Often times business owners assume that the sale price of their company reflects the amount of money they will walk away with when they exit. That assumption can lead to a nasty financial surprise. So rather than focusing solely on sale price (gross sale proceeds), it is critical for the business owner to understand the concept of net sale proceeds. This is the amount the seller receives after all purchase price adjustments, holdback escrows, contingent payments, taxes, expenses and liabilities are deducted from the sale price. In this podcast Gower Idrees, CEO of RareBrain, explains how conducting a net proceeds analysis before you list your company for sale, can maximize your takeaway in a business sale.

On the visible surface, venture capital and private equity investing can often appear to be the same. Moreover, increased competition in recent years among investors has forced both venture capital and private equity investors to expand their respective horizons in order to secure new opportunities. The result is that the lines between venture capital and private equity are often blurred, especially to the public eye. Because the two groups may overlap in practice, it can be confusing for business owners to understand the distinction between them. In this podcast Gower Idrees, CEO of RareBrain, explains the fundamentally different investment targets and business models that distinguish venture capital from private equity.

Regardless of how much you believe your business should sell for, in the end it is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it. Not all business buyers are created equal—one buyer’s bargain is another’s overpayment. How much you get for the sale of your business will truly depend on who is buying the business and their underlying motivation for buying that business. In this podcast Gower Idrees, CEO of RareBrain, explains the different types of business buyers you may encounter and how their motivations—which may include everything from a strategic acquisition to financial engineering—may impact your company’s sale value.

Determining the best time to sell your business requires knowing yourself, knowing the market, and knowing your company’s stage. In this episode Gower Idrees, CEO of RareBrain, outlines four of the most important timing factors that can impact whether or not you get the maximum price when selling your company. There may never be a perfect time to sell but you can improve your chances of getting top dollar by knowing these critical timing factors.

Nearly every business owner wants to know how much their company is worth on the open market. But there is no one-size-fits-all answer to that question. The valuation will depend on the personal, family, financial, and business objectives of the business owner as well as the exit option implemented to meet those goals. In this episode Gower Idrees, CEO of RareBrain outlines the eight exit channels—four internal, four external—available to business owners. Whether you have already implemented an exit plan or are just getting started, Idrees offers perspective on how the business exit option you select may impact the valuation of your company.

Over the years nearly every industry has seen a rise in specialty services and the financial sector has followed that trend. Today many successful companies seek the input of business brokers, merger and acquisition advisers, investment bankers, and exit planners. But it can be difficult for a business owner to differentiate their roles in a business sale. To clear the confusion, in this episode Gower Idrees, CEO of RareBrain explains the spaces in which each of these specialists operate and also provides their general compensation structure.

Three out of four business owners admit they are too busy running their company to devise and implement an exit plan. That can be a dangerous gamble with your financial future. 80% of small businesses listed for sale in the United States do not sell and only 30% of family businesses successfully transition to the next generation. An exit plan is more than simply circling a retirement date on the calendar; it is creating a strategic plan that helps a business owner successfully exit their company. In this episode Gower Idrees, CEO of RareBrain, explains the elements that comprise the most effective exit plans, how exit plans differ from estate planning, and the top benefits of establishing an exit plan.