Selling: What Does An Intermediary Expect From You

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If you are seriously considering selling your company, you have no doubt considered using the services of an intermediary.  You probably have wondered what you could expect from him or her.  It works both ways.  To do their job, which is selling your company; maximizing the selling price, terms and net proceeds; plus handling the details effectively; there are some things intermediaries will expect from you.  By understanding these expectations, you will greatly improve the chances of a successful sale. Here are just a few:

• Next to continuing to run the business, working with your intermediary in helping to sell the company is a close second.  It takes this kind of partnering to get the job done.  You have to return all of his or her telephone calls promptly and be available to handle any other requests.  You, other key executives, and primary advisors have to be readily available to your intermediary.

• Selling a company is a group effort that will involve you, key executives, and your financial and legal advisors all working in a coordinated manner with the intermediary.  Beginning with the gathering of information, through the transaction closing, you need input about all aspects of the sale.  Only they can provide the necessary information.

• Keep in mind that the selling process can take anywhere from six months to a year — or even a bit longer.  An intermediary needs to know what is happening — and changing — within the company, the competition, customers, etc.  The lines of communication must be kept open.

• The intermediary will need key management’s cooperation in preparation for the future visits from prospective acquirers.  They will need to know just what is required, and expected, from such visits.

• You will rightfully expect the intermediary to develop a list of possible acquirers.  You can help in several ways.  First, you could offer the names of possible candidates who might be interested in acquiring your business.  Second, supplying the intermediary with industry publications, magazines and directories will help in increasing the number of possible purchasers, and will help in educating the intermediary in the nature of your business.

• Keep your intermediary in the loop.  Hopefully, at some point, a letter of intent will be signed and the deal turned over to the lawyers for the drafting of the final documents.  Now is not the time to assume that the intermediary’s job is done.  It may just be beginning as the details of financing are completed and final deal points are resolved.  The intermediary knows the buyer, the seller, and what they really agreed on.  You may be keeping the deal from falling apart by keeping the intermediary involved in the negotiations.

• Be open to all suggestions.  You may feel that you only want one type of buyer to look at your business.  For example, you may think that only a foreign company will pay you what you want for the company.  Your intermediary may have some other prospects.  Sometimes you have to be willing to change directions.

The time to call a business intermediary professional is when you are considering the sale of your company.  He or she is a major member of your team.  Selling a company can be a long-term proposition.  Make sure you are willing to be involved in the process until the job is done.  Maintain open communications with the intermediary.  And, most of all – listen. He or she is the expert.

Surveying the Business Scene: How Many Sell?

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One of the most frequently-asked questions by those looking at the independent business scene is: “How many are for sale?” Right on the heels of that question comes another: “How many actually sell?”

To determine how many of these businesses are for sale at any one time, and what percentage of these get sold, it is necessary first to define terms by business category. The industry groups that account for the majority of small to mid-sized business sales are: manufacturing, wholesale trade, retail trade, business and personal services, and household/miscellaneous services. Using these categories as components, the total number of businesses that apply to our “survey” is approximately 6.3 million.

Of this total, businesses that are for sale at any one time account for roughly 20 percent. There is naturally going to be a higher percentage of businesses for sale that employ four or less workers, but some independent business experts feel that fewer of these businesses–at least percentage-wise–sell than do the larger ones. Of those businesses with four or less employees, one expert’s estimate is that one out of six actually sells; with five to nine employees, about one out of five sells; and the trend continues.

Why is the actual-sale percentage lower for very small businesses? Many factors operate to affect this tendency. For example, the much smaller business may suffer more from unsubstantiated income or inaccurate financial information. Some owners may not be realistic in their pricing or simply aren’t serious about selling (problems that can threaten the sale of a business at any level). Still others may simply pay the bills and close the doors.

However, no matter what the percentages show, a business owner considering putting a company on the market should remember this: most businesses are salable if the seller is realistic in assessing value and is aware that the marketplace is the final arbiter of the selling price.

Rating Buyer Seriousness

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Use the following criteria to separate the serious buyers from window-shoppers. (Add up plus points, subtract minus points. The serious buyer will rate a 6 or above.)

Minus Point Factors

  • -4 needs outside financing (excluding home equity)
  • -4 been looking for 6 months or more
  • -3 no available cash
  • -3 still working in corporate world
  • -2 spouse not supportive of buying a business
  • -2 uses a legal pad or clipboard and takes too many notes
  • -2 feels leisurely about finding the “just-right” business
  • -1 now renting (although has lived in area for some time)
  • -1 under 25 or over 62

Plus Point Factors

  • +3 does not have a job or has just resigned
  • +3 understands that books and records are not the only indicators of value
  • +2 has enough money to buy a business
  • +2 no dependents
  • +2 family member or close relative has been a business owner
  • +2 willing to take the time to look without a lot of notice
  • +1 location is not a prime consideration
  • +1 age 25 to 62
  • +1 skilled worker or professional

Family-Owned Businesses Do Have Choices

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Family-owned businesses do have some options when it comes time to sell.  Selling the entire business may not be the best choice when there are no other family members involved.  Here are some choices to be considered:

Internal Transactions

  • Hire a CEO – This approach is a management exit strategy in which the owner retires, lives off the company’s dividends and possibly sells the company many years later.
  • Transition ownership within the family – Keeping the business in the family is a noble endeavor, but the parent seldom liquefies his investment in the short-term, and the son or daughter may run the company into the ground.
  • Recapitalization – By recapitalizing the company by increasing the debt to as much as 70 percent of the capitalization, the owner(s) is/are able to liquefy most of their investment now with the intent to pay down the debt and sell the company later on.
  • Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) – Many types of companies such as construction, engineering, and architectural are difficult to sell to a third party, because the employees are the major asset.  ESOPs are a useful vehicle in this regard, but are usually sold in stages over a time period as long as ten years.

External Transactions

  • Third party sale – The process could take six months to a year to complete.  This method should produce a high valuation, sometimes all cash at closing and often the ability of the owner to walk away right after the closing.
  • Complete sale over time – The owner can sell a minority interest now with the balance sold after maybe five years.  Such an approach allows the owner to liquefy some of his investment now, continue to run the company, and hopefully receive a higher valuation for the company years later.
  • Management buy-outs (MBOs) – Selling to the owners’ key employee(s) is an easy transaction and a way to reward them for years of hard work.  Often the owner does not maximize the selling price, and usually the owner participates in the financing.
  • Initial public offering (IPO) – In today’s marketplace, a company should have revenues of $100+ million to become a viable candidate.  IPOs receive the highest valuation, but management must remain to run the company.

Source: “Buying & Selling Companies,” a presentation by Russ Robb, Editor, M&A Today

How's Your Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)?

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Your first question may be, “Just what is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)?” We see CSR demonstrated in a variety of ways in areas such as:

THE COMMUNITY:
o Contributing to local community programs through financial support and personal involvement

THE ENVIRONMENT:
o Using packaging and containers that are environmentally-friendly
o Recycling
o Using low-emission and high mileage vehicles where possible
o Seeking more efficient manufacturing processes, etc.

THE MARKETPLACE:
o Utilizing responsible advertising, public relations and business conduct
o Exercising fair treatment of suppliers/vendors, contractors and shareholder

THE WORKPLACE:
o Implementing fair and equitable treatment of employees
o Upholding workplace safety, equal opportunity employment and labor standards

Actions such as these not only uphold today’s business standards, but they also pave the way for future generations. In years past, many of these elements were considered almost anti-business and some had to be enforced by governmental regulation.

Successful companies such as Tom’s of Maine (producer of natural personal care products) and Newman’s Own have practically been built on CSR. More and more companies – public and private – are following the elements of CSR. Google is a desired workplace because of the way they treat their employees: great benefits, great food in the employee cafeteria, exercise equipment – you name it, Google provides it.

Recognizing CSR in today’s business climate not only increases shareholder/investor interest, but also increases value. Socially-conscious companies are considered sound investments.  They attract buyer interest and acquire higher selling prices when it comes time to sell. After all, most buyers want to find a business with the following attributes:

• Good relations with the local community
• Products and/or services that are meeting the current trends in the marketplace and are positioned to meet future trends
• Positive relations with employees and low-turn-over
• Excellent customer loyalty
• Good relationships with suppliers and vendors
• No “skeletons” in the company closet

In addition, good environmental practices reduce costs, create efficiencies and provide excellent public relations. Good employee relations make for happy workers, which translates to higher productivity and lower absenteeism. Good relationships with customers and suppliers eliminate, or greatly reduce, the possibility of legal entanglements.

All in all, Corporate Social Responsibility not only creates additional value and helps in creating a higher selling price when that time comes – it is also very good business for now and in the future.

Personal Goodwill: Who Owns It?

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Personal Goodwill has always been a fascinating subject, impacting the sale of many small to medium-sized businesses – and possibly even larger companies. How is personal goodwill developed? An individual starts a business and, during the process, builds one or more of the following:

• A positive personal reputation
• A personal relationship with many of the largest customers and/or suppliers
• Company products, publications, etc., as the sole author, designer, or inventor

The creation of personal goodwill occurs far beyond just customers and suppliers. Over the years, personal goodwill has been established through relationships with tax advisors, doctors, dentists, attorneys, and other personal service providers.  While these relationships are wonderful benefits, they are, unfortunately, non-transferable. There is an old saying:  In businesses built around personal goodwill, the goodwill goes home at night.

It can be difficult to sell a business, regardless of size, where personal goodwill plays an integral role in the business’ success. The larger the business, the less likely that one person holds the key to its profitability. In small to medium-sized businesses, personal goodwill can be a crucial ingredient.  A buyer certainly has to consider it when considering whether to buy such a business.

In the case of the sale of a medical, accounting, or legal practice, existing clients/patients may visit a new owner of the same practice; they are used to coming to that location, they have an immediate problem, or they have some other practical reason for staying with the same practice. However, if existing clients or patients don’t like the new owner, or they don’t feel that their needs were handled the way the old owner cared for them, they may look for a new provider. The new owner might be as competent as, or more competent than, his predecessor, but chemistry, or the lack of it, can supersede competency in the eyes of a customer.

Businesses centered on the goodwill of the owner can certainly be sold, but usually the buyer will want some protection in case business is lost with the departure of the seller. One simple method requires the seller to stay for a sufficient period after the sale to allow him or her to work with the new owner and slowly transfer the goodwill. No doubt, some goodwill will be lost, but that expectation should be built into the price.

Another approach uses some form of “earnout.” At the end of the year, the lost business that can be attributed to the goodwill of the seller is tallied.  A percentage is then subtracted from monies owed to the seller, or funds from the down payment are placed in escrow, and adjustments are made from that source.

In some cases, the sale of goodwill may offer some favorable tax benefits for the seller. If the seller of the business is also the owner of the personal goodwill, the sale can essentially be two taxable events. The tax courts have ruled that the business doesn’t own the goodwill, the owner of the business does. The seller thus sells the business and then also sells his or her personal goodwill. The seller’s tax professional will be able to give further advice on this matter.

Ownership Transition -- Survey Results

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Mass Mutual Life Insurance Company provided the following survey results based on family-owned businesses. Although the survey was conducted several years ago, the results are still quite revealing, and still applicable.

• Four out of five companies are still controlled by the founders.
• 30% of family-owned companies will change leadership within the next five years.
• 55% of companies fail to conduct regular valuations of the company.
• 55% of CEOs who are 61 or older have not chosen a successor.
• 13% of CEOs will never retire.
• 90% of businesses will continue as family owned.
• 85% of successor CEOs will be a family member.
• 20% of family owners have not completed any estate planning.
• 55% of family owners do not have a formal company valuation for estate tax estimates.
• 60% of businesses do not have a written strategic plan.
• 48% of companies rely on life insurance to cover estate taxes.

The above survey indicates that many family businesses are not optimizing their opportunities. Their insular approach to succession, leadership, planning, etc., indicates their vulnerability for the long term. These vulnerabilities suggest that many business owners should work with professional advisors to resolve these issues. A professional intermediary is an essential member of this advisor group.

An Update on Earnouts

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New accounting rules may require that acquirers and acquiring companies report earnout agreements as liabilities.

Joel Johnson, president of Orchard Partners Inc., in his article, “Earnouts,” published by Valuation Strategies, states: “In a given year, 2% – 3% of announced mergers and acquisition agreements involve earnouts.  These figures probably understate their prevalence.  Earnouts tend to be a characteristic of smaller deals; and in many small deals, terms are not announced.  Earnouts are rare when public companies are acquired and more common when ownership is concentrated among a few shareholders.”

This would mean, if implemented, that earnout agreements must have a value placed on them for accounting purposes. As Joel Johnson points out, “The higher the earnout, the greater the liability.”

Why the Earnout?

Johnson further states that earnouts are used for various reasons:

1. to bridge the pricing gap between the seller who places a heavy emphasis on the company’s projections, and the buyer who places most of the company’s value on its present and past performance.
2. to tie the acquisition payout to future performance.
3. to create a form of seller financing in that some of the buyer’s purchase price is delayed into the future. 4. to establish a form of escrow account in that the money is paid on condition of meeting certain thresholds.
5. to act as a type of employment agreement in that the CEO has to stick around in order to collect.

Remember: It Is Not Always the Price

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The following are situations where the price was not the deciding issue in the successful sell of a business. The ultimate buyer may be the only one who really understands the situation. A business intermediary really understands the issues and can lead the buyer and seller to a successful resolution.

• One seller had 60 shareholders who needed to walk away from the deal.  The losing buyer wanted all selling shareholders to be accountable for the “reps and warranties.”  The winning buyer waived the reps and warranties at closing.

• A seller’s management team wanted some future upside in the deal.  The losing buyer offered all cash and normal compensation.  The winning buyer offered 80% cash, 20% stock plus 3-year earnout on revenues — including acquisitions.

• Time was of the essence.  The losing buyer needed 30 day due diligence and negotiations plus a 60-day window to close the deal.  The winning buyer offered to close within 40 days of the Letter of Intent and agreed to have limited due diligence.

The Three Ways to Negotiate

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Basically, there are three major negotiation methods.

1. Take it or leave it. A buyer makes an offer or a seller makes a counter-offer – both sides can let the “chips fall where they may.”

2. Split the difference. The buyer and seller, one or the other, or both, decide to split the difference between what the buyer is willing to offer and what the seller is willing to accept. A real oversimplification, but often used.

3. This for that. Both buyer and seller have to find out what is important to each.  So many of these important areas are non-monetary and involve personal things such as allowing the owner’s son to continue employment with the firm.  The buyer may want to move the business.

There is an old adage that advises, “Never negotiate your own deal!”

The first thing both sides have to decide on is who will represent them.  Will they have their attorney, their intermediary or will they go it alone?  Intermediaries are a good choice for a seller.  They have done it before, are good advocates for their side and they understand the company and the seller.

How do the parties get together in a win-win negotiation?  The first step is for both sides to work with their advisors to settle on the price and deal structure positions.  Both sides should be able to present their side of these issues.  Which is more important – price or terms, or non-monetary items?

Information is vital to a buyer.  Buyers should keep in mind that the seller knows more about the business than he or she does.  Both buyer and seller need to anticipate what is important to the other and keep that in mind when discussing the deal.  Buyer and seller should do due diligence on each other. Both buyer and seller must be able to walk away from a deal that is just not going to work.

Bob Woolf, the famous sports agent said in his book, Friendly Persuasion: My Life as a Negotiator, “I never think of negotiating against anyone.  I work with people to come to an agreement.  Deals are put together.”