M&A Talk, by Morgan & Westfield

Luana Helsinger, on Valuing Public Companies & Equity Research

What is equity research and how do equity researchers value public companies? What should owners of privately held companies know about equity research? Listen as we take a deep dive into the world of equity research and the process equity analysts use to

Miracle Method Success Story (Short)

Miracle Method Done Deal

We treat all customers the same - small or large job - and return all phone calls and emails within 24 hours, excluding the weekends.

Sunset Screen Printing Success Story

Morgan & Westfield - No Face to Face Meeting Required

When you need to get things done, doing business in your local area can be  convenient and practical, particularly when you need to meet with someone face-to-face, like when you need to see a doctor, take your car to the mechanic, or get your clothes dry-cleaned, for example.  But think about this: If you’re a business owner who is trying sell your business while doing your best to run your operation at the same time, meeting face-to-face with a business broker may not be convenient or pract...

Miracle Method of Campbell, California

Fish Lake Market's Success Story

This Seller Found The Right Buyer In 4 Days, But Took 1 Year To Close The Deal. Here’s Why.

Many unexpected events can happen during the process of selling a business. For Diane Robbins, one of them was having a prospective buyer within four short days of listing her Miracle Method franchise in Ludlow, Massachusetts for sale on the market. The “short” of this story is this first prospective buyer ended up being the new owner of Diane’s business, which specializes in resurfacing and refinishing countertops, bathtubs and tiles, allowing customers to significantly save on the costs...

Selling A Company: It’s Not Just Business, It’s Personal

As ready as they might be for their PuroClean franchise’s sale mentally and financially, Ed and Sonia Ketchoyian soon found out that preparation is multifaceted and that there is one aspect in selling that they were not ready to handle—their emotions. “This is more than just a business transaction, so there are certain emotions that came to play at the end that I wasn't quite expecting,” Ed said of their business, which specializes in emergency restoration services for residential and com...

This Is How You Sell A Business From 100 Miles

What happens when your passion for your small business turns into exhaustion? For Philip “Phil” Nader, selling his business was the solution. Because of the success of his first Simple Computer Repair franchise in Michigan and his interest in electronic repair and technology, Phil jumped at the opportunity to buy a second location in Ohio when the franchisor offered it to him in 2016. “My intention was to invest in the business and not be the owner-operator there,” Phil explained. He a...

How to Sell Your Business to the Right Buyer at the Right Price

When Matt Wakelin decided to relocate and move back to upstate New York, he definitely knew that his decision would entail letting go of his business in Maumee, Ohio. For one, Treasure Chest Foods, LLC — a home delivery service of high-quality meats and seafood — is 600 miles away from his new home. That would mean traveling such long distance, back and forth, just to be able to keep his company up and running. Having no experience in selling businesses, he decided to start looking into ...

Why You Need Patience in Selling Your Business

Every morning, partners Kirk Barnett and Dennis Adkins stood witness to the success of their former bakery/restaurant, Dulce, as tables were filled one by one and the queue of people at the cashier gradually reached the door. For the partners who were used to starting each day with a full house, business is good and life is as sweet as Dulce’s handmade pastries. So when it came time to sell their well-loved Santa Fe-based restaurant in 2016, their line of thinking was, “Who wouldn’t want t...

Want to Sell Your Business Fast? Here’s What Buyers Expect

For a business owner looking to sell a business, learning as much about the sales process would probably be one of the first few steps that he might take in preparation for the sale. Consequently, researching about buyers’ experiences and expectations when buying a business such as the one he owns may not be one of the priorities of a business seller. To shed light on what the experience is like to be on the other end of the spectrum of buying a business, Mike Rabinovich shares his story o...

Being Prepared Can Make All the Difference When Selling a Business

Oftentimes when selling a business, not everything will go exactly as the seller planned. A lot can go wrong along the way, and many factors can stall the sale process. However, that is not the case when Dr. Harry Freedman decided to sell his quick oil change franchise. From the minute he contacted Morgan & Westfield until a deal was finally closed, everything was smooth sailing. “I thought it went fairly smooth. If it wasn't for Morgan & Westfield, trying to deal with lawyers and business t...

Secrets of Selling a Business in Tough Times

When Jeremy Wells decided to put his business on the market, he was facing a lot of challenges. “It was a difficult year for me,” Jeremy admitted. The business was slower than in the previous years. Jeremy was dealing with health issues with some family members. He was selling his business while managing other companies that he owned. He was running the business that was for sale while meeting with prospective buyers. “It's very challenging to try to begin the process of selling the company ...

Third Time’s the Charm: How Morgan & Westfield Helps Sell Our Business

Originally purchased 32 years ago, Dan and Ginger Ness’s business is the fourth oldest Miracle Method franchise across the country. It is also one of the most profitable, being among the top 5 Miracle Method franchises in terms of production level and earning an estimated $1 million or more annually in the past several years. For the first few years, Dan was hands-on and performed a lot of the work himself. “I did all the labor. In the beginning, I was the only technician until we hired our ...

Deal Talk with Phil Nader

When the previous owner-turned-manager left the business due to health reasons, Phil Nader had to run two stores that are 100 miles apart. This became a challenge as he had to leave his family every week and neglect managing the Michigan store while running the branch in Ohio. On this episode of Deal Talk, former owner of Simple Computer Repair in Maumee, Ohio, shares his experience working with Morgan & Westfield, talks about how he’s able to sell his business hassle-free and getting the ...

How to Prepare for the Legal Aspects of Selling Your Business

Are you contemplating selling your business or creating an exit strategy? It could be tempting to jump into the process of selling your business without hiring professional advisors such as a lawyer or an accountant to avoid paying professional fees. Our guest, however, explains why having access to professional advice and guidance from experts who have broad experience in the legal and financial aspects of the sale process can be tremendously beneficial in successfully closing a deal. O...

You Don’t Need a Miracle to Sell a Business. You Just Need Patience.

As no two business experiences are the same, no two sellers have also the same views on whom they would sell their business to. In this edition of “Deal Talk,” our guest, Diane Robbins who is a former owner of a Miracle Method franchise, decided to put her faith in the first interested buyer of her business. Did it pay off? Aside from sharing her experience in selling her business with host Jeff Allen, she also gives advice to business owners who are planning or in the process of selling the...

Life After Retirement: Lessons Learned from an Early Retiree

What does life after retirement look like? Emery Orosz, Morgan & Westfield’s Senior VP for Franchise Resales, has done it all — he has worked in corporate America for three decades, retired at 48, built and sold three houses, sold his own business and moved to a foreign country. After years of enjoying his life post-retirement, he got bored and went back to work doing what he loved. What can we learn from Emery’s risk-taking attitude that made him and his spouse embrace retirement and th...

Who is Morgan & Westfield?

Morgan & Westfield is not your typical business broker. While traditional business brokers and business brokerage firms have always patterned their business model after that of real estate brokers, we at Morgan & Westfield deviate from this norm by operating like professionals, such as accounting and law firms. We’ve optimized the sale process to give business sellers quality services for a fraction of the fees that your average business broker will charge. How do we do this? First, we h...

Looking at the Sale Process from a Buyer’s Perspective

On Deal Talk, we often hear from former business owners who have sold their companies or professionals who are dedicated to helping entrepreneurs sell their business or increase their bottom line. In this edition, however, we are flipping the coin to see the other side and look at the business sale process from the perspective of a person who has bought a business. Mike Rabinovich is the new owner of the Miracle Method franchise in Portland, Oregon, which he purchased from one of Morgan & ...

Is Your Company’s Intellectual Property Adequately Protected

Practically every business owns intellectual property (IP)—from logos to websites to advertising slogans, and you may be surprised to find out that your business possesses much more intellectual property than that. However, do you know exactly how much you do possess? Is it legally protected? On this edition of “Deal Talk,” Jeff Allen visits with Beverly Berneman, Intellectual Property Partner at Golan & Christie LLP in Chicago. Ms. Berneman will talk about the various types of IP businesses...

Essential Tips for Baby Boomers Looking to Sell their Business

A large portion of baby boomers are business owners because the scarcity of jobs when they entered the workforce drove them to create their own jobs and become entreprenuers. As many of these baby boomers are retiring and exiting their company, the need for information about selling businesses, particularly in planning and preparing for the sale, is becoming increasingly prevalent. John Dini is an exit strategy coach and president of MPN Inc, which aims to help business owners, mostly baby...

Working with a Professional Coach Can Improve Your Business’s Growth

Professional coaches have becoming increasingly important in recent years, and businesses of all sizes understand why: They help make good leaders better leaders of their teams and companies. Interestingly, however, one of the most important impacts a business coach can have is in an organization’s valuation. Dr. Janine Nicole-Desai, founding business coach of Outside Partner, talks about how a business coach can help increase bottom line statistics and your company’s value, and points to re...

Do You Know What Prospective Buyers Think About Your Business?

Different buyers have different intentions when it comes to pursuing your business as a purchase target. Whether those intentions are strategic or financial could have a definite impact on the outcome for you and your team. Mark Johnston is the President of Telementrix, an M&A strategic planning firm. In his discussion with Jeff Allen, Mr. Johnston wi ll talk about the difference between the strategic and financial mindset. You’ll learn how much buyers may already know about your business be...

How Does Improving Human Performance Translate to Increasing Your Company’s Value?

Human performance directly impacts your company's bottom line and overall value. But how do we get the most and best out of ourselves and our team? Expert Darrell Gunter, president and CEO of Gunter Media Group, shares his knowledge and insights on improving performance in order to achieve the success that you desire for your business.

Selling a Business? Be Ready to Manage Your Emotions

Ed and Sonia Ketchoyian, former owners of a PuroClean franchise in Sterling, Virginia, were prepared to sell their business in terms of the financial aspect and the negotiation. However, Ed realized that they were initially not ready to face the emotional aspect that came with the process of selling their company. Find out on this episode of Deal Talk how Ed and Sonia had overcome the emotional challenges they encountered to eventually sell their company at the price they had always wanted...

Going Global: Branding Your Business in a New Market

An eye-catching website doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll attract business in the global marketplace. What makes your product or service popular and “in-demand” in the U.S. may not make it attractive to prospective international buyers. So, how can you generate sales and boost your company’s value by building global demand for your products and services?  Understanding how to carry out an effective marketing strategy to create brand awareness and earn the trust that goes along with it is key...

How to Close the Valuation Gap

If you’ve ever had your business appraised, you probably had a figure in mind as to what your company was worth. It was only after the valuation consultant left you with their report that you found out just how far off base your estimate was from reality. That’s what the pros call the “valuation gap.” The good thing is that you can close that gap by raising the value of your business. You simply need an action plan. Matt Turpin, a Certified Valuation Analyst and M & A Advisor at Carr, Riggs ...

How Business Brokers Help Sellers

In this day and age of rapidly growing entrepreneurship, there are more and more options for you to consider when it comes to deciding who to work with to help you sell your company. Business brokers have been around forever, but changing perceptions in the rapidly changing M&A industry have challenged some business brokers to find creative ways to separate themselves from others to stand out in a crowded field.  So how do the best business brokers serve those interests? Nelson Bayford bri...

Seek Alternative Funding to Solve Cash Flow Issues in Your Business

Have you turned over every stone to improve your company's cash flow? You're likely not alone in that feeling. Thousands of business owners every day feel like their companies are paralyzed and prevented from growing because they have tried every organic means of freeing up cash with no success. On this edition of "Deal Talk," host Jeff Allen explores an alternative but time-tested process that allows business owners to obtain the funding they need to keep their companies moving. Guest Don...

Exit Planning for Baby Boomers

It's hard to believe, but true, that most small businesses simply fade away or close up all together when their owners decide to retire.  Many owners decide to forego selling their companies and earning the potential financial rewards that come with a successful sale for a variety of reasons.  That's particularly true of baby boomers--and there are a lot of them--many of whom are now faced with that decision of whether to sell or just lock the doors and head home.  If you are a baby boomer...

What Buyers and Sellers Need to Know About Each Other

What does a prospective buyer already know about your company? Why is it important that the buyer understands why you want to sell your company? How can you prevent certain issues from coming up that could nix the transaction completely? These are just a few of the questions that M&A folks help sellers understand every day. Understanding the psychology of the participants in a deal is important in order to work toward the success of the transaction. Ed Murphy, former vice president for str...

How Strong is Your Second in Charge (2IC)?

As much as you may love what you do, you also have to get away and recharge. And one day, you will want to walk away once and for all. The question is, if it’s difficult for you to leave the business for a few days’ vacation with your family, how easy will it be for you to sell your business?  The truth is:  Your business won’t sell unless it is ready to sell, and it won’t be ready to sell if a prospective buyer does not see a strong management team. Do you have a strong partner or manager...

Why Early-Stagers Need Valuations

You already know from listening to "Deal Talk" how important a valuation of your company can be in the due diligence stage of the M&A process or even for periodic assessment of where your company stands, and also for tax or even divorce-related reasons. However, if you're an entrepreneur, just how insightful might an appraisal of your new start-up or early-stage business be to help you determine where your business is at? According to our guest, Pieter Stam, a business appraiser at Amsterdam...

Early Culture Integration for a Healthy Merger

A company’s culture is the mindset about the beliefs, attitudes, and actions that a company maintains to satisfy its customers while ensuring the success of its people and the organization as a whole. In a merger, however, the corporate culture of one organization may not reflect that of its acquiring company although each is committed to the success of a deal that is good for both the sell- and the buy-side companies.  Our guest on this episode, Dr. Curtis Odom, Corporate LiveWire’s Post-Me...

Benefits of Using Retirement Funds to Buy a Business

For the buyer, retirement funds can be accessed quickly and with a high success rate, whereas bank financing is often difficult to access. It is considerably easier for a seller to accept an offer that is contingent on a buyer accessing retirement funds to buy a business. Many offers are contingent on the buyer receiving bank financing to purchase a business. Most sellers are reluctant to accept these offers because of the traditionally high failure rate of obtaining a bank loan to purchase ...

The Art of Selling a Business: An Artist’s Perspective

As a business owner, you dream of success, profits, satisfied customers, and--hopefully--of someday retiring to start that next chapter of your life. But not all business owners retire after selling their companies. As a young family man with a passion for life, art and startup businesses, Jeremy Wells had just sold a business, and now he's taking some much-deserved time-off before going on to his next big endeavor. Jeremy shares with us his experiences in selling his company during some cha...

Dealing With Rising Supply Chain Costs

Relationships are important, especially the ones you have with each and every member of your supply chain. But sometimes, as our guest on this edition of "Deal Talk" might tell you, our long-term relationships can cloud our judgment when it comes to the bottom line. When was the last time you audited your distribution network or your supply chain as a whole? How much have rising costs chewed into your profits? When was the last time you put your materials or distribution needs up for bidding...

Get Your Business Sell-Ready (whether you want to sell or not)!

With several exceptions, most of us have no interest in selling our businesses immediately because we have so much more we want to achieve with our companies. However, the simple fact is that "life happens." And sometimes that means circumstances beyond our control and even welcome surprises happen when we least expect them, making the need to sell our businesses sooner rather than later a pressing priority. That, according to our guest, is the reason why we need to get our businesses "sell-...

10 Ways to Increase Your Company’s Value

If you like “free,” this program is for you, particularly if you’re looking for free advice on real ideas to help you improve the value of your business. You may already be doing a couple of the things on our list, but some of our guest expert’s suggestions may take you by surprise as the types of suggestions that you can actually begin to institute right away.  Ms. Anja Bernier is a Fortune 500 trained company sale and acquisition advisor. As the CEO of Efficient Evolutions LLC in Boston, M...

Crowdfunding: A Legitimate Financing Option

The financial market collapse of 2008 resulted in tougher standards and regulations for the nation’s largest banks, making it more difficult in many cases for small business owners to secure the funds they need to grow their business. Since the financial crisis, crowdfunding has emerged as a real—and credible—alternative to banks, private equity, and venture capital. This edition of Deal Talk delves into the details of what crowdfunding is, its advantages over traditional funding sources and...

Essential Systems for Business Growth

If you're a business owner looking to diversify your holdings and/or to create a business portfolio, then owning a business franchise may be the way to go. And what you learn along the way may benefit your own privately held company, particularly where systems come into play. Terry Coker, a consultant at Franchoice joins host Jeff Allen for a discussion of the various types of systems that franchisors put into place to help ensure the success of their individual franchise owners and the corp...

How I Sold My Business – Matt Wakelin

Our ongoing series of discussions with small business owners about their business-selling experience continues as we talk with the now-former owner of Treasure Chest Foods, Mr. Matt Wakelin. As the long-time owner of a company specializing in high-quality meats and seafood delivered “to your door,” Matt knew that his business was valuable, but the first couple business brokers he worked with may not have seen it that way. On this edition of “Deal Talk,” Jeff Allen speaks with Matt about his ...

Enhancing Value with your Exit in Mind

Knowing what your fellow business owners (your competitors) don't know can play substantially to your advantage. How well do you really know your customers? How well do you know your competitors’ customers? How well do you know the market in general? You need to know the answers to these and many other important questions now and several years from now in order to help continue to lift the value of your company, because your potential buyers are looking for a company with an advantage in the...

The Sales Process Step by Step

There is so much to know about selling your business, and here on “Deal Talk” we examine different pieces of the M&A process on each edition of the show. However, if you are waiting for a show that will lay out every stage of the business-selling process step by step in a comprehensive yet easy to understand way in about 30 minutes, the wait is over. Host Jeff Allen welcomes back certified business broker Andrew Rogerson to the program for a quick walk-through of the entire business-sales pr...

Franchising for Growth: Truths and Trends

The growth of franchising is indisputable. Yet, while many business owners have elected to expand their companies through franchising, the owners of many other privately held businesses may be intimidated by what they perceive to be an industry that is simply too saturated or too highly competitive to give them much of a chance to succeed through franchising. But what's the truth? Is there enough room for your business? Do you have to start out with a hundred locations to be a success? What ...

How to Get the Most for Your Business

Since selling your company is the most important professional transaction you will likely make, is there a way to ensure that you will get the most money possible for your business? When it comes to M&A, you need to know where to look for “intangible” value drivers, and believe it or not, you may have many more of these intangible drivers (or assets) than you might think. On this edition of "Deal Talk," business broker and consultant Mark Sievers will fill us in on what some of the most crit...

Avoid Risk Working with Contractors

The amount of money you spend paying a contractor to perform small repairs, improvements or major construction-related projects could be small compared to potentially greater costs resulting from a dispute with the prime contractor or any of the subcontractors they hire. Stricter laws and regulations offer some protection against unlicensed contractors; however, if you are like many small business owners, you may not know what questions to ask or what resources are available to you to help y...