Become a Board-Certified Business Broker with the GABB

Become a Board-Certified Business Broker with the GABB

The Georgia Association of Business Brokers is launching a new educational program which will help our members achieve proficiency in the profession of business brokerage. The Board-Certified Business Broker designation, or BCBB, is intended to make clear to prospective clients that the broker has the knowledge and skills to professionally represent them in future transactions.

The GABB operates Georgia’s only Real Estate School dedicated specifically to business brokerage. The BCBB curriculum includes 42 hours of coursework covering a wide range of topics important to business brokers in the areas of valuation, finance and legal issues. The program is designed to be completed within a two-year period.

SUMMARY:

To earn the designation, business brokers must successfully complete a minimum number of hours in Business Brokerage Fundamentals, Financial Knowledge, and Legal Issues. The remainder of the hours can be chosen from the Miscellaneous category.

Proposed: To earn the BCBB Certification, business brokers must:

• Be an active member of the Georgia Association of Business Brokers.
• Earn 42 hours of educational credits, which must include 12 hours of Business Brokering Fundamentals classes, 12 hours of classes covering Financial Knowledge, 12 hours covering Legal and Business Issues, and 6 hours of Miscellaneous classes. 
• Each class will have a written test, and brokers must pass the course test to earn credit.
• Have at least two years of business brokering experience.
• GABB members may opt to take a limited numbers of missed courses online for a fee and will receive BCBB credit for the course upon successful completion of the course’s final exam. This option will not confer any CE credits.  Additional fees for taking BCBB classes will apply.
• Attend at least three GABB events each year, which may include meetings or classes.
• Negotiate and complete the sale of at least three businesses as lead agent or demonstrate relevant, comparable business brokerage experience approved by the GABB Board.
• The GABB Board reserves the right to revise the requirements as deemed necessary and in the best interest of the GABB Real Estate School.

 Business Brokering Fundamentals, 12 hours of coursework required

• All classes are three hours each
• Introduction to Business Brokerage: Offered on 2-9-21, taught by Dave Chambless
• Elements of Value: TBD
• Business Broker Process: TBD
• Securing Businesses for Sale Listings: Offered on 8-17-21, taught by Matt Wochele
• Marketing Your Listings: Offered as Business Broker Marketing on 6-15-21, taught by Jeff Merry
• Setting Up Your Business Broker Practice: TBD
• Pricing a Business: Offered on 4-26-22, taught by Erin Crawford
• Business Broker Models: Offered on 7-13-21, taught by Mike Ramatowski
• Introduction to Buy-Side Business Brokering: Offered on 4-27-21, taught by Marty Rueter
• Introduction to Sell-Side Business Brokering: Offered on 4-29-21, taught by Dave Chambless
• Business Broker Practice Approaches: Offered on 10-28-20, taught by J. Snypp and Robin Gagnon

Financial Knowledge, 12 hours of coursework required

• All classes are three hours each
• Introduction to Accounting Terms & Federal Tax Returns: TBD
• Understanding Financial Statements: TBD
• Recasting Financials: TBD
• Recasting and Accounting Fundamentals: Offered on 3-1-22, taught by Jon Roman
• Business Valuation Basics Business Valuation Basics,
  • Offered 10-27-20, taught by Dan Browning
  • Business Valuation, Offered on 10-19-21, taught by Jeff Forrestall and Ricky Moore
• Financing a Business Sale: TBD

Legal Issues, 6 hours of coursework required

• All classes are three hours each.
• Understanding Business & Corporate Structures:  TBD
• Legal Issues in Business Brokering: Offered on 5-24-22, taught by Shannan Collier Stalvey
• Business Brokering Ethics: Offered on Oct 25, 2022, taught by Matt Wochele

Miscellaneous, 12 hours of coursework required

• All classes are three hours each.
• Negotiations: TBD
• Inventory Valuation Basics: TBD
• Valuing Real Property: TBD
• Understanding Leases in a Business Transaction: Offered as Evaluating Lease Issues When Buying and Selling a Business on 5-20-20, taught by Wendy Kraby and Jon Roman
• Due Diligence: TBD
• License Law: Offered on 5-19-20, taught by Ann Cyphers
• Any classes from other categories

For more information about the GABB Real Estate School or the application process for the BCBB credential, please contact Diane Loupe at diane.loupe@gabb.org. For more information about the GABB or GABB membership, contact GABB Administrator Courtney Foley at courtney.foley@gabb.org or 770-744-3639, or GABB President Judy Mims at judy@childcare.properties.