“you can only get so far on gut feelings and optimism”

ChangeThis.com_StartupLeadership

OK, so you’ve got the idea. The next best breakthrough thing. Good for you. Now what?
Many spend a whole heap of time building the thing for show and tell purposes, in the hope of it being a roaring success. Wrong!
Instead, spend the time, energy and money on creating the market first, doing the business stuff first, in order to know what to spend your time, energy and money on.

Where are you up to?

“It is one of our saddest economic statistics: More than half small businesses fail within a few years of startup. Unlike the cheery pictures presented in advertising or the success stories showcased on Shark Tank, a significant percentage of fledgling enterprises sputter and eventually die. Only 1 in 43 has any employees after 10 years. These startups don’t create much economic value. The vast majority don’t even earn as much for their founders as those people could have earned working for someone else. Dreams die, jobs are lost, and communities lose their vitality.

It does not have to be this way. In fact, if we want a robust economy with job growth, we must do something about it. I think that the solution is deceptively simple: entrepreneurs should stop thinking so much about the idea behind the business and focus instead on how to lead it.”

Against the Odds: Startups that Make It By Derek Lidow for ChangeThis.com

 

TEMpting; How Business Buyers and Sellers Have Been Tempted This Week…

How Saleable is Your Business in 2014?
How Saleable do you want Your Business 2014?
What are you waiting for? GET YOUR SCORE…

Spending the next 3 days learning further about all things Buy and Sell Websites. Looking forward to sharpening my saw on the skill set I am nurturing and developing and enjoying. Sometimes you just have to DO to work it out!

Fortunately, during your time as a Broker, you come across people who get it!
By that I mean, there is no education component required in order for them to understand what you’re revealing.
And what a pleasure that is when it happens…

Had a meeting on Wednesday with a well-established Business Advisor. As usual, there was a few things on the agenda, one of which was the introduction of a business we have for sale. The reason was because I had seen this particular chap present a keynote recently and what he spoke of is how we want to sell this business. Hence the invitation for a coffee and a chat.

Much to our collective delight, he could see what we are trying to achieve and on first glance, is prepared to work in with us to get a mutually beneficial outcome. Happy days!

GOT A WEBSITE FOR SALE?

If you want to sell a website or you’re looking to buy a website (excellent bolt-on possibilities), please email me at dhall@businessbrokers.com.au


If any of the following tickle your fancy, please email me at dhall@businessbrokers.com.au, letting me know which one it is…

FOR SALE…

BS30 Online Venue Business
Completed Sellability Score
So, the concept of the turnaround specialist has been introduced. It’s now in their capable hands.

BS49 Home Help…
Due Diligence – done. Client confirmation – done. Acceptance by Franchisor – done. Contracts now in the hands of lawyers.
Slight complication here where there was a possible “gazumping” on the cards, but fortunately our process stood up.

BS53 Balloons! and all that goes with them…
Back to GumTree we go…

BS59 Niche Service Provider in Building Trade
via Sellability Score.
It’s all systems go! Advertisement is ready to fire.  This is a cracker for a white-collar wanting to get out of the office or a trade wanting to get off the tools. Given how close to end-of-financial-year it is, we’re going to wait a few weeks, get the 2014 numbers done and then go to market.

BS60 Advertising and Events agency
(via Sellability Score)
The Linkedin campaign commenced sourcing and contacting larger agencies. Some have said thanks but no thanks. Otherwise have accepted the preliminary information but nothing else as yet. And others haven’t responded at all.  Next phase will be going to our “referral network”. What will next week bring?

BS72 Niche Bookseller and Training Provider
Contacted key players, the largest of which has put their hand up. It’s all rather good timing in so far as their next Board meeting is Sunday, so the Business Profile has already been provided, in readiness.

Training provider
Assisting colleague by introducing the perfect buyer for his selling client. However, due to their own growth plans, this has been placed on the back burner. Vendor has given all-clear to 3 private parties who have indicated interest, with another 2 more in the wings. IMs have been sent.

Health Care Provider
Assisting colleague by introducing the Home Help interested party to their client, now that the authority has been signed. As it turns out, the offer out of nowhere was being used as their first step in the process. Unfortunately for the prospective buyer, it’s way off the mark and that’s because they listened to their accountant who clearly doesn’t understand the business buying/selling process. They’ve been invited in to discuss the issue but so far no response.


It’s all happening…. Others I’ve talked too.. are you interested in any one of them?

  • a particular event
  • sales and services
  • magazine
  • specialty bed linen
  • facilities management
  • speciality giftware
  • technology reseller
  • specialty children’s products x 2
  • overseas medical procedures
  • online products
  • electronics retailer
  • niche manufacturer
  • specialty clothing
  • digital agency

If yes, let me know…


 

Exploring the Sale Option?

GET YOUR SCORE…

Onwards and Upwards!

the power of a well-constructed and timely email…

Email

Today, I started a campaign for a business sale. This campaign though is not following the usual “sale process”. The client has been very specific about who would find what they have for sale of value. As a result, there is to be no advertising of a public nature. Instead, we have developed a 3-pronged proactive process.

It is made up of

  • professionally approaching to the larger ones first,
  • with others that have expressed an interest in the past next
  • followed by going out to the clients OWN database

Given their own client list is extensive and the importance of having an engaged relationship with the database, I do not doubt that a buyer can be found there. But this is a rare case, because in most instances, confidentiality is sought requiring no-one on the inside knowing about the sale.

Even with the sale of my own business, we always said that the most probable owner was sitting in our list but we did not have access to a process in order to flush them out. Just shows some of what I’ve learned in last 3 years, doesn’t it… but I digress… because this is where the well-constructed, timely email (or LinkedIn connect for that matter) and the use of honesty being the best policy comes in.

For this business (and another I’m also selling), chosen words stating exactly why I have contacted them has resulted in a most appreciative response, whether the timing is right for them or not. Fortunately, in the case of what I did today, the timing also worked, with the potential buyer very keen to get things moving. And for the others where the timing is not right, they’ve asked to be kept in the loop of other possibilities. Excellent!

Here’s hoping it all ends with the perfect fairytale ending and if not, how about something even better!

 

 

“world domination” – two of my favourite words…

ChangeThis.com_7stepsWorldDomination

Many a time, when talking to Business Owners, I flippantly ask whether they are going for World Domination in what they do. Most chuckle and say, “oh yes!” But it’s actually a serious question. If you’re not looking to build something of note, why bother?

“It doesn’t matter if you are a small business owner, manager, CEO, employee, or aspiring entrepreneur; you want to be the best you can be. You don’t have to be a billionaire in order to be at the top of your game. In fact, you have more in common with the world’s most successful business leaders than you may think—you are probably already using some of the strategies they use without being aware of it.

To help you raise and sharpen your self-awareness there are seven key strategies that all leaders use, regardless of their industry. These steps lead to what I describe as ‘world domination.’ All of the seven strategies build and support each other, forming strong pyramid. As you read about these strategies, imagine how you would use each one when building your business or career.”

Seven Steps to World Domination By Lori Ann LaRocco for ChangeThis.com

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