Intentional Growth

How to Buy and Sell a Business

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Today we are talking to Jim Sulciner. Jim bought his business, RTD, a decade after becoming an engineer and after having a career in marketing. He experienced double-digit growth for over 12 years before selling to a very large company. He sold for a multiple of EBITA that is nearly unheard of and gave himself some great options. He’s going to talk to us about all of his business milestones.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:
  • How Jim started his career and what caused him to take the leap into entrepreneurship.
  • How Jim managed to purchase RTD after only having purchased a home – how he structured the deal and what the transition looked like.
  • Jim’s thoughts on the difference between a founder and an entrepreneur and how he strove to have an entrepreneurial strategy when it came to growth.
  • What Jim’s goals were and how he measured his benchmarks when it came to reaching those goals.
  • Details on how they balanced cash and handled employees.
  • Where Jim got the ideas for his excellent practices that ultimately allowed him to sell for so much.
  • What triggered Jim to want to sell.
  • How Jim managed two offers, how the would-be buyers valued the company, and how he ended up structuring the eventual deal.
  • How Jim transformed his life after his exit.
    • Takeaways:
    1. Jim had experience as a buyer and a seller. This was invaluable because he already understood the buyer’s mindset when it was time to sell.
    2. Jim implemented value-building techniques that ended up being extremely beneficial to him when the time came to exit. He had profit-sharing with his key executives and was very specific with his AP and AR.
    3. Jim had patents that raised his company’s value over and above the business profits and growth. This combination really boosted his buyer’s confidence.
      4. Links and Resources:

      The Value Advantage

      Email Jim

      Jim on LinkedIn

      About Jim Sulciner

      Jim Sulciner, a sales & marketing executive and entrepreneur, is highly experienced in growth and leadership of startups to midsize companies with an emphasis in recruiting, sales, and customer relations. Most recently as CEO,, Jim guided RTD Company through an acquisition by Measurement Specialties (NASDAQ MEAS) at seven times EBITA. This culminates 25 years of experience in a variety of sales channels — direct, manufacturing representatives, and distribution. His technical experience includes project management, ISo 9001, and lean manufacturing.

      Jim was educated with a double major in Chemistry from the University o

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