Buying and Selling Businesses

Here’s an article in the current edition of Inc. magazine that might be of interest to business owners.

My observation of the BC market is this:

– lots of baby-boomer business owners are hanging on in order to improve their financial statements after the 2008/2009 downturn

– US private equity firms and firms from Ontario are sitting on lots of committed capital and have to put it to work. That’s having the effect of making it a sellers’ market for businesses with more than $5,000,000 EBITDA.

– There is a dearth of really good small businesses with $500,000 to $1,000,000 EBITDA which is also making that a sellers’ market.

– The next five years will see a shift with an increase in the number of businesses for sale and fewer buyers after having already put their capital to work.

– It will shift to a buyers’ market.

Enjoy the article.

http://www.inc.com/magazine/201402/jennifer-alsever/business-for-sale-market-booming.html

January 6 segment on entrepreneurship – CFAX 1070

This month Ian Jessop and I talk about:

(1) what it’s like in the early days of starting a business and
(2) what business owners should be thinking about when getting ready to sell their companies.

http://www.cfax1070.com/Media/CFAX-Podcasts/Ian-Jessop/January-6-2014-2pm