marketing Archives - Your ExitMap

Your Exit Plan: The 3 Inarguable Reasons to Start NOW

John F. Dini — Sun, 14 Jun 2020 01:00:38 +0000

What is Your Exit Plan? If you’ve ever done a business plan for the purpose of raising capital, one of the key questions is “What is your exit plan?” Many business owners think that question is self-serving, intended merely to let the venture capitalists figure when and how they will get their return on investment. In truth, however, that question is far more important. An exit plan is a strategic plan with an end date. Putting a time frame on your plan, and defining the goals to be achieved by that date, creates a future-focused mindset for the owner. It controls and reduces your tendency ... Read more

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Business Buyers and Disintermediation

John F. Dini — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 10:39:19 +0000

In the last post, we discussed the reluctance of many prospective business buyers to deal with the regulatory burden of being an employer or service provider. You may be among the lucky few whose profession doesn’t require licensing. Even better, you may have qualified employees who are able to run the business without you. There are other issues that concern younger buyers, however. One of these is the threat of disintermediation. That’s a trendy word for what we used to call “bypassing the middle man,” but it applies to many businesses that are being made obsolete by technology. Disintermediated Businesses How many business people still ... Read more

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The Right Price for Your Business

John F. Dini — Sun, 20 Aug 2017 09:16:40 +0000

“If someone offered me the right price, I’d sell in a minute!” Exit planners and business brokers hear it all the time. “Anything is for sale if the price is right!” What is the “right” price? Of course, you can fantasize about a windfall from a buyer who has far more money than brains. Some of the fast-talking “business brokers” (the ones who get more revenue from preparing offering books than actually selling companies), will pitch their secret list of buyers in Europe and Asia who routinely overpay for businesses. In case you didn’t know, the largest advisory firms in Europe and Asia are the same ones ... Read more

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The Nimble Small Business

John F. Dini — Sun, 23 Jul 2017 10:34:50 +0000

Almost since time began, the nimble small business has been axiomatic. Large corporations are like big ships, the common knowledge goes. They take a long time to change direction. That is a comforting thought to business owners who choose to see their one-person strategic planning team as a competitive advantage. Like the small furry mammals that survived as the dinosaurs died out, they are adaptable. The nimble small business can react to changes in the market faster, with less bureaucracy, and with greater attention to the customer’s needs. There is one problem. That “common knowledge” is no longer true. In fact, a new definition of nimble is ... Read more

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Quality of Earnings Part 3: Cash Flow

John F. Dini — Sun, 25 Jun 2017 10:10:01 +0000

In the past few weeks we’ve discussed how quality of earnings audits look at your income and expenses, and their impact on company value. Since Revenue less Expenses equals Profit (P=R-E), you could be forgiven for thinking that we have picked apart your earnings as much as possible. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Merely dissecting your customers, lines of business, contracts, one-time expenses and unrecognized liabilities isn’t enough. Quality of earnings also examines how your cash flows. Accounts Receivable Just selling at a decent margin isn’t enough. That margin suffers from invisible erosion if your customers don’t pay on time. I’ve heard plenty of owners say ” ... Read more

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Small Business can Sell in a Recession

John F. Dini — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 06:53:00 +0000

This was an article I had published in the San Antonio Express News yesterday. Guest Voices: Small businesses can sell in recession Many business owners think that the current recession has ruined their exit strategy. While the climate may be more daunting for budding entrepreneurs, there are still plenty of buyers around for small businesses. For Main Street businesses (those selling for less than $3 million), buyers chiefly are driven by personal economics. They are seeking a business as a way to make a living. Their main objective is cash flow, the amount of discretionary income the business generates to cover bank debt and an ... Read more

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