Business Buying Broker Intermediary Services

You're about to make the biggest investment of your life. We want to make sure you do it right.

If you landed on this page, then you are ready to take on my Business Buying Brokering / Intermediary Services. And I congratulate you on looking at the big picture. This is an excellent opportunity to ask for help and advice on buying a business from an expert broker / intermediary that knows both sides of the table well.

Remember that finding business for sale listings that are represented by a Broker is a good idea BUT that Broker is working for the seller whereas in this case, I'm working for you, the buyer. Don't be fooled!!! (click here for more on brokers and what to watch out for)

I like to keep things simple in this complex world so please read on about how I work with my clients to help them along in asking for advice and help in buying a business from simple questions to analyzing information to making complex negotiations. Feel free to then continue on to fill out the form so we can connect with each other on the phone and get you started with the assistance that’s right for you.

After purchasing and working through the B.Y.O.B. Toolkit, I made the decision to work directly with George Sierchio throughout my most recent business buying process. I most appreciated his assistance during the business valuation and negotiation stages. George’s suggestions and advice provided a valuable roadmap for constructive dialogue with the sellers.

Ultimately, George helped me see that the business I was looking at purchasing was not a good fit and I did not end up making a deal with the sellers. I still plan on pursuing a business that fits my interests and I would gladly work with George again. He not only provides great insight and counsel but he has a genuine interest in my success.

--Andra Gentry
Small Business Owner

The Phases of Business Buying Brokering / Intermediary Services…

When working with clients on helping them determine a good fit for a business type to buy as well as choosing a particular business to pursue, I like to break things down into phases. This makes giving business buying advice as easy as as possible and getting the help less overwhelming for the client.

Sometimes clients are well into the process or beyond a few of the phases when I start working with them and that’s alright by me. But if I have the opportunity to start from the beginning, this is how I do it:

Phase 1- In the first phase I look to find out what the buyer/client is all about. This includes their business and personal backgrounds and experiences to make sure they are looking into businesses/industries that best suit their skills. We also dive into their long term goals with owning the business as well as cash flow they need and their financing options.

Believe me, there is no use in looking into businesses that make no sense skill wise, can’t produce the needed cash flow, or honestly just can’t be afforded by the buyer. It’s a complete waste of time for them. And I really can't provide much business buying advice or help in this scenario.

In this phase we will also set up other needed assistance from a qualified business accountant and attorney with experience in these types of transactions. What a difference it makes in a deal to have competent professionals versus a family member/friend or someone that has never handled a deal like this before. Too many deals are killed by incompetence by these professionals.

Phase 2- Next we start looking for businesses that fit the criteria in Phase 1. If it doesn’t fit, there is no point in gathering up businesses out side of the box. Again, I really can't provide much business buying advice or help in this situation.

Phase 3- Once we have likely candidates in the hopper, we start breaking them down and evaluating each particular business for the deal at hand. One of the hardest things to do as a buyer is take the limited information that you get from a seller or broker (which is normal at this stage) and put a true valuation on the business. This means a reasonable price tag with a high and low acceptable range for the buyer, a possible way or two to finance it (everyone needs to know you can buy it or you will not be getting any more information in the future) and if the rest of the pieces really fit the puzzle we’re putting together.

Phase 4- Although it may seem early, if everything seems good at this point, we also need to come up with a set of criteria and an offer number to put into a Letter of Intent (LOI). In order to get down to brass tacks a buyer needs to show major interests and this is where it happens. Even though an LOI shows intent, there is nothing binding but it allows us to get into due diligence and see the entire business machine. Knowing what information to ask for in the due diligence is crucial.

This is also the point where the majority of the negotiation takes place as we present a general offer to the seller. Things such as the offer price, inventory issues, lease issues, financing issues and on and on may need tweaking to make all parties happy. Without ever having been in this situation before, the client/buyer will see many things crop up that are specific to this particular deal. A cool head and lots of experience will make or break things right here. This is where I especially work my magic in all of the negotiation points above making things reasonable but leaning towards my client’s advantage. (For an example, I typically work out a 20%+ reduction on the original asking price without insulting the seller.)

Phase 5- In Phase 5 we are actually performing the due diligence together. That means we gather the critical information we asked for in the LOI, the buyer spends time in the business taking notes for us to go over, and we figure out if 1.) The buyer should walk away from the deal 2.) If the offer needs to be adjusted but he deal is still good otherwise. 3.) We go ahead into phase 6.

Phase 6- Now we get to the purchase agreement. The detailed LOI we set up together will have already spelled out about 90% of what has been agreed upon by all parties. But there could be some negotiation when it gets into the hands of each attorney and this is where we work together to make sure the integrity of the deal does not fall apart.

And that leads the client straight to the closing table with an excellent deal on a very good business. This is what business buying brokering and intermediary services are really all about.

Phase 7- But it doesn't end there. It's actually just the beginning and this is the big separator in my business knowledge compared to a typical broker as I have bought, sold and owned a variety of different businesses over the last 2 decades. Now it's time to make the transition into being the business owner, really see where you can make improvements, plan them out, and execute them. And if you bought the business to grow an existing business of yours, this becomes even more critical to get it right.

More Information on Business Buying Brokering / Intermediary Services…

These Business Buying Brokering / Intermediary Services come complete with my entire toolkit and e-book as well as my personal advice so we are working from the same set of tools and groundwork.

To set up a conversation to discuss where you are in the buying process and where you may want help, fill out the form below: