton of bills by spend time repairing stuff instead of trying to turn a profit. If there are repairs that need to made, you can negotiate and take it out from the purchase price.

Jack of All Trades

If you have no restaurant experience, it is never a good idea to purchase a one-man restaurant where you play cook, waiter, cashier, manager and owner. You might think that you are saving costs. However, this could be a disaster in the making. Avoid buying any restaurant with this type of set up in place. Go for a restaurant where things are well structured, where the owner employs a manager who in turns supervises a team of people who contribute to the successful running of the restaurant.

Go for Reputation

Buying a restaurant with a bad reputation is like flushing your money down a toilet. You are hurting yourself and putting yourself in a position that you may never recover from forever. If you want to buy a restaurant, gun for a one that has an enviable track record in service delivery. It should also have a great customer base of faithful people who will continue to patronize the business even though ownership has changed hands.

Common Reasons for Owners Selling their Business – 2

Alam Qureshi — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 05:30:30 +0000

There are many reasons why owners let go of their businesses. Some might find it hard to let go because it has given them a sense of accomplishment over the years and they might have developed a personal sense of attachment for it. Nevertheless, that does not stop them from selling their business in the long run, after all it should be all about the ‘business and never personal’. Here are common reasons why for owners selling their businesses.

Growth

This might sound crazy. But it is true that owners sometimes ditch their businesses because business growth stirs up a host of problems for them. Many small-sized businesses cannot cope with growth. Others do not have the required skill sets or investment requirements to march on. This can impede growth and give the competition an undue advantage to muscle in and take their market share. Opportunities for business growth can indeed be a blessing and curse.

Losing Interest

Many business owners start with a dream and work their way towards success. After achieving what they sought out to achieve, disinterest can set in. A decline in contribution towards a business will eventually take its toll. Moreover, personal commitments might be gnawing for attention and winning the war towards pulling owners away from their businesses. Your business might suffer a sharp decline and you might just think that you should get out before the value of your business plummets totally.

Alternatively, other people lose interest with day-to-day operations. Once they have succeeded erecting a business and made it work, they want to move on to the next big thing. So for them, selling is the only way to find something else that will motivate them.

Other People are Selling

Keeping tabs on the current trends and changes in the industry or surroundings is also a common denominator that sways people into selling their businesses. Many industries go through surging acquisition cycles where business evaluations increase substantially. Some people stay on these types of acquisitions in their industry or areas of business, when they gauge a flurry of activity and the numbers are looking good, they sell off.

Pressing Problems

Some people find themselves needing emergency money to offset certain things. Small businesses are assets. And since most of them are managed without succession plans or a board of directors, an owner can exit the business on his own terms and use the money to deal with his pressing problems.

In addition, depending on the market and industry a sale might not happen as quickly as you might think. You would not want the Revenue Canada embarrassing the new owners about the business they bought off you, now would you? It is best to be prepared and patient, not selling off for quick cash. Try to also get all your paperwork in order as well.