Middle Georgia Businesses Expect Strong Year
Businesses in Middle Georgia experienced a very positive 2018 and expect an even better 2019, according to the results of Mercer University’s 2018 Middle Georgia Economic Outlook Survey.
During 2018, businesses in Middle Georgia added more employees than they expected to add at the beginning of the year. Businesses were also very optimistic about adding employees during 2019.
Interestingly, businesses show strong optimism about adding employees despite believing that average employee compensation was higher during 2018 than expected at the beginning of the year, and that this average will further increase in 2019.
The BB&T Center for Undergraduate Research in Public Policy and Capitalism and partner chambers received responses to their electronic survey from 125 individuals. Dr. Antonio Saravia, associate professor of economics and director of the BB&T Center, compiled the results, which can be viewed online.
“In general terms, businesses in Middle Georgia seemed to have experienced a very strong 2018 and expect an even stronger 2019,” said Dr. Saravia. “The indices for net earnings, sales and hiring were all up for 2018 and are predicted to continue to increase in 2019, which is very good news. The report shows absolutely no recessionary concerns. While companies in Middle Georgia still struggle finding the right talent in the area, the economic sentiment continues to be positive as the economy continues to expand.”
The most significant obstacles to business identified by the respondents for both 2018 and 2019, as evidenced by intensity indices, were the quality of labor, the cost of labor, government regulations and/or red tape and taxes.
Respondents represented considerable variety in terms of company size, geography and industry. Most were small businesses under 10 employees, which accounted for 48 percent of the total number of respondents. The majority had principal offices located in Bibb (49 percent), Houston (29 percent) and Monroe (11 percent) counties. Respondents represented a wide range of industries, led by retail trade (14 percent) and professional and technical service (14 percent).
The survey, released in March 2019, was conducted by the BB&T Center for Undergraduate Research in Public Policy and Capitalism in Mercer’s Eugene W. Stetson School of Business and Economics, in partnership with the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce, the Robins Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Forsyth-Monroe County Chamber of Commerce, the Milledgeville-Baldwin Chamber of Commerce, the Jones County/Gray Chamber of Commerce, the Roberta-Crawford County Chamber of Commerce and the Wilkinson County Chamber of Commerce.
Read More
Embracing Technology to Boost Your Business
Technology can help business owners get top dollar when selling their business, according to Keith Gregg, Chairman/CEO of Chalice Wealth Partners, a San Diego-based wealth tech member organization for independent wealth advisors.
Gregg, in February 8, 2019 article in Forbes, “Using Tech to Enhance and Sell a Business,” says some small business owners limit their search for a potential buyer to their professional network or rely on an appraisal service to determine what their business is worth. He writes that the right technology can help avoid these pitfalls. He explains how important it is to address three important areas before placing your business on the market.
Upgrading Systems
Before looking for a buyer, Gregg recommends upgrading aging software and hardware. Upgrading systems can be particularly important for attracting younger buyers. It is common for businesses to be successful without proprietary technology or procedures, but that doesn’t mean that technology should be ignored.
Important information should be digitized, as this data will be vital for the new owner to grow the business over the long haul. Incorporating software that can track and analyze data across the business is likewise valuable. Using software, such as customer relationship management and financial management software, will showcase that your business has been modernized.
Business Valuations
Determining the value of your business can be tricky and laborious. Gregg recommends opting for a professional business valuation, as he feels, “business valuation calculations can remove much of the guesswork from the process.”
You should expect a business valuation calculator to include everything from verified data on comparable business deals, including gross income and cash flow figures and more. There are even industry-specific calculations that can be used as well. The main point that Gregg wants to convey is that business owners should use tangible and proven data to sell their businesses. Like upgrading systems appeals to younger buyers, the same holds true for using verified data to sell.
Take Advantage of the Digital Marketplace
Gregg’s view is that perhaps the single greatest technology for business owners to leverage is that of the digital marketplace. Sites that link businesses with prospective buyers can help to streamline and expedite the sales process. Through such sites, it is possible to go deeper than a specific industry and even explore sub-sectors, thus enhancing the chances of finding the right buyer.
Technology can be used to help sell businesses in a variety of ways. An experienced and proven business broker will leverage a whole range of tools to assist business owners when selling their businesses. When you opt for a proven business broker, you can expect to receive offers from serious and vetted buyers and, in the process, save a great deal of time while maintaining confidentiality.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
Powered by WPeMatico
Read More
Thinking About Succession Planning
If you own a small business and haven’t thought about succession planning, you should. Brad Cherniak Co-Founder and Partner of Sapient Capital Partners, a Toronto-based advisory firm, examined the importance of succession planning in a February 20, 2019 Divestopia article, “All Companies Need to Look at Succession Planning.” Owning and/or operating a business can be a great deal of work, but it is imperative to take the time to develop a succession plan.
Succession Planning is for Businesses of All Sizes
Cherniak says that every business owner to realize that succession planning isn’t just for big businesses. But the majority of small-to-medium sized businesses, as well as their senior managers, simply don’t focus much on succession planning at all.
Many business owners see succession planning as essentially being the same as exiting a business. Cherniak is quick to point out that while the two can be linked and may, in fact, overlap, they are by no means the same thing. They should not be treated as such.
“Succession planning comes down to this: Are more general, innate skills critical to the leadership of your company, or are more situation-specific skills?” Cherniak asks.
Following an Arc Pattern
Importantly, Cherniak notes, “Succession planning should also be linked to your strategic planning.” He feels that both entrepreneurs and businesses managers follow an arc pattern where their “creativity, energy and effectiveness” are all concerned. As circumstances change, entrepreneurs and business managers can become exhausted and even a liability.
The arc can also change due to a company’s changing circumstances. All of these factors point to “coordinating the arcs of business,” which includes “startup, ramp-up, growth, consolidation, renewed growth and maturity,” with whomever is running the business at the time. In this way, succession planning is not one-dimensional. Instead it should be viewed as quite a dynamic process.
Evaluating Each Company Individually
Cherniak highlights the importance of making sure that the team matches the needs of a company as well as its stages of development. Who is running a company and setting its direction? Answering these questions is important. It also is of paramount importance to make sure that the right person is in charge at the optimal time.
Companies and their circumstances can change. This change can often occur without much notice. As Cherniak points out, few small-to-medium sized businesses focus on succession planning, and this is potentially to their detriment.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
Powered by WPeMatico
Read More
Could the Red-Hot Market for Businesses Be Cooling Down?
The economy is red hot, and that fact is translating into lots of businesses being sold. However, it is possible that this record-breaking streak of sales could cool down in the near future. Entrepreneurs who are considering selling their companies say they’re worried about the future of the economy, according to an article posted on Inc. in February, 2019.
Some 319 business brokers, mergers and acquisitions advisors were surveyed by Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business, the International Business Brokers Association and the M&A Source.
A whopping 83% of survey participants believed that the strong M&A market will come to end in just two years. Perhaps more jarring is the fact that almost one-third of participants believe that the market would cool down before the end of 2019.
The participants believe that the economy will begin to slow down, and this change will negatively impact businesses. As the economy slows down, businesses, in turn, will see a drop in their profits. This, of course, will serve to make them more challenging to sell.
Laura Ward, a managing partner at M&A advisory firm Kingsbridge Capital Partners, told Inc., “People are thinking about getting out before the next recession.” The Pepperdine survey found that a full 80% of companies priced in the $1 million to $2 million range are now heading into retirement. In sharp contrast, 42% of companies priced in the $500,000 to $1 million range are heading into retirement. Clearly, retirement remains a major reason why businesses are being sold.
Is now the time to sell your business? For many, the answer is a clear “yes.” If the economy as a whole begins to slow down, then it is only logical to conclude that selling a business could become tougher as well.
The experts seem to agree that whether it is in one year or perhaps two, there will be a shift in the number of businesses being sold. Now may very well be the right time for you to jump into the market and sell. The best way of making this conclusion is to work with a proven and experienced business broker. Your broker will help you to analyze the various factors involved and make the best decision.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
Powered by WPeMatico
Read More
Marketing Strategist to Speak Aug. 21
Diane Conklin is an internationally known author, entrepreneur, coach, consultant, marketing and business strategist, implementation specialist and speaker.
Find out how you can harness a marketing strategy to grow your business when internationally known author, marketing and business strategist Diane Conklin speaks on Wednesday, Aug. 21, to the Georgia Association of Business Brokers. The GABB is the state’s largest association of professionals dedicated to buying and selling businesses and franchises.
The GABB meets at the Georgia Association of Realtors at 6065 Barfield Road, Sandy Springs, GA, 30328, and the meeting will last from 10:30 a.m. to noon preceded by a free light breakfast networking session at 9:45 a.m. Rob Tamburri, CPA PFS, managing partner of Balog + Tamburri, CPAs, is the sponsor of the meeting.
Diane is a direct response marketing expert who specializes in showing business owners how to turn their businesses into money making machines using rapid profit acceleration, leveraged business growth and strategic implementation by integrating their online and offline marketing strategies, media and methods, to get maximum results from their marketing dollars with Complete Marketing Systems.
For more than 25 years Diane has been leading small businesses to bigger profits through her coaching, consulting, marketing funnels, systems, live events and by providing done-for-you services to clients all over the world. As the founder of Complete Marketing Systems, Diane has been involved in many campaigns grossing over $1,000,000.00 several times in her career, and she routinely helps people grow businesses to six figures, and beyond. Diane was voted Glazer-Kennedy Marketer of the Year for her innovative marketing strategies and campaigns and was nominated for Atlanta Business Woman of the Year.
The monthly meeting begins at 10:30 a.m. and is preceded at 9:45 a.m. by a free light breakfast and networking session. There is networking with coffee and pastries from about 9:45 to 10:30 and the meeting will last from about 10:30 to somewhere between 11:30 and noon.
The GABB is the state’s largest and oldest association of professionals who specialize in brokering the purchase and sale of businesses and franchises. Broker members help owners determine the asking price of their business, create marketing plans and strategies for selling their business, identify and qualify buyers, and have the knowledge, experience and skills needed to help maintain the confidential nature of the process. The professionals of GABB relentlessly pursue professional development so they can provide superior, ethical services for all customers and clients. Affiliate members include bankers, lawyers, appraisers, insurers and other professionals who work closely with brokers to help owners and buyers get to the closing table.
For more information about GABB, please contact GABB President Dean Burnette at 912-247-3209 or dean@b3brokers.com, or GABB Executive Director Diane Loupe at diane@gabb.org or 404-374-3990.