What You Learn:

• Why would you want to own a business
• Buying vs. Starting a business
• How to start looking for a business
• Understanding buyer and seller motivations
• Negotiation fundamentals and BATNA
• The steps in the buying process
• Finding GOOD businesses for sale
• Using Intermediaries
• The initial contact with the seller
• Understanding business processes in the interview
• The seller’s mindset
• Examining the business
• Businesses vs. Companies what are you buying?
• What is a business?
• Normalizing financial statements (recasting)
• SDE vs. EBITDA cash flows
• Identifying problems
• SWOT analysis and small businesses
• Simple forecasting
• Determining the value of the business
• Methods of business valuation
• A sample case study
• Financing methods
• Proper deal structure
• Qualities of vendor vs. Institutional debt
• Making offers
• Actual deal examples from my business brokerage practice
• Understanding asset vs. share purchases
• Building your team
• Due diligence
• Franchises
• Understanding risks
• Buying a business in a recessionary economy