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When it comes to buying a business, it’s generally advisable to conduct a thorough due diligence on the purchase opportunity.

Due diligence is designed to identify any material issues which are likely to impact the value proposition of the business opportunity you are considering. It's usually conducted once you've secured a binding position on price – a position which may be subject to your detailed due diligence.

Every due diligence is different, and should be treated as such, but – as I outline in this video – there are some warning signs you should watch out for in any due diligence process.

Topics: Buying a business, Advice, Due diligence, Template, Video, Business advisor, business broker, James Price, small business, JPAbusiness, Parramatta, Central West NSW, business buyer, business transaction advisor, due diligence checklist

Q.1 Do I really want to sell my business and, if so, why?

• Do you want to sell because you’ve had the business for five years and the results have been poor?
• Do you want to sell because you’re over-exposed to borrowings, your cash flow is tight and you can’t see a way to get ahead?
• Do you want to sell because it’s time to retire or move on to the next stage of your career?

Your reasons for selling will help you create a negotiation framework to determine what an acceptable offer might be, so it is critical you be honest with yourself when answering this question.

Topics: Business Value, Selling your business, Advice, Business transfer, selling a business, Business advisor, business broker, James Price, JPAbusiness, Parramatta, Central West NSW, business sale transaction advisor, business transaction advisor

There are some common 'people-related' risks associated with business purchases, particularly in small to middle-sized businesses that are substantially dependent on an owner or a few senior employees for their success.

Two things can happen if those personnel aren’t retained in the business in an active way:

• the business’ relationships with customers and suppliers may deteriorate; and
• the employees’ know-how and corporate knowledge will be lost.

Topics: Buying a business, Business transfer, staff management, business advice, Business advisor, business management, James Price, JPAbusiness, Parramatta, Central West NSW, business transaction advisor, human resources

Business valuation is not an exact science and nor is it a simple science. However there are some factors that should always be considered when assessing a business’ value.

They are:

• repeatability of current earnings
• availability of information on the business’ performance and business model
• point of difference and competitive advantage.

We've created the following infographic to help you get started on assessing the value of a potential purchase opportunity.

Topics: Business Value, Advice, BME, infographic, business advice, Business valuation, Business advisor, Business maintainable earnings, James Price, JPAbusiness, Parramatta, COVID-19, coronavirus, Central West NSW, business transaction advisor

One of the lessons I’ve learnt over 35 years of running my own businesses – and also advising on and observing others – is that very little value is generated in a ‘fast foot race’.

Good things come from time, careful execution, trial and error, and patience.

I'm spending a few hours in the gym these days trying to tone and trim up a bit. As a tall guy who’s less than perfectly coordinated, there are some exercises that are a bit of a challenge – barbell squats for one. My form is not a picture of symmetry and grace.

Topics: Business Value, Business Planning, Succession planning, business advice, Business valuation, Business advisor, JPAbusiness, Parramatta, Central West NSW, business transaction advisor, sustainable value, business sustainability

Cash flow is the lifeblood of a business and careful cash flow management has never been more important than it is today.

From a day-to-day point of view, the more cash surplus in your business, the more value in your pocket. Having surplus cash that can be used as working capital also gives your business more options to grow, invest and change.

Taking the longer-term perspective, ability to generate cash is a critical component when it comes to determining the value of the business should you wish to exit. 

In this video I'm focusing on how you can improve your cash flow through your dealings with suppliers.

Topics: Cash flow, Video, Suppliers, business advice, Business advisor, managing suppliers, James Price, JPAbusiness, Parramatta, Central West NSW, liquidity, business transaction advisor, cashflow management

Due diligence is ‘the process of acquiring objective and reliable information on a … company as required, especially before a commercial acquisition’ [Macquarie Dictionary].

The over-riding purpose of due diligence is to ensure there are no nasty surprises after you buy a business.

We’ve created the following infographic to share some of our top tips for people embarking on the due diligence process.

Topics: Buying a business, Due diligence, infographic, business advice, Business advisor, James Price, JPAbusiness, Parramatta, Central West NSW, business buyer, business transaction advisor

We have helped some clients find the right business within six months while, for other clients, it has taken over three years.

The key phrase is ‘the right business’; I’m sure we could speed up the process if our aim was just to help our clients buy ‘a’ business, but that’s not our job.

In this video I explain why it's important not to rush into buying a business, and share four tips for managing risk during the business buying process.

Topics: Buying a business, infographic, Video, business advice, Business valuation, Business advisor, business broker, vendor due diligence, business buying funnel, JPAbusiness, Parramatta, Central West NSW, business buyer, business transaction advisor

When selling a business, it’s important to think carefully – before taking it to market – about your reasons and objectives for selling.

Once you’ve established your objective, write it down and/or discuss it explicitly with your business partner, spouse and/or advisor.

You then need to obtain a professional valuation to determine whether a sale could meet that objective.

For example, sometimes we see business owners wanting a certain amount for their business and that amount is not necessarily determined by what the market would likely pay for the business, but rather it’s determined by the amount of outstanding loans the business owner has with the bank.

Topics: Business Value, Selling your business, business advice, selling a business, Business valuation, Business advisor, business valuer, James Price, JPAbusiness, Parramatta, Central West NSW, business transaction advisor