Expert Exit Strategy Business Planning
As the #1 exit strategy advisors we help you plan your business exit to align with your personal goals.
Timing: Find out when to sell your business
- Changes: Learn what changes to implement to increase value
- Human Capital Initiatives: Know how to structure labor for your sale
- Confidential: You and your information will be completely confidential
Protection: We Will Protect You From Fraudulent Buyers
*We do not do appraisals
Free Business Valuation
Save 5k to 10k on average with this FREE valuation.
FAQs On How To Plan Your Exit Strategy
In short, our business brokers will market and advertise your business in a confidential, discreet manner. LCA will implement extensive Electronic & Traditional Marketing Strategies as well as leverage our proprietary CRM system that has over 20,000 vetted/qualified buyers who are waiting to be notified of the right opportunity. In addition, we work with Sellers to create an Offering Memorandum that will include details of what your business is currently doing, what it could/should be doing as well as market research/analysis to help buyers understand and get excited about your opportunity.
Financial vetting is dependent on the type of business for sale and on the type of buyer. Depending on the type of buyer, we may ask PEG funds to provide us with proof of funds available. If a wealthy individual is interested, we may ask for proof of funds direct from the banking establishment. Financial statements are also important in helping us understand how much total money is available, from where, and how long it will take to gain access to those funds.
Lake Country Advisors highly recommends that a Seller does not waste any money on attorneys and/or accountants until you have an agreement of price and terms with a buyer. We would like to be introduced to your attorney and accountant at the beginning of engaging your business, but we do not suggest that we include them in negotiations. We typically include a contingency for Attorney and Accountant review/approval within days of accepting price and terms. There is no need to get a bill from an attorney or accountant if you can not agree on a price of selling your business. Once we can get an agreed upon price established, we will want your attorney and accountant heavily involved working in your best interest.
After an accepted offer, there will be a virtual data room created to help manage the due diligence materials that all parties in the transaction will have access to: Seller, Buyer, Attorneys, Accountants, Etc. We have found this to be very effective in providing the materials quickly and in an organized manner to all parties especially in Wisconsin and Illinois.
After an accepted offer, there will be a virtual data room created to help manage the due diligence materials that all parties in the transaction will have access to: Seller, Buyer, Attorneys, Accountants, Etc. We have found this to be very effective in providing the materials quickly and in an organized manner to all parties.
Audited financials aren’t necessary in the sale of your business, however, it is beneficial if they are available as it could potentially ease any anxiety a buyer might have. In reality, it is more common that businesses are sold without audited financials in the Lower Middle Market M&A environment.
Since we help you sell your business in a confidential and discreet manner, there are a few ways to handle buyers: conference calls, meeting off site/Lake Country Advisors’s office, or our business broker near you can meet at your business’ location before/after hours so employees are not informed of the sale.
Contrary to many beliefs, we can help sell a business that is “losing money.” There are many strategic buyers/companies that have the resources to turn distressed businesses into thriving/profitable businesses and would like to roll them up into their current operation. We are very well connected with buyers who are looking for these types of opportunities.
We require an advanced fee to help cover upfront administrative and marketing expenses. We are fee based with commission percentage due upon the sale of a business. We emulate a Lehman type fee structure, where the larger the business, the smaller the percentage commission. When you decide to engage your business for sale, Lake Country Advisors. will provide you with a proposal that includes the fee structure. Our business broker costs are non-negotiable.
Benefits Of Working With Exit Strategy Advisors
TIME COMMITMENT
Selling your business can take a significant amount to time properly market, yet the buyers and negotiate with multiple buyers before closing a deal. While our team is executing the sale of your business you can continue to operate your business.
MARKETING
We identify the right types of buyer for your business and present the right value drivers.
CONFIDENTIALITY
We protect the indentity of your business and only disclose information to buyers who have signed a confidentiality agreement.
BUSINESS VALUATION
These are numerous factors that go into determining the value of your business. Our experience team has access to resources designed to provide you with an asking price tha can be supported.
RESULTS
And finally, our main objective is to get the deal done! The team at Lake Country Advisors will help manage the other professionals to make sure deadlines are met and tasks are completed as well as maintain communication with all the principals involved.
MARKETING
We identify the right types of buyer for your business and present the right value drivers.
Our Process In Streamlining Your Exit Strategy
Pre-Engagement: Engagement, Valuation and Preparation Stages
- Initial Meeting
- Preliminary Due Diligence & Valuation by LCA
- Proposal
- Engagement Paperwork
- Research & Marketing Package
- Virtual Dataroom
Initial Meeting
Selling your business can be one of the most impactful events of your life. It is important that you make sure you feel comfortable with Lake Country Advisors. to help you sell your business.
Preliminary Due Diligence & Valuation by LCA
One of our differentiators on how we do business is that we require a significant amount of information up front for us to perform due diligence on a potential Seller as well as determine an accurate valuation of your business.
Proposal
Once we have established a comfort level and believe LCA is a great fit to work in your best interest to help you sell your business, we will provide you with a proposal regarding the cost of our services.
Engagement Paperwork
There is a significant amount of paperwork that we request from a seller in order to list your engagement, create the Offering Memorandum, as well as be prepared to answer any questions a buyer may have on your business.
Research & Marketing Package
The Marketing Package on your company is one of the most important documents we create in order to help sell your business. This may even include industry research depending on the type of sale.
Virtual Dataroom
Important due diligence documents regarding your business are placed in a virtual dataroom. When it is appropriate father along the process, a vetted buyer will receive access to the information.
Engagement: Marketing, Offering and Closing Stages
- Launch Engagement
- Qualification & Vetting Buyers
- Discussions & Showings with Prospective Buyers
- Offers & LOIs
- Negotiations & Deal Structure
- Buyer Due Diligence
- Accepted Offer
- APA & Documents
- Closing
Launch Engagement
Your Engagement is live! We spend an extensive amount of resources advertising your business online, as well as to our 20,000 database of vetted buyers looking to purchase a business.
Qualification & Vetting Buyers
Once your Engagement is live, buyers will start inquiring. LCA requires a Non-Disclosure Agreement prior to releasing any confidential information on your business. During this process we also financially qualify and vet buyers. It take 39 buyers to find one qualified buyer for your business.
Discussions & Showings with Prospective Buyers
Qualified buyers are ready to have conference calls with the Advisors in our office. If we feel there is a good fit for your business, we will schedule a conference call with the Buyer and Seller, or perhaps a showing.
Offers & LOIs
The ideal situation would be to create an auction environment for your business – almost a bidding war. LCA will help you evaluate your offers and LOI’s to help you make an informed decision so you can decide what is best for you.
Negotiations & Deal Structure
There are many ways to skin the cat. It is important that we help the Seller negotiate the best deal. There is more than just a “purchase price” for a business. Seller Financing, Consulting Agreements, Earn-Outs, Royalty Payments, Management Agreements, etc. – just to name a few.
Buyer Due Diligence
The Buyer will request a detailed list of items they would like to review. This can be overwhelming, but we are still actively involved in this part of the process.
Accepted Offer
Congrats! Basic Terms and Conditions have been agreed! Now the fun begins.
APA & Documents
Basic terms and conditions will become detailed as attorneys work together to create a binding agreement between the buyer and seller. Lake Country Advisors. works with the Seller’s Attorney to ensure the contract is in your best interest.
Closing
Congratulations! Now it is time to move onto the next phase of your life!
Testimonials From Recent Transactions
Partnering with Lake Country Advisors was a great experience when selling our business. Michael Szmanda and the L.C. Advisors crew took responsibility for vetting potential buyers allowing me to continue the daily operations of the company. Very knowledgeable, efficient with great communication throughout the entire complicated process.
Bottom line: The Employees, Buyer, Broker, Seller and all other parties involved benefited from a very positive transaction orchestrated by Lake Country Advisors.
You and Michael were great throughout our sale. All is well and again, we “thank you”.
You had a huge part in changing our lives. We will always fondly remember you and Michael.
Happy sailing Spencer~
Free Business Valuation
Save 5k to 10k on average with this FREE valuation.