Tag Archives: exit strategies

What’s in YOUR Nondisclosure Agreement?

A Nondisclosure Agreement (NDA) has become one of the basic standard documents in every company’s wallet. Between the rising swell of Baby Boomer owners entertaining exit planning, and greater caution surrounding the legal issues of strategic partnering, an NDA is … Continue Reading

Posted in Entrepreneurship, Exit Options, Exit Planning, Managing Employees, Selling a business, Strategy and Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

What Should A Small Business Insure?

Every business carries insurance. Some is required by law, such as unemployment insurance or coverage on vehicles. Most is optional, but there is “common sense” coverage and more esoteric policies intended to help you recover from company-threatening events. I’ll spend the … Continue Reading

Posted in Entrepreneurship, Exit Planning, Strategy and Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What is the Right Price?

Of all the misconceptions by business owners, the ones surrounding their company’s value are both the most common and often wildly inaccurate. I’ve been working for the last couple of months on the training videos for advisors in our new product, The ExitMap®. … Continue Reading

Posted in Building Value, Exit Options, Exit Planning, Exit Strategies, Selling a business, Strategy and Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The 7 Deadly Sins of an Entrepreneur — Reprise

I make no claim that using the Seven Deadly Sins as a metaphor for business behavior is original. Of course, the original concept is a codifying of “undesirable” human behaviors, or sins. The work probably comes from the Latin word … Continue Reading

Posted in Building Value, Business Perspectives, Entrepreneurship, Exit Planning, John's Opinions, Leadership, Managing Employees, Strategy and Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Seventh Entrepreneurial Sin — Pride

Every business owner should be proud of his or her business. If you are the founder, you built every system, and probably landed the biggest customers. If you bought the business, you took what was in place and made it … Continue Reading

Posted in Building Value, Customer Relations, Entrepreneurship, Exit Planning, Leadership, Managing Employees, Marketing and Sales, Selling a business, Strategy and Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The 7 Deadly Sins of an Entrepreneur

The Seven Deadly Sins are alive and well in small businesses today. Far from being a hoary religious holdover from the Dark Ages, they are practiced assiduously by entrepreneurs everywhere. There is something to be said for any concept that … Continue Reading

Posted in Building Value, Business Perspectives, Entrepreneurship, Exit Planning, John's Opinions, Leadership, Managing Employees, Strategy and Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Is Your Business in the “Neutral Zone?”

As Baby Boomers business owners approach retirement (the youngest of them turned 50 this year) they face a unique challenge. The market for small businesses is increasingly a buyer’s smorgasbord A shrinking middle-aged population, corporate competition for talent and less interest … Continue Reading

Posted in Building Value, Entrepreneurship, Exit Options, Exit Planning, Exit Strategies, Leadership, Selling a business, Strategy and Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Why Health Insurance Isn’t

Last week I wrote about the success of Obamacare in driving people from the private insurance market towards a national healthcare system. Clearly, I touched a nerve when I look at the tone of the responses received. Although I don’t … Continue Reading

Posted in Economic Trends, John's Opinions, Leadership, Strategy and Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Germany Makes a Business Decision

Germany just announced that it could accept an additional 500,000 refugees when other countries are jockeying to accommodate as few as possible. As much as the announcement was portrayed as a humanitarian effort, it is just as likely a simple business decision. Few members … Continue Reading

Posted in Economic Trends, John's Opinions, Politics and Regulation, Strategy and Planning, Top Blog Posts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Companies Sell for a Multiple of…What?

Last week we discussed the difference between Main Street and Mid-market companies regarding their prospects for finding a buyer. You can read it here, but the short analysis is that the market is tightening for Main Street businesses, while the … Continue Reading

Posted in Economic Trends, Entrepreneurship, Exit Planning, Selling a business, Strategy and Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Owners Live in Two Different Worlds

Business owners live in two different worlds. If you are a Baby Boomer, the title of this column might bring memories of any one of the many covers of the song by the same name. (Everyone from Nat King Cole to … Continue Reading

Posted in Building Value, Economic Trends, Entrepreneurship, Exit Options, Exit Planning, Exit Strategies, Selling a business, Strategy and Planning, Top Blog Posts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Ageing Boomer Entrepreneurs: Fearful or Smart?

Do we become more cautious with age? Startups are usually associated with younger entrepreneurs. By the time they reach their 50s or 60s business owners tend to tackle fewer big new ideas. Those that do tend to be successful enough that they … Continue Reading

Posted in Building Value, Business Perspectives, Economic Trends, Entrepreneurship, Exit Planning, Exit Strategies, Life After, Strategy and Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment