Ecosystem of Buyers
High-Level Overview of the Ecosystem of Buyers:
Once Click Wants Partners prepares sell your business, or at least you're considering exploring the possibility. Let's quickly review the steps we should take to ensure you've maximized your business's valuation before putting it on the market.
1. Demonstrate Consistent Revenue Growth Over Time
2. Increase Your Total Annual Revenue
3. Boost Your Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBIDTA)
4. Maintain a Track Record of Meeting Your Projections
5. Strengthen Your Existing Assets.
6. Eliminate Contingent Liabilities
7. Foster Stable Customer Relationships
8. Improve Customer Retention Rates
9. Expand Your Contract Backlog
10. Bolster Your New Business Pipeline
11. Obtain Industry-Specific Certifications
12. As much as possible be Direct Contractor with Clients
13. Refine Your Business Focus
14. Establish a Niche in Your Industry
15. Build a Strong Team (Bench Strength)
16. Get Staff Credentials
Now that you've reviewed these steps let's delve into understanding your potential buyers.
Let's begin by categorizing the reasons buyers acquire companies:
1. Financial Buyers: These individuals, often referred to as "number crunchers" or "flippers," buy businesses like others invest in stocks, aiming to buy low and sell high. They prefer holding a business for three to seven years, hoping for a significant increase in company earnings during that period. Their goal is to achieve a return on investment (ROI), recoup their acquisition costs through cash flow, build equity for a future sale, and avoid involvement in day-to-day operations.
2. Strategic Buyers: These buyers are not solely focused on making a profit by flipping companies. They seek businesses that can provide synergy or a competitive advantage, expanding their base, capabilities, competitiveness, or offerings.
3. Lifestyle Buyers: Lifestyle buyers aim to acquire a business that offers a rewarding work experience, along with a satisfying salary and benefits package.
Now, let's explore the different sizes of buyers:
1. Private Equity Firms: Typically purchase at multiples of 3x to 5x. They aim to recoup their investment in three to seven years.
2. Mergers and Acquisitions Firms: Typically acquire at multiples of 5x to 10x. Regional or midsize companies have more patience in waiting for their investments to pay off, often spanning five to ten years before they see returns.
3. Publicly Traded Companies: Typically buy at multiples of 10x to 15x. These are premium buyers seeking businesses with reliable profits, a strong competitive edge, scalability, sustainability, deep management, and audited financial statements.
Click Wants Partners will have everything organized and appealing to any type of buyer it maybe.
* Businesses All Depends on Industry Multiple, Markets, EBITA; earnings before interest, taxes, and amortization, and is a financial metric that measures a business's profitability.