The founder of a construction company was nearing retirement. He wanted to decide what the best options were for exiting the business in the following years. We evaluated the business and assessed its value and salability. The business was strong operationally, comparing very favorably to industry comparables. Plus, our value factor analysis indicated a value index score of 73%, which is very favorable. It was not until we interviewed a larger number of active buyers in the industry that we realized that the buyer market for this business is very small, and it would likely be a painful and unsuccessful exercise. With the benefit of this information, the owner decided not to expend the time and money to pursue selling the business, but instead to follow a number of MarketView recommendations and focus on maximizing owner distributions while winding down the business in an orderly fashion.

The owner of an industrial fastener business was concerned that he was taking too much risk by having most of his net worth tied up in the business. While not ready for retirement, the owner assumed that he would have to make the difficult decision to sell his business in order to provide his family with financial security. We evaluated the business, the market environment, and the owner’s personal, financial, and non-financial objectives. After gathering direct feedback from active marketplace participants, we concluded that there were options available to the owner that he had not considered. As a result, the owner pursued and closed a transaction that allowed him to retain a significant ownership interest in the business, continue to work in the business, and create the liquidity needed to provide the financial security he had been seeking.

An equipment manufacturer was on a very steep growth track. The owner knew that he wanted to sell the business, but because of their niche market, he did not know who would buy the business or if the value would be sufficient to meet his personal financial requirements. MarketView was engaged to help the owner understand the buyer’s perspective. Should he try to sell now? What was it worth? What should he do to increase the value and appeal to a buyer? We interviewed a large number of potential buyers in the marketplace and uncovered a number of Value Opportunities. As a result, we recommended that the owner focus on these before attempting to sell. In the ensuing months, the owner focused on increasing sales of only the company’s most profitable products, eliminating other products, and strengthening the management team. The company nearly doubled sales and profitability within 12 months while decreasing customer concentration. The company's value has doubled and it has become attractive to a much larger pool of potential buyers. The owner has elected to continue growing the business, based on the company’s strong operating performance and industry dynamics.