Blog

Preparing the Company for Sale: What Buyers Want to See

By Daniel R. Siburg, CPA, CVA & Howard Fisher Potential buyers for a company generally look hard at certain aspects of it, and vanish if they do not like what they find.  Fortunately, the same practices that will help you run the business more efficiently and effectively on a daily basis will also help you…
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Determining Value for a Company

By Daniel R. Siburg, CPA, CVA & Howard Fisher Many business owners believe their companies have unique characteristics, which buyers will value highly, regardless of revenue volume and profitability.  Based on this notion these owners also believe that conventional valuation approaches and methods are not applicable for their companies.  While it is true that each…
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What Creates Value in Your Company?

By Daniel R. Siburg, CPA, CVA and Howard W. Fisher Long before you are ready to think about selling your company, you may want to think about what creates value in it.  The following are key factors in creating value. Seller’s Reputation Your business is known for its character and reputation in the industry.  Your…
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When You’re Selling Your Company: Key Choices, Key Moves

By Daniel R. Siburg, CPA, CVA  and Howard W. Fisher After careful consideration, you have decided to sell your company and turn your equity into cash, diversifying your personal wealth.  Two basic types of transactions are available: asset purchase or stock purchase. An asset purchase is the most common form of a business sale transaction…
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Cash is King of the Balance Sheet

By Daniel R. Siburg, CPA, CVA and Howard W. Fisher Every business owner or manager knows that to pay the bills, make payroll, or buy capital equipment, the company needs cash. The issue for business owners and managers is to manage the cash resource applications in mind and especially during cash flow shortfalls. Why Cash…
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Make More Profit by Managing Gross Margin

By Daniel R. Siburg, CPA, CVA and Howard W. Fisher The difference between a company’s net sales and the related cost of goods sold is gross margin. Gross margin is represented as both a number and a percent. Understanding the differences and relationships between the gross margin as a number and a percent is paramount…
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Proprietary Product Lines and Their Benefits to Distributors

By Daniel R. Siburg, CPA, CVA and William E. Siburg, CPIM Distributors Build Brand Awareness for Manufacturers Distribution can be defined as the marketing and merchandising of another company’s products.  Manufacturers consider distribution to be a key component of their marketing and sales strategies because distributors help create brand awareness through the sale of manufacturers’…
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How Acquisitions Succeed

By Daniel R. Siburg, CPA, CVA and Howard W. Fisher A company that plans its acquisitions strategy in advance of a transaction will greatly improve its likelihood of executing a successful acquisition. A well thought out acquisition process helps a company to focus on establishing a plan and achieving the goal of acquiring the right…
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Are National Trade Shows a Good Use of Marketing Dollars?

By Daniel R. Siburg, CPA, CVA For smaller companies, national trade shows are very expensive and can be the largest use of some companies’ marketing dollars. Look at all of the costs associated with trade shows from the booth, to prepaying for exhibit space, all the shipping costs to get trade show items there and…
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100-Day Employee-Integration Plan for Mergers and Acquisitions 

By Bruce Haseley, SPHR, and Daniel R. Siburg, CPA, CVA Before employees who were part of a merger or acquisition can commit to a new business organization that resulted from the transaction, they need the answer to the one question they all share: How does this affect me? A 100-day employee-integration plan and an effective…
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