UGA Small Business Development Experts To Speak Sept. 25
If you own or operate a Georgia business, you can get free confidential consulting services including helping with business plans, buying businesses and leasing space. Find out how on Sept. 25 when two experts with the University of Georgia’s Small Business Development Center speak to the Georgia Association of Business Brokers.
Area Director Jeff Patterson and Business Consultant Aysha Cooper will speak to the GABB at their Sept. 25 monthly meeting. The meeting is free and open to the public and will be held at the Atlanta Realtors Center at 5784 Lake Forrest Dr. NW, Atlanta, GA 30328. The meeting begins at 10:30 a.m., preceded at 9:45 a.m. by a free light breakfast and networking session sponsored by GABB affiliate and board member Kim Eells, Vice President and Business Development Officer of Government Guaranteed Lending for Renasant Bank.
The Small Business Development Center, a Public Service and Outreach Extension of The University of Georgia, is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). It provides tools, training and resources to help small businesses grow and succeed. Designated as one of Georgia’s top providers of small business assistance, the SBDC has 17 offices ranging from Rome to Valdosta to serve the needs of Georgia’s business community. Since 1977, the SBDC’s network of partners has helped construct a statewide ecosystem to foster the spirit, support, and success of hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs and innovators. The University of Georgia Small Business Development Center is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs.
Jeff Patterson, area director of UGA’s Small Business Development Center at Georgia State University.
Mr. Patterson, an area director with the Small Business Development Center at Georgia State University, has extensive financial industry experience that includes leadership roles in credit administration, commercial lending, operations management, regulatory compliance, and audit administration. His expertise includes loan proposal and business plan preparation, cash flow management, budgeting, and customer satisfaction. He also has brokerage and financial planning training. He has an MBA from Brenau University, was President and Board member of the Bank of Hiawassee, Senior Vice President at Nantahala Bank & Trust and Executive Vice President of United Community Banks. He is the past Lt. Governor and Past President of the Rotary Club, past Local Board Chair of North Georgia Technical College and past Chairman of the Board of the Habersham County Chamber of Commerce.
Aysha Cooper, Business Consultant, UGA SBDC
Ms. Cooper has 20 years of experience either working with small business owners or being a small business owner herself. Prior to joining the SBDC, Ms. Cooper was an advertising representative in the yellow page and radio industry. In 2005, after moving to Georgia, she opened her first business in Duluth, Ga., with the guidance and expertise of the SBDC. She has attended GrowSMART and been a client of the SBDC throughout the start-up and expansion phase of her adult care facility. In 2011, she was recognized by Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs (ACE) Entrepreneur of the Year and in 2017, Outstanding Woman of the Year. Aysha has been an active member of her community as a graduate of Gwinnett Neighborhood Leadership Institute, a board member for Snellville Tourism and Trade and Friends of Gwinnett County Seniors. Her interests include marketing, operations and franchising.
The GABB is an organization of experienced professionals who work with Georgia business owners to help them in the process of evaluating, marketing, financing and selling their businesses. They also work with business buyers including many individuals who have decided not to re-enter corporate America, but want to become their own bosses by purchasing and operating a Georgia business.
For more information about the GABB, contact GABB President Mike Ramatowski at 770-634-0428 or rambizgroup@bellsouth.net call Diane Loupe at 404-374-3990 or email director@gabb.org.
If you are NOT a GABB member, please fill out this form to let us know you’ll be attending the meeting.
Key Elements for Every Partnership Agreement
You should never forget that your partnership agreement is, in fact, one of the most important business documents you will ever sign. Many people go into business with loved ones, relatives or lifelong friends only to discover (once it’s too late) that they should have had a partnership agreement. A partnership agreement protects everyone involved and can help reduce problems that may arise. Outlining what will happen during different potential situations and events in a legal framework can help your business keep running smoothly.
What Should Be in a Partnership Agreement?
Every business is, of course, different; however, with that stated, any partnership should outline, with as much clarity as possible, the rights and responsibilities of all involved. A well written and carefully considered partnership agreement will keep small problems and disagreements from evolving into more elaborate and serious concerns.
There are times to take a DIY approach and then there are times when you should always opt for a professional. When it comes to partnership agreements, it is best to opt for working with a lawyer. Finding competent legal help for drafting your partnership agreement is simply a must.
What is Typically Addressed in a Partnership Agreement?
In theory, a partnership agreement can cover a wide-array of factors. Here are a few points typically addressed in partnership agreements.
What Questions Will a Good Partnership Agreement Address?
- Which partner(s) are to receive a draw?
- How is money to be distributed?
- Who is contributing funds to get the business operational?
- What percentage will each partner receive?
- Who will be in charge of managerial work?
- What must be done in order to bring in new partners?
- What happens in the event of the death of a partner?
- How are business decisions made? Are decisions made by a unanimous vote or a majority vote?
- If a conflict cannot be resolved when must the conflict be resolved in court?
Thanks to partnership agreements, all partners involved can proceed and start a new business with fewer areas of concern. The simple fact is that without a partnership agreement, your business can face a range of disruptions; these would be disruptions that could ultimately spell doom for your business.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
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Embracing Retirement and Selling: 4 Tips for a Smooth Transition
No one works forever. Regardless of how much you love your business, sooner or later you will have to step away. Owning a business can be very demanding, especially for owner-operators of businesses. And unless you’re a zombie, you won’t live forever. So, you’ll have to embrace retirement at some point, and you may not know how to prepare to sell a business.
Most business owners have never sold a business before and may not know what to expect. The good news is that prospective buyers usually like the idea of buying an established business directly from a business owner. It is key, however, to do everything possible to make selling your business, as well as the transition period, as easy for a buyer as possible.
Prepping your business for sale has many diverse parts that need to be taken into consideration. Prospective buyers want to feel as though they will have a seamless transition, so it’s in your best interest to evaluate what steps you need to take to make the transition smooth.
You are the world’s greatest expert on your business. As a result, you are perfectly positioned to evaluate your business so as to ensure that it is both appealing to a prospective buyer and ready to sell. Let’s take a look at the steps you can take to ensure a smooth transition.
The Top 4 Transition Tips
1. Automate as many processes as possible.
In this way, prospective buyers are less likely to be intimidated by the level of work involved in owning a small business. The odds are good that many of your prospective buyers have never owned a business before. One of the best ways to not scare prospects away is to make owning and operating your business as streamlined as possible.
2. Work with your employees, key customers and vendors to ensure a smooth transition.
Anything that can cause a potential disruption may scare off prospective buyers. Put yourself in the shoes of prospective buyers and think about what may cause you concern if you were evaluating a business. Once you locate those areas of potential concern, do what you can start to remedy them well before placing your business on the market.
3. Pick out your “second-in-command” before you sell your business.
Having a competent and proven “right hand man or woman” that can step in and essentially operate your business is a very attractive asset to have in place when it comes time to sell your business. Often, prospective buyers want to retain key employees, so they will be valuable assets when you prepare to sell a business.
4. Work with a business broker.
Brokers know how to negotiate the complicated maze of buying and selling businesses. They will be able to help you evaluate your business and address areas that need improvement so as to ensure a smooth transition. Working with a broker will also save you hours of time and ensure confidentiality during the process.
Taking these steps will not just make your business easier to sell, but it will also shorten the amount of time it takes to sell and maximize the sale price. The last thing you want when you are prepare to sell a business and retire is for the selling process to drag on forever.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press
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Is It Time to Become a Business Owner? 3 Questions to Ask Yourself.
Many people know that owning a business isn’t for them. But for others, the appeal and lure of owning their own business can be powerful indeed. If you are uncertain as to whether or not this path is for you, there are a few simple questions you can ask to gain almost instant clarity. In this article, we will explore those key questions and help you determine if owning a business is in your future.
1. Are You Dedicated to Growing Your Income?
Quite often people like the idea of making more money, at least in the abstract. But when presented with what it takes, many people realize that they don’t want to do what is involved. Owning and operating a business can be a lot of work and it’s not for everyone. Yet, those who embrace it can find it rewarding in a variety of ways.
Being a business owner is radically different than being an employee. As an employee, you simply don’t exercise much control. Summed up another way, your financial fate is clearly in the hands of someone else: your employer.
However, owning a business means that you can take steps to control your own financial destiny. You can make decisions that will, ultimately, boost the success of your business and in turn increase your own income.
As an important note, statistics from 2010 show that the longer you own your business the more money you, as the business owner, will make. It is typical for those who have owned a business for ten years or more to earn upwards of six figures per year. If you have had more than one year of experience in running an organization, the yearly salary will likely range from $34,392 to $75,076. However, if you’ve owned your business for more than a decade, you will likely earn more than $105,757 per year.
While there are no guarantees, owning a business can be a path to growing one’s income and wealth.
2. Would You Like Greater Control Over Your Life?
Many opt to start their own business because they want more control. Business owners realize that unless they own their own business their financial fates rest in the hands of someone else. Some people are comforted with this feeling or don’t see a way around it and others are not so comfortable with the realization. If you want greater control over your life, then owning a business might be for you.
Owning a business increases the amount of control a business owner has over his or her life in many ways, not just financial. For example, business owners have more control over how they spend their time, where they work, when they work and who they work with on a daily basis. Instead of being part of a business, you help create, mold and shape it. Clearly, this is a lot of work and it isn’t for everyone, but again the rewards can be diverse and great.
3. What is Your Personality Like?
Owning a business translates to great control, but that control comes with a degree of risk. In the end, you’ll have to determine how comfortable you are in dealing with risk. As a business owner the “buck” stops with you. You’re risking your time, effort and, of course, money. You also don’t get a paid vacation, sick days or any of the other benefits so often associated with being an employee.
Other traits identified during a study by the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute showed there are other ideal personality traits for business owners. These traits include collaboration, curiosity, focus on the future, and being self-fulfilled, tech savvy and action oriented.
Thinking about these three key questions is the perfect place to start when contemplating opening a business. Additionally, working with a business broker can help you gain clarity and determine if owning a business is right for you.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
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Examining the Mind of the Serious Buyer – Five Points to Consider
Are you looking for a way to perfect your presentation? Understanding what the typical serious buyer wants will help you get your business ready for selling.
Let’s turn our attention to looking at what these types of individuals and entities really want. After all, your time is precious.
1. An Interest in the Industry
First, prospective buyers will want to have a better understanding of your industry. Any serious buyer will want to understand the industry as a whole, as well as your existing customers, prospective customers and the strengths and weaknesses of your business. Key factors, such as threats from competition, will also be a major factor for prospective buyers.
2. Seeking Knowledge about Discretionary Costs
Secondly, expect buyers to take a long look at discretionary costs. Sellers will often look to reduce their expenses in a range of discretionary areas including advertising, research and development and public relations; this is done to help make a business appear more attractive to a buyer. However, it is important to note, that a savvy prospective buyer will notice reduction in discretionary expenses.
3. Inquiries about Wages and Salaries
Wages and salaries is another area that receives attention from buyers. If your business is paying minimum wage or offers a limited retirement program then employee turnover is likely to be high. Buyers may be concerned that employee stability may be low, which, of course, can potentially disrupt business.
4. Questions about Cash Flow and Inventory
No serious buyer will ignore the issue of cash flow. Any prospective buyer will want to know that the business they are considering buying will continue to generate profits both now and in the future.
Inventory is another area that will not be ignored. If your business is carrying a large amount of antiquated, unsalable or simply unusable inventory, then expect that to be factored into a prospective buyer’s decision-making process. It is best to disclose such inventory instead of hiding it, as it will be discovered during due diligence.
5. Seeking Capital Expenditure Details
Finally, capital expenditures will be examined by buyers. You can expect buyers to carefully evaluate machinery and equipment to ensure that there will be no expensive surprises looming on the horizon.
These give areas are definitely not the only areas that buyers will explore and investigate. Everything from financial agreements and environmental concerns to government control will be examined in depth. You should invest some time thinking about the situation from the perspective of a buyer, as this will help you discover many potential problems and try to secure viable workarounds. Working closely with a business broker is another way to ensure that you can successfully anticipate the needs of buyers.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
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