M&A Talk, by Morgan & Westfield

The financial market collapse of 2008 resulted in tougher standards and regulations for the nation’s largest banks, making it more difficult in many cases for small business owners to secure the funds they need to grow their business. Since the financial crisis, crowdfunding has emerged as a real—and credible—alternative to banks, private equity, and venture capital. This edition of Deal Talk delves into the details of what crowdfunding is, its advantages over traditional funding sources and how the application process works. Jeff Allen talks with Mr. Markus Lampinen, CEO of Crowdvalley.com in San Francisco for an in-depth discussion of an option that could help your raise the capital you need.

If you're a business owner looking to diversify your holdings and/or to create a business portfolio, then owning a business franchise may be the way to go. And what you learn along the way may benefit your own privately held company, particularly where systems come into play. Terry Coker, a consultant at Franchoice joins host Jeff Allen for a discussion of the various types of systems that franchisors put into place to help ensure the success of their individual franchise owners and the corporation overall.

Our ongoing series of discussions with small business owners about their business-selling experience continues as we talk with the now-former owner of Treasure Chest Foods, Mr. Matt Wakelin. As the long-time owner of a company specializing in high-quality meats and seafood delivered “to your door,” Matt knew that his business was valuable, but the first couple business brokers he worked with may not have seen it that way. On this edition of “Deal Talk,” Jeff Allen speaks with Matt about his experience working with brokers who seemed to be more motivated by their commission check, until he connected with a company that put his business first and got him the results he had wanted from the start.

Knowing what your fellow business owners (your competitors) don't know can play substantially to your advantage. How well do you really know your customers? How well do you know your competitors’ customers? How well do you know the market in general? You need to know the answers to these and many other important questions now and several years from now in order to help continue to lift the value of your company, because your potential buyers are looking for a company with an advantage in the marketplace. And that should be your company, shouldn't it? Our guest has essential insight on value drivers for business owners with their "eyes on the prize." Host Jeff Allen visits with an investor, consultant, and corporate strategist Andrew Cadwell on this edition of "Deal Talk."

The growth of franchising is indisputable. Yet, while many business owners have elected to expand their companies through franchising, the owners of many other privately held businesses may be intimidated by what they perceive to be an industry that is simply too saturated or too highly competitive to give them much of a chance to succeed through franchising. But what's the truth? Is there enough room for your business? Do you have to start out with a hundred locations to be a success? What are some of the latest business trends responsible for the growth of franchising? Our guest has some great thoughts on these and other points. Hear what he has to say when Jeff Allen visits with James Channer, senior franchise business advisor with Your Franchise Success, LLC.

Since selling your company is the most important professional transaction you will likely make, is there a way to ensure that you will get the most money possible for your business? When it comes to M&A, you need to know where to look for “intangible” value drivers, and believe it or not, you may have many more of these intangible drivers (or assets) than you might think. On this edition of "Deal Talk," business broker and consultant Mark Sievers will fill us in on what some of the most critical drivers of value are, where to look for others and how you can work with the buyer to build value after the sale.

The amount of money you spend paying a contractor to perform small repairs, improvements or major construction-related projects could be small compared to potentially greater costs resulting from a dispute with the prime contractor or any of the subcontractors they hire. Stricter laws and regulations offer some protection against unlicensed contractors; however, if you are like many small business owners, you may not know what questions to ask or what resources are available to you to help you screen contractors during the bidding process. To help us understand what we can do to avoid the risks associated with working with contractors, we are happy to be joined once again by attorney Virginia Suveiu, specializing in commercial and contract law and developer of the Legal Risk Management Certificate Program at the University of California, Irvine. 

Believe it or not, a business appraisal may not always be necessary to sell your company; however, you may need one for any number of other reasons such as in the case of a divorce settlement, buying out a partner, or simply for a tax-related reason among many others. In any case, the type of appraisal you receive and the company performing that appraisal need to be right for the specific task at hand. Why is that important? Our guest will tell you. Ryan Kinahan is the owner and Managing Director of RK Valuation Advisory LLC. His thoughts and guidance may help you avoid leaving money on the table and/or spending too much on the wrong thing.

The purpose of owning your own business may be as simple as providing you with a source of income as an alternative to working for someone else to earn a living. However, if you’re like many business owners, the purpose may be much greater. Whether you desire to leave a legacy, makes others’ lives better or have some other reason in mind, knowing why you own your business may have a profound influence on your ability to sell your business at the price it deserves. Our guest speaks from a deep background of experience as a business owner in Australia and in the U.S. Don’t miss our conversation with author and certified business broker, Andrew Rogerson, owner of Rogerson Business Services.

Business and end-consumers in Europe have an appetite for American products and services, so it’s no surprise that there is a growing interest among entrepreneurs to grow their businesses by expanding into Europe. Andrew Pike, Managing Director at AN Valuation Services in The Netherlands has nearly 2 decades of investment industry experience as a valuation advisor and provider of M&A and transaction support in addition to other specialties. He’ll explain how cultural differences from country to country influence the way executives do business there and how expanding your company into European markets may be easier that you think.