John Warrilow is the founder of The Value Builder System and accomplished author.  While not a business broker himself, Warrilow has gathered considerable knowledge and expertise on the industry.  His previous book Built to Sell was listed as one of the best business books of 2011.  In this article, we will explore some of the […]

No two companies are quite alike, and this also means that there are many reasons why companies can fall into trouble.  While the number of variables involved in operating a company are practically endless, there are a handful of reasons why companies can fall on hard times.  Let’s take a closer look. Lacking Focus Companies […]

Your time is your most valuable commodity.  The simple fact of the matter is that many “buyers” are not truly buyers.  In contrast, they are often window shopping or acting out a fantasy of buying a business.  In other cases, they would only plan to buy if they were to find the “deal of the […]

Mass Mutual Life Insurance produced an ownership transition survey back about a decade ago.  The survey results were based on feedback and answers from family-owned businesses.  It produced some very interesting results, and is worth examining even today.  While the survey at this point is quite outdated in terms of the timeline, there are still […]

When it comes to buying or selling a business, there is no replacement for a solid confidentiality agreement.  One of the key ways that business brokers and M&A advisors are able to help buyers and sellers alike is through their extensive knowledge of confidentiality agreements and how best to implement them.  In this article, we […]

Goodwill is a term that might cause a little confusion for some.  But at its heart, it is a relatively straight-forward concept.  Goodwill is generally viewed as a term that encapsulates everything from a business’s reputation to the goods, services and products it provides.  The key idea is that there is goodwill if the business […]