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Speaking from experience: the necessary factors to sell a business
By Dave Driscoll For more than 12 years, I have been in the business of helping owners sell their…
NOW is the time to plan to sell your business
By Dave Driscoll Planning to sell your business is easy to put off…and some people believe they will never…
Your Business Shouldn’t be a Fixer Upper
By Dave Driscoll Most of us have gotten pulled into (at least) one of the home improvement/DIY-type reality shows…
The Secrets to Selling a Lifestyle Business
By Dave Driscoll In a previous article, we differentiated the business cycle for a “lifestyle business” from the mergers…
Selling your business: Three external, economic factors that influence timing
By Dave Driscoll In SBM’s January issue, we detailed three internal factors that affect your timing of the sale…
Three internal factors when an owner asks, “When should I sell my business?”
By Dave Driscoll Owners often tie the timing of selling a business to some milestone in their life. Sometimes,…
Understanding Seller’s Discretionary Earnings when Buying a Small Business
Net income may vary significantly from SDE By Dave Driscoll Seller’s discretionary earnings (SDE) – also known as seller’s…
Questions a Buyer should ask the Seller when investigating the purchase of a business
By Dave Driscoll Buying a business is probably the most consequential purchase you can make in life. Not taking…
Fall harvest: time to gather our thoughts and plan what’s next
By Dave Driscoll Summer giving way to the harvest season always caused me to reflect on where my business…
Winners may be losers!
When negotiating selling/buying a business, both seller and buyer could end up losers By Dave Driscoll During my career…
Buyers & sellers beware of deal fatigue
“Time kills deals” is a well-proven axiom in M&A brokerage By Dave Driscoll Time is not necessarily a friend…
The changing economy’s effect on the decision to buy a business
By Dave Driscoll You can’t escape the headlines, news feeds, print media. All the news outlets are chanting about…
Representations and Warranties are an important part of the Purchase Agreement when buying or selling a business
By Dave Driscoll When a buyer wants to purchase a business, the process typically begins with drafting and negotiating…
Meeting employees is risky business for sellers and buyers
By Dave Driscoll Over the years of representing business owners, some buyers have adamantly wanted to meet the…
Where are the employees? Many are choosing more control over their lives and buying businesses
By Dave Driscoll We read about it everywhere…Where are the younger workers/professionals? Why are there so many unfilled positions?…
Lesson from Ozark: Don’t be Distracted by DNA in Family Business Succession
By Dave Driscoll Family businesses are a special example of mutual sacrifice and success. Children – sometimes multiple generations…
Industries and markets change, and not always for the better
Your business may need to reengineer to survive. By Dave Driscoll You own a business that has thrived, survived,…
Your MPSP matters, even if you’re not ready to sell your business
By Dave Driscoll Each new year, small business owners are reminded to focus on strategy, process and marketing improvements,…
Building Business Value – Tip 3: A Business Playbook Ensures Consistent Success
By Dave Driscoll Improving your asset and building a company everyone wants to buy In September, we began a…
Building Business Value – Tip 2: Logical and understandable financial reporting is essential
What story does the financial reporting tell? Is it believable? By Dave Driscoll What is a prospective buyer looking…
Building Business Value: Tip 1: Avoid owner-dependence to create the business that everyone wants to buy
By Dave Driscoll How do you build business value and create the business that everyone wants to buy? As…
Building Business Value: Improving your asset and building a company everyone wants to buy
By Dave Driscoll How do you build the business that everyone wants to buy? Simply look at your business…
How to buy the right business
By Dave Driscoll Finding the right business to buy is a full-time job Locating the “right business for you”…
How do you decide when to sell your business?
By Dave Driscoll For many small business owners, deciding when to sell the business may be the hardest decision…
Analysis Paralysis is real – and afflicts buyers AND sellers
by Dave Driscoll Entrepreneurs are a unique breed who thrive on a relatively high level of risk. They may…
Will your business’ value transfer to a new owner?
Closely-held business value can be defined as what the business is worth to someone without the owner. But what…
Business Owners: you can’t sell value that you can’t prove!
Business valuations are based on historical earnings. If the business shows no earnings, the business is not worth much…
Time to revise your succession plan
An important aspect of succession planning that is often overlooked is reviewing and revising the plan regularly.
Once more for the owners in the back of the room…
Business owners who do not, will not, or cannot use their financials for guidance will become one of the…
New business owner? Now is the time to plan to sell your business
By Dave Driscoll Becoming a business owner is not entirely different than becoming a new parent…you have a nearly-desperate…
Alert to Business Buyers: Cooperate with Brokers’ Responsibility to Protect the Seller!
By Dave Driscoll A business broker’s responsibility is to protect each seller’s proprietary and financial information, along with the…
Generational Clues to Help Guide Successful Business Exits
By Dave DriscollThe emotions surrounding selling your business are certainly strong regardless of your age, but the economic and…
How do you plan for the unexpected in business?
A well-thought-out crisis plan provides a business with guidance for crucial aspects in an emergency situation when thinking clearly…
Distressed Business Sales
When your best option is an orderly wind down of the business By Dave Driscoll Business value is determined…
3 considerations for buying an essential business
We are in a buyer’s market for essential businesses. First-time buyers may struggle regarding where to start as they…
COVID-19: How your company was affected will impact your value
Businesses will be valued using a combination of business performance and future risk, with an eye toward the ability…
How to preserve your company’s market value post-COVID-19
Historic operational and financial performance are the foundation for determining the value of most businesses. Owners should take two…
Business owners, this is the time to consider your options
Businesses in distressed situations are at a fork in the road that will define the future for their owners.…
The transition assistance period defined in an LOI is critical
The transition assistance period defines how long the seller will remain after the sale to assist the buyer in…
Buying an existing business? Keys to a successful transition
By Dave Driscoll Last month I shared what it takes to start your own business. Sometimes, buying an existing…
Ready to start a business?
From my experience as a business owner, I now recognize several themes and behaviors to be successful...
Asset purchase vs. stock purchase for small businesses
Asset purchases and stock purchases each have advantages and disadvantages to sellers and buyers.
Microbiology leaders Microbe Inotech and Pluton Biosciences join forces
December 11, 2019 St. Louis, MO – Metro Business Advisors, LLC is pleased to announce that Microbe Inotech Laboratories,…
Eight ideas to refresh and grow your small business
These methods to grow your business seem fairly obvious, but it’s easy to lose sight of the basics when…
Why an LOI is important before an APA in a business sale
Once a vetted buyer and willing seller have established a mutual interest in transitioning the business, two documents -…
Minimizing risks when selling your business to an employee
An insider sale can be one of the best ways to transfer ownership of your business. But, the major…
Confidentiality: Every Seller’s Concern when Selling a Business
Confidentiality is imperative when selling your business. Your company’s asset value must be protected from the start of the…
Is your business owner-dependent?
By Dave Driscoll What would happen if you decided to travel for the next month? Your business would run…
Secure your goals and vision with succession planning
Every owner, including you, will eventually leave his/her business, one way or another. Creating a succession plan is your…
Don’t try this on your own! Emotion gets in the way of selling your own business
Business owner emotion combined with the assembling and organizing of required information, the time demands, the question of a…
Curb Appeal includes what you can see from the street AND what’s inside the business
By Dave Driscoll It’s what’s inside that counts. What does that mean when you are marketing your business for…
Keys for family business succession and survival
Nine tips for strong family business - help your family business survive and be relevant in the future.
Selling your Business: Exit & estate planning considerations for your retirement
A business valuation… The essential reality check By Dave Driscoll One of the most important factors needed for a…
Business Exit Planning: It’s a Seller’s Market
High demand and low supply are creating seller leverage, stronger valuations, and advantageous deal structures with more cash at…
Take an objective look at what your business is worth
Don’t be fooled by your distorted perspective By: Dave Driscoll As an owner who has built and grown your…
We Have a Buyer for Your Business!
By Chris Spenner “Hello! I am excited to tell you we have a buyer for your business, but you…
6 Common Issues that Diminish Business Value
By Dave Driscoll Every company has a natural lifecycle and ownership changes are a common occurrence. While the name…
Accurate Financials – the single most important item to sell your business
Now could be the best time in years to sell your business. Get ready to launch with solid financial…
Envision, plan, achieve –why each step is important to your life beyond business™
By Dave Driscoll Owning a business can be all-consuming. Your blood, sweat, tears…and hopes, thoughts, and dreams may seem…
Why buyers prefer businesses with a strong leadership team
If you ever want to sell, your business should not be dependent on you! By Dave Driscoll You start…
Selling your business is not always financially prudent…even if you want to
Some strategies and methods make it impossible to sustain your lifestyle if you sell your business. By Dave Driscoll…
When selling your business, “walk away cash” is crucial
By Dave Driscoll “Walk away cash” is what’s in your pocket, free of debt and taxes, when you…
Why you should think about selling your business, even if you AREN’T thinking about selling your business
By Dave Driscoll As a business owner, admitting that you are thinking about selling your business seems like some…
Inventory… Don’t be shocked when Selling Your Business!
By Dave Driscoll Small business owners seem to have an aversion to inventory: they don’t like to count it,…
Metro Business Advisors closes 2017 with the sale of three St. Louis businesses
Each business was worth more than a million dollars and successfully launched the seller’s Life Beyond Business,™ Metro Business…
What drove business buyers and sellers in 2017?
By Dave Driscoll The Third Quarter 2017 Market Pulse report by the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) and M&A…
The Right Business Broker to Sell Your Business
How Do You Know Just Who To Choose?: On Choosing the Right Business Broker to Sell Your Business Imagine…
What Is Your Broker's Responsibility When Selling Your Business?
By Dave Driscoll Simple…to sell the business, right? Absolutely, selling the business is the reason you chose your business broker,…
7 Tips to Consider When You’re Finally Ready To Sell Your Business
OK…Now What?: 7 Tips to Consider When You’re Finally Ready To Sell Your Business Deciding to sell your business…
C Corp vs. S Corp – a costly difference for financing your future
By Dave Driscoll Many baby boomer business owners are planning to monetize their life’s work to support retirement. It’s…
What if I’m ready to retire, but my business still needs me?
By Dave Driscoll What if I’m ready to retire, but my business still needs me? That is a complicated…
Buying A Business: The Psychology That Prevents Success
A schedule that’s yours to create. The freedom of paying yourself first. The desire to be an entrepreneur. Today…
KNOW your business value to GROW your business value
By Dave Driscoll Growing business value should be the ultimate goal of every business owner. Actively engaging in ongoing,…
Do you want to buy a business or are you a "Wantrepreneur?"
Do you want to buy a business or are you a “Wantrepreneur?” A schedule that’s yours to create. The…
What You Can Learn From My Mistakes As A Business Owner
By Dave Driscoll Recently a prospective seller asked what mistakes I had made as a business owner, specifically relating…
Why isn’t my business worth as much as I think it is?
by Dave Driscoll According to the business broker community, the main reason deals don’t close is a valuation gap…
Build Value in your Business by going fishing!
By Dave Driscoll Making preparation a priority well in advance of your actual desired departure date gives us time…
Why you need a team of advisors to sell your business
By Dave Driscoll The value of your business is probably your single largest asset, and converting that asset to…
Run your Business to Sell – 4 Tips
by Dave Driscoll, Business Broker and President Do you want to sell your business soon? Will you NEED to…
You Can’t Sell your Business in a Day
By Dave Driscoll, President and Business Broker As business brokers, by the time a business owner contacts us to…
Buy-Sell Agreement: Let’s Call it A Prenuptial Agreement For Your Business
No owner wants to believe things could end badly with a business partner, but it’s essential to have a…
Seller Financing Benefits Both Buyers And Sellers of Small Businesses
by Dave Driscoll The definition of a good deal is when both parties in a transaction benefit. Seller financing,…
St. Louis Business Brokers
We Offer Premium Business Broker Service & Are A St. Louis Company Metro Business Brokers is a group…
Are you Emotionally Prepared to Sell Your Business?
Take these 4 Steps EARLY to Emotionally Prepare Sellers often don’t give much thought to whether they are emotionally ready…
Planned Retirement vs. Burnout: The difference to your finances will be significant
If you don’t plan BEFORE you’re ready to retire, you are sacrificing business value By Dave Driscoll In a…
Planned Retirement vs. Burnout: The difference to your finances will be significant
If you don’t plan BEFORE you’re ready to retire, you are sacrificing business value By Dave Driscoll In a…
Planned Retirement vs. Burnout: The difference to your finances will be significant
If you don’t plan BEFORE you’re ready to retire, you are sacrificing business value By Dave Driscoll In a…
What Are SDE and EBITDA? What’s The Difference?
What is my business worth? This is a common question from small-business owners considering selling a business. The basis…
What Are SDE and EBITDA? What's The Difference?
What is my business worth? This is a common question from small-business owners considering selling a business. The basis…
What are SDE and EBITDA? What’s the difference?
What is my business worth? This is a common question from small-business owners considering selling a business. The basis…
What are SDE and EBITDA? What's the difference?
What is my business worth? This is a common question from small-business owners considering selling a business. The basis…
Knowing Business Value is a Very Good Place to Start
People don’t want to spend money on things they don’t need. So why would you need an estimate…
Why do we keep hearing about Private Equity?
And how can it help you sell your business? You hear it on the radio, read about it in…
The Main Reasons To Sell Your Business
Reasons for selling your business There may be some reasons why you are looking to sell your business: Divorce…
Value-Building Tip: Create a Management Incentive Plan
A Management Incentive Plan builds Business Value Do you need to increase business value and create a succession plan…
Buying an Existing Business Reduces your Risk
Owning a business is about managing risk: Purchasing an existing business minimizes risk Entrepreneurs dream of finding that special…
Corporate Hygiene will help Sell your Business
How can good Corporate Hygiene help sell your business? Merriam-Webster defines hygiene as “the things that you do to…
5 Steps Every Business Owner Should Take Before A Business Sale Or Transfer
5 Steps to make sure You AND your Business are Ready to Succeed after the Transition I ran into…
Why hire a Business Broker?
Why Hire A Business Broker? Business owners, by the nature of their role, have very little experience with business…
5 Ways Succession Planning Helps Your Business Grow Now
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