Tag archives for traditionally funded search - Page 3
Customer Concentration
How much customer concentration is too much? Less than you might think! For a searcher, the best-laid plans to acquire a business with low customer and market concentration, recurring revenues, healthy margins, and industry tail…
Wearing the coat
Being a CEO early in your career is the most significant benefit of the search process. However, the reality of taking over the reins of an established business may not live up to your imagined…
Why deals fall apart
Much of the company search process is about failure; deals will fall apart, and the more you understand why, the better prepared you will be to recognize the warning signs, anticipate them, and even avoid…
Downsizing your business
While you did not buy a business to see it shrink, most "on-going" businesses will experience a decline in revenues that will severely test its leadership. Emerging stronger from the decline will require some tough…
Reaching out for help
The quest to become an entrepreneur by purchasing a business is about learning and continuous improvement. No search is the same, nor is any searcher, therefore you have to seek out solutions to the challenges…
Selecting your direct reports
Recruiting and retaining team members for the company you purchase can raise it from "good" to “great”. Getting the right people into the right positions should not be delegated to the HR department. As the…
Establishing seller trust
The relationship you build with the seller, between the initial contact and your running of that business, is much more important than the "transaction" that you conclude with them. Like any relationship, it is based…
When your LOI falls apart
Having a transaction fall apart can be devastating in a number of ways to a searcher. Since it takes an average of LOI's, and many months, to get to closing (See blog post Getting to…
Choosing a search partner – or not!
After fully committing to a search, one of the next critical decision is whether to identify a partner for the journey, or to forge ahead as a solo searcher. Remember, you may be fully engaged…
Where to search from?
Choosing the geographic boundaries of your search has far-reaching implications on your tactics, fundraising, personal expenditures and even the perception of the sellers you may purchase from. Selecting a home base from which to work…