One of the biggest mistakes that any employer can make is thinking that his/her employees think similarly. “Well, that’s what I would want!” is a terrible criteria by which to decide whether you should give your employees stock. While stock options seem like a reasonable way to boost the desirability of your workplace, you need […]
In the due diligence process, a lot of documents and statements have to be delivered. What are sometimes forgotten are those crucial discussions about the heart and soul of a business. The information that is difficult to put into even the best owner’s manuals of the most systematized businesses. It’s also true that not all […]
Before Uber Eats and DoorDash became the VC-backed juggernauts in the food delivery space, Kenan Hopkins had already taken his 7 figure exit from this new space with lean margins. At the time of sale his company, Valet Gourmet, was doing $4M in annual revenue and employed 50 staff in Asheville, North Carolina, and Knoxville, […]
Whether you are on the buyer or seller side of a business sale, negotiating matters. The desired outcome for everyone is a successful transaction, so awareness of what you want and what the counter-party to the transaction wants is key, but it’s only a starting point. That starting point will help build a proper mindset […]
Food businesses have never been more popular. At a basic level, food, as something we consume every day, is always on our minds. But the celebritization of the industry via competitions, the Food Network, and wildly successful concepts has brought a new level of interest to this marketplace. Food service businesses have some particular things […]
Not everyone has the same goals when buying a business. In fact, many are quite happy to buy themselves a job. If we see total owner benefit (owner’s salary + discretionary earnings) of $75-100k and a workload of 40-60 hours per week, you will indeed be your own boss, but you’re the boss of your […]
Some time ago, we had a seller who had a wildly profitable business in medical equipment. He was one of the first to market, and as such had a great competitive advantage and enviable cash flow. In fact, when we first took on his business, he had several serious offers, one as high as $12M. […]
Goodwill is part of many transactions we do here at Apex. The best businesses have it in spades, and they are able to incorporate it into their valuation and their final deals. But like company culture, it is created in many different, not easily traceable ways. In this article, we will talk about some of […]
Many people, for better or worse, avoid going to the doctor. No news is good news or if they feel fine all must be fine. But often there will at least be some kind of warning sign to nudge you to seek help. It may not be serious or life threatening, but it’s enough to […]
It’s that time of year in America when taxes are on our minds. When we get to pay the government for the privilege of providing fellow citizens with jobs, supporting the economy, doing something that matters to our community, etc. However you might feel about the tax system in general, one thing you shouldn’t do […]
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