Ethics and Managing Your Brokerage: GABB Fall Conference, Oct. 29, 2019
Learn the skills you need to be a better business broker at the Oct. 29, 2019 Fall Conference of the Georgia Association of Business Brokers.
The morning program, which is intended exclusively for Georgia Business Brokers who are real estate licensees, is focused on various ethics topics specific to the business brokerage profession, such as maintaining confidentiality, working with tax returns, loan applications, handling financial statements, client loyalty, using forms created by the Georgia Association of Business Brokers, and other topics.
During the afternoon program, attendees will learn about common issues in the management of a business brokering practice, including handling escrow accounts, setting commissions, co-brokering, keeping records, branding and marketing, maintaining a database for marketing and tracking clients, and other issues.
Brokers will earn a total of six continuing education credits courses certified by the Georgia Real Estate Commission. The class will be held at the Georgia Association of Realtors Conference center at 6065 Barfield Rd, Sandy Springs from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Lunch will be provided by Leigh Milton and Claudia Wilson of Center State Bank, and breakfast will be provided by Eva Farag of Oconee State Bank.
Registration for the conference will be $150, but GABB members can register for $99 if they register by Oct. 10. If you want to just take half a day of classes, that’s $85. Scroll to the bottom of the page to register.
GABB Code of Ethics and Ethical Concerns
Morning Session 9:00-12:00, 3 Continuing Education hours
Learning Objective: Attendees, all of whom are licensed real estate agents, will become familiar with the GABB code of ethics and how to handle various ethical concerns related to financial statements and other representations by clients.
Instructors:
Susan Kite, Senior Vice President, Government Guaranteed Lending at Georgia Primary Bank
Susan J. Kite has more than 30 years of experience in commercial and SBA lending. She began her career in Jacksonville, Florida, as Director of an SBA 504 lender, moving to Atlanta with Bank South in 1990. Susan has worked with several Atlanta banks including Crescent Bank, Brand Bank, and Renasant Bank before moving to Georgia Primary. She is skilled at SBA 7a Term loans, SBA 504 loans and SBA Express credit lines. She specializes in business acquisition lending. Susan has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Georgia Lender’s Quality Circle, a professional organization of SBA lenders in the Southeast. She also sits on the loan committee of Capital Partners Certified Development Company. Kite earned a bachelor’s in Business Administration from Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia.
Lawrence Domenico, Managing Partner Mozley, Finlayson & Loggins LLP
Mr. Domenico joined Mozley, Finlayson & Loggins in 1990 and practices in the areas of estate planning and probate, commercial and business litigation, and general litigation. Mr. Domenico also has extensive experience as a business lawyer in assisting start-up and existing businesses. In addition, Mr. Domenico has broad experience in alternate forms of dispute resolution including arbitration and mediation. Mr. Domenico was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, on April 29, 1963. Mr. Domenico received a B.A., cum laude, from the University of the South in 1985. He attended the University of Georgia School of Law where he received a J.D., cum laude, in 1988. Mr. Domenico is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Kappa honorary fraternities. He belongs to the Atlanta and American Bar Associations, the State Bar of Georgia, and the Defense Research Institute. Mr. Domenico is active in a number of civic organizations and is a member of the 1995 class of Leadership DeKalb and the Rotary Club of Dunwoody.
David Chambless, Business Broker, former President of the GABB Board, member of GABB’s Million Dollar Club., president of Abraxas Business Services. He has extensive experience in business development; finance; operations; sales; marketing; and international channel development and management. He has a Master of Business Administration in Finance degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Industrial and Systems Engineering degree from Georgia Tech. In 1982, he became a Certified Public Accountant.
Brokerage Management
1:00-4:00 p.m., 3 continuing education hours
Instructors:
Dean Burnette, Business Broker, President of the GABB Board, past member of GABB’s Multi-Million Dollar Club, Managing Broker of Best Business Brokers of Savannah. Mr. Burnette is a member of the Savannah Area Realtors – Real Estate Commercial Alliance (RCA), The Georgia Association of Realtors, and the National Association of Realtors. He is a member of the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, the Savannah CFO Council, Savannah Traffic Club, is a member and was the 2013-2014 President of the Savannah Small Business Chamber.
Jeff Merry, Business Broker, former President of the GABB Board, current GABB board member, platinum member of GABB’s Multi- Million Dollar Club, and founder and president of the BUSINESS HOUSE, inc.SM. As a Business Intermediary, Jeffery has been involved in more than 200 mergers and acquisitions that have ranged in acquisition price from $60,000.00 to more than $15,000,000.00. Jeffery specializes in serving the manufacturing, distribution, veterinary, service, and medical industries. Jeffery holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Mercer University, a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Illinois, and a Juris Doctorate from Atlanta Law School. Jeffery is also a licensed real estate broker in Georgia and Florida. Further, he is an Adjunct Professor of strategic management, accounting, and finance in MBA programs.
Mike Ramatowski, Business Broker, current member and Past President of the GABB Board, member of GABB’s Million Dollar Club. CBI, owner of RamBizGroup LLC, works with business owners, sellers and candidates for merger by acquisition from manufacturing, distribution, and service businesses. He has owned and managed businesses that included a real estate master franchise, a property management networking company, and a service business. As COO of a banking conglomerate he managed brokerage operations, title companies, home and service warranty programs, and a relocation company. Mr. Ramatowski has served on the board of directors of 12 different organizations with diverse specialties including real estate brokerage, mortgage companies, title insurance, banking, health care, fitness center operations, and office supply operations, providing marketing and organizational growth expertise. He served as an Electronic Specialist in the U.S. Navy Submarine Service. He attended Cleveland State University and Baldwin Wallace College. He has earned the Certified Business Intermediary professional designation by the International Business Brokers Association.
Jon Roman, Business Broker, Treasurer of the GABB Board, member of GABB’s Multi-Million Dollar Club, and owner of Transworld Business Advisors of Atlanta Perimeter, an award-winning group of ten agents, a Franchise Director, an office manager and a marketing sales specialist. For nearly 18 years, prior to Transworld, Jon had helped entrepreneurs to obtain funding when acquiring, selling or franchising businesses. He established, acquired, operated and sold his own businesses for over 20 years. Mr. Roman is a former commercial banker with experience in a multitude of deals. Throughout his career, Jon financed mergers and acquisitions, business expansions, construction and development projects. He evaluated businesses, built and consolidated financial records and shared opinions regarding business plans, and/or exit strategies. Jon is a multi-million-dollar member of the Georgia Association of Business Brokers (GABB) and is currently serving as a treasurer for GABB. Among other qualifications, Jon is a CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member) since 2005.
This class has been organized by the Georgia Association of Business Brokers and the GREC certification is through the Capitus Real Estate Learning Center.
Read More
Buying and Selling Businesses Better By Keeping the Pipeline Full
Entrepreneur Scott Ward has been on both sides of the negotiating table, both as a business buyer and a business seller. He discussed better ways to work with prospective business sellers, to prepare a business to sell and other insights at the Sept. 24 meeting of the Georgia Association of Business Brokers.
Ward said business brokers “enable people to succeed and bring in hard earned assets and turn it into cash.”
He said in the middle of negotiating a deal, sometimes he feels as though his client needs a marketing officer, a human resources officer, a financial analyst or even a psychiatrist, trying to work through some complex business and personal relationships.
“You’re so much more than just a business broker,” Ward told the members of GABB, the state’s largest professional organization dedicated to buying and selling Georgia businesses and franchises.
The key is for business brokers to build long-term relationships with business owners, what he called keeping your pipeline full.
“The number one thing with filling your pipeline and getting more people to think about you —because you guys have a long pipeline– you’re building relationships that sometimes take years before someone actually says, ‘You know I think I’m ready to sell this business,’ or ‘I’m ready to quit my corporate job.’ ” Ward said.
Watch the full presentation on the GABB’s YouTube Channel.
Scott is a long time multistore franchisee of Winmark Corporation, the franchisor for brands Play It Again Sports, Plato’s Closet Once Upon A Child, Music Go Round and Style Encore. After 28 years as a franchisee, Scott recently sold his last Play It Again Sports location and will speak about his strategic five year plan he executed to enhance value, create potential buyers and market to sell for a premium. Scott worked with and without brokers during this process.
Ward earned a grass roots MBA as a successful business owner for more than 20 years with proven ability to rapidly grow and profit despite enduring three recessions. He was a dedicated leader who mentored five employees to successfully own their own franchise businesses. He is especially skilled at gaining insight into stakeholders weaknesses and strengths through communication.
As the owner-operator of Play It Again Sports franchises, now publicly traded under Winmark Corporation, Ward maintained business growth through three recessions and contributed to the eventual stability of what is now one of the oldest and largest sporting goods entities in North America. He successfully sold his business for full valuation and continued to menter the new owner. Elected to the Winmark Corporation Franchise Advisory Council, he also was chosen chairman for seven years. He teaches speech writing, evaluation and idea generation for Toastmasters.
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 georgiabusinessbrokers@gmail.com or 404-374-3990.
Where Did the Cash Go? Add-Backs to Consider When Buying a Business
By C. David Chambless, president of Abraxas Business Services
Accountants routinely assist business owners to help accomplish the goal of minimizing taxes. But, to truly understand the value of the business and accurately project future cash flow, it is important to look beyond the tax returns to realize how the money is being spent.
Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period Especially Important for Seniors
Changes in Medicare that begin January 1, 2020 add special significance to this year’s Medicare Open Enrollment for area seniors. Open Enrollment begins on Tuesday, October 15 and runs through Friday, December 7. During this time millions of seniors are given an opportunity to reassess their coverage and consider options for the coming year.
“This is one of the most consequential Medicare Open Enrollment periods because changes enacted by Congress that will impact many seniors already on Medicare,” explains Bob Smith an independent insurance agent with North American Health Plans and a GABB affiliate.
“In 2015, Congress passed a number of changes to Medicare that received little notice at the time,” shares Jesse Slome, director of the American Association for Medicare Supplement Insurance, a national trade organization. “There’s now a limited time left to get information, make a choice and act.”
Among the changes are the elimination of Medigap Plans C and F, two of the more popular options among seniors. The Medicare prescription drug program created in 2003 will also be impacted with the closing of the infamous Medicare Donut Hole.
“It’s important to act sooner rather than later because there’s no flexibility in the government deadline,” cautions Bob Smith. To schedule a no-cost review and comparison of Medicare plans available contact Bob Smith at 404-593-9663 or Bob.Smith4HEALTH@gmail.com.
Read MoreQ2 Small Business Transactions Take a Dip but Strong Market Remains
Small business transactions have been enjoying record numbers. However, during the second quarter of 2019, the numbers have begun to take a small dip. Experts feel that the trade war with China is playing a role, according to a recent article posted by BizBuySell, “Q2 Small Business Transactions Down as Trade War Questions Remain.”
The number of transactions stood at 2,444 for Q2, a drop of 9.6%. On the other hand, businesses are still selling at record levels. There were 4,948 transactions reported in just the first half of 2019, according to BizBuySell. That means that 2019 could be the second most active business-for-sale market since BizBuySell began tracking data back in 2007. Certainly the Q2 9.6% drop doesn’t mean that the sky is falling.
Deals per broker are declining, and many are looking to the current trade war between the U.S. and China for answers. Increased tariffs and associated worries are behind the Q2 dip, according to many experts.
Amost half of business owners — 43% — are experiencing rising costs as a result of tariffs on Chinese goods, according to a recent BizBuySell poll. Small businesses across the board are feeling the effects of the trade war with China.
Ultimately, consumers will also feel the pinch as well with a whopping 64% of businesses noting that they will raise prices in order to address rising supplier costs. Another attention-grabbing statistic is that 65% of small business owners are considering switching to suppliers not based in China, and 54% are looking for U.S. based supplies. If this trend continues it could mark a dramatic shift.
There is, however, ample good news. According to BizBuySell, buyers looking for a business will discover that the supply of quality listings on the market is increasing. In short, now is a good time to buy a business, as the number of businesses listed as “for sale” grew by a healthy 5.2% in Q2 when compared to the same time last year.
The “business for sale” inventory is growing. According to Bob House, President of BizBuySell, “Businesses are performing better than ever.”
Some of the top performing markets by sales included Baltimore, Portland, Seattle, Austin and Dallas. Those interested in buying a business will find that now is truly a historically good time to do so. Working with a seasoned business broker can help you find a business that is right for you. While the trade war has injected some uncertainty into the overall climate, there is no doubt that now is a historically unique time to buy a business.