Your Company’s Future: Begin with the End in Mind
You’ve probably heard more than one pithy statement about planning:
The 17th century Spanish writer Cervantes stated, “To be prepared is half the victory.”
Winston Churchill declared, “He who fails to plan is planning to fail.”
Management expert and author Lester R. Bittel wrote, “Good plans shape good decisions.”
While they might sound simplistic, these famous quotations are crucial reminders that, in business as in life, you must plan well — and well in advance — if you want to reach your goals. This may never be truer than when the future of your company or family business is on the line.
First things first, where do you want to end up?
As a business owner, the best way to start your planning is by establishing your ultimate goal. Do you aim to retire from your company? Pass it to family? Sell and cash out? Go public? Beginning with the end in mind will help ensure that you position your company appropriately, and put all the elements in place for a successful resolution.
The experts of Southard Financial can help you get there.
With over 75 years of combined business valuation and investment banking experience, the principals of Southard Financial share a keen appreciation for the elements that go into a successful sale. That’s why we recommend the following approach.
Put your company in order, operationally and financially. This may mean setting yourself up as CEO, solidifying your management team, or seeking out knowledgeable partners or mentors. The goal is to make the company viable and attractive to a new owner, to make it “transferrable.”
Consider potential exit strategies. These include sale to a friendly buyer — possibly a customer, business partner, or family member — sale to a strategic buyer, sale to a private equity group (majority or minority sale), or taking the company public with an initial public offering (IPO).
Maximize value. This could mean developing niche products and services, expanding and diversifying your customer base, or taking other steps to ensure a defensible market position, and a stable and predictable cash flow. We can work with you to look at other areas for potential improvement.
We’ll also be there when you’re ready to make a deal.
Finalizing a deal to sell your company can easily take several months. The initial phase, which focuses on benchmarking and valuation of your company, typically lasts about a month. The second phase, which includes prospecting, identification of potential buyers, selection of a candidate, and early negotiations ending with a letter of intent, generally takes one to two months. It takes another month or two to negotiate the final agreement, manage due diligence, complete the legal review of the contract document, and close on the sale.
For more information, contact Southard Financial today.
Call us at (901) 761-7500 or use the form on our contact page.
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