On this episode of Everyday M&A, we hear from Gary Hensley, a school teacher turned entrepreneur who started an EdTech company that he sold to Pearson - a $5B education technology & publishing company. Gary shares with us: How a pitch competition planted the seed for his acquisition How EdTech companies should think about raising venture capital vs. getting acquired The biggest challenges of growing an EdTech company How to plan an exit for an EdTech company How Board members and investo...
Feb 18, 2020•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast “Solve an issue, solve a problem, make money, and make it on your own.” On this episode of Everyday M&A, we hear from Peter Burns III, a serial entrepreneur who has started over 100 companies as well as founded the first college of entrepreneurship in the US. Peter shares with us: How a college course he took in 1977 sparked a lifelong career in starting companies What Peter’s process is for starting a company The business opportunities Peter is most excited about today Creative funding stra...
Dec 27, 2019•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode of Everyday M&A, we hear from Susan Miller and Sean Mirzabegian, two investment bankers with over 15 years of experience each. Susan and Sean share with us: When to bring on an investment banker vs. business broker What typically motivates younger business owners to sell their business How M&A for lower middle market is affected by economic downturns How debt markets impact company valuations Whether they’re seeing more financial or strategic buyers right now What buyer t...
Dec 10, 2019•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode of Everyday M&A, we hear from Eric Boyce, a business valuation expert who also helps business owners prepare financially for life after selling their business. On this episode, Eric shares with us: What is exit planning What industries is exit planning really important for When should you do exit planning The non-financial aspects of a business drastically affect valuation Ways that key customers, employees, and suppliers affect a business’ valuation What a Buy Sell Agreement...
Dec 06, 2019•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast David Hughen brings over 25 years of experience driving HR strategies and solutions. In addition to co-founding, running, and selling Austin HR, he has provided HR consulting services to both buyers and sellers of companies during an M&A process. On this episode, David shares with us: How HR plays into an M&A process How culture, benefits, and employee compensation impacts an acquisition Ways human capital can impact company revenue post-acquisition if not properly addressed during due d...
Nov 30, 2019•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode of Everyday M&A, we hear from Mike Feinman, co-founder of Texas Business Brokers. For the last 10 years, Mike has helped people buy and sell businesses across industries and shares with us some key insights: What is Seller's Discretionary Income and why is it important What amount of Seller's Discretionary Income should your business be above to be well positioned for sale How is real estate treated during the sale of a business What markets are hot right now What markets are...
Nov 30, 2019•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of Everyday M&A, we hear from Krista Endsley, who has served as CEO of companies backed by private equity, including Accel-KKR. In that role she has bought (as both a financial and strategic acquirer), sold, and scaled companies (one of her last companies was voted the best place to work for in Austin 5 years in a row). This is one episode you won’t want to miss! Krista shares with us: The benefits of working with an experienced buyer How due diligence differs between financi...
Nov 30, 2019•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast On today’s episode of Everyday M&A, we hear from John Fincher, a business broker and serial entrepreneur who grew his last company to $50 million in revenue in 5 years prior to selling. John shares with us: How business owners sometimes hurt their company’s ability to attract buyers How far in advance business owners should start preparing to sell their company How a business owner can really tell if they have a good team in place The “5 Bad D’s” of why business owners often have to sell the...
Nov 30, 2019•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Have you ever wondered about the tax consequences of an M&A? If yes, you’ll want to tune into today’s episode of Everyday M&A. We interview the very knowledgable David French, a CPA with M&A experience, who shares with us: How companies in different industries are valued differently How goodwill affects the decision of whether to go with an Asset Sale or Stock Sale A way to reduce your tax from an acquisition by 3.8% that most CPAs forget about What often comprises 80% of a company’s...
Nov 30, 2019•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode of Everyday M&A, we hear from Subbu Rama, who cofounded a software company that he sold to VMware. Subbu shares with us: The tradeoffs you should consider before entertaining an offer to buy your company The benefits of getting acquired by one of your customers What options you want to have lined up before going into deal negotiations Why higher valuations don’t always result in greater financial returns Ways you can leverage your investors to increase the purchase price When...
Nov 30, 2019•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast On this exciting episode of Everyday M&A, we hear from a Bryan Menell who has sold, IPO’d, and acquired multiple companies. Bryan shares with us: How to creatively fund a roll-up strategy (hint: it’s how Blockbuster Video expanded so quickly) The right way to inform your employees that you’re selling your company What you should do before signing a Term Sheet How you should respond when someone offers to buy your company Why you want a strategic buyer rather than a financial buyer Why you sh...
Nov 30, 2019•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast “Run your business while you’re selling it as if you weren’t going to sell it.” Sam Goodner is an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award winner (2008) who founded a 450-person IT services firm that he sold to a publicly traded company. In this lesson-packed episode, Sam shares with us: How life goals and anticipated market conditions should factor into deciding when to sell Actionable steps you can take today to prepare for acquisition What the single biggest factor is in increasing yo...
Nov 30, 2019•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode of Everyday M&A, we interview Roberto "R.C." Rondero De Mosier, who founded and sold a law firm. For those of you who operate a professional services business, you’ll want to tune in! RC shares with us: How to create market demand for your company How to identify and qualify prospective buyers Ways to defend the purchase price of your company An experienced business purchase and sale lawyer can help you defend your valuation when selling to an acquirer. Contact the legal team...
Nov 30, 2019•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast I’m excited to share with you today’s episode of Everyday M&A, where we interview Dane Witbeck, who founded and sold Meshify - an IoT technology platform. He shares with us: How to leverage competitors to attract potential acquirers How competitors can help you determine when to sell Ways to gain leverage during negotiations to defend or increase your company’s purchase price Negotiating the sale of a business is very challenging and you often only get one chance to do it. Don't risk doing i...
Nov 30, 2019•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast Kapil Rajurkar founded and sold Preschool2me, an app that connects preschools and daycare centers to parents. On this episode, Kapil share with us: How to turn customers into potential acquirers The two due diligence areas that can take business owners by surprise during a sale When to focus on growth vs. profitability before an acquisition Due diligence is one of the most challenging aspects of selling a company. As a business owner, it's your responsibility to not only continue growing your co...
Nov 30, 2019•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Shane built a 250 person consulting company that he sold to Accenture. On this episode you'll learn about: How to respond when asked how much you'd sell your company for (especially if it's growing!) Typical deal structures of private equity acquisitions and how it affects you, the business owner How to continue growing your business during the M&A due diligence process A special shout out to Shane's non-profit, SLA Foundation, which inspires youth through the power of storytelling. You can ...
Nov 30, 2019•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast Chris Sica co-founded and sold Austin Coding Academy, a coding bootcamp in Austin. Chris takes us through his amazing journey of growing the company, running out of cash (twice), then rebuilding the company to achieve a successful exit. Chris shares with us some key lessons that prepared his company for acquisition: How letting go of employees can sometimes be healthy for a company Hiring an external CEO doesn't replace your job as a business owner, it simply changes it Your best employees are y...
Nov 30, 2019•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hemi Thaker is an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award winner (2011), and has been listed on Deloitte & Touche's Fast 50/500 CEO list, as well as Inc 500's CEOs. Hemi founded two hardware companies without any venture capital, and sold them for over $200 million. Hemi shares with us his how he did it, and how serendipity can lead to new business connections that can lead to acquisition. Key takeaways: Don’t focus on finding an acquirer. Build a profitable business. Then acquirers...
Nov 30, 2019•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
