Articles

The Confidential Information Memorandum, or CIM, is widely used as a marketing tool when raising debt or equity capital, selling healthy or distressed businesses or refinancing existing debt. A CIM is like the big brother to a one-page investor summary, or the more commonly used term, teaser. Colloquially, a CIM is also often referred to […]

Kathy Thiel is a Certified Business Intermediary and Certified Valuation Analyst with almost 40 years’ experience in business. She obtained a BA in Economics from Union College in Schenectady and her early career was in sales and marketing for Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, and AT&T. Desiring to become an entrepreneur, she bought a […]

Family businesses are the heartbeat of the US economy. Their contribution to the nation’s GDP, job creation and employment are unmatched. Indeed, 35% of the Fortune 500 companies are family businesses, but those companies have beat the odds. According to the Family Firms Institute, 70% of family business will not survive to the second generation […]

As we enter another year uncertain when transacting business will return to a semblance of normalcy, many businesses will have to face the prospect of dealing with their lender.  As a business advisor, you may be asked by your client, what happens now?  While business owners will hope for a better year and seek a […]

Some of our most successful deals resulted from the owner’s patient, resolute commitment to preparing their business to sell at the right time, for top dollar. The sale of a business is different than the sale of any other asset. Unlike real estate or capital equipment, which can often sell quickly at a good price, […]

Takeaway: Working capital can be the biggest chip at the table during your negotiations. Here is everything you need to know to calculate working capital before you enter the sale process. In most of the M&A deals that I am involved in, working capital is one of the most complicated areas to navigate when trying to close a transaction. Here […]

Sara Burden is the owner of Walden Businesses based in Atlanta, Georgia. Sara has over 30 years’ experience and selling companies with sophisticated high profiles in the services, heavy manufacturing, and distribution sectors.  Prior to joining Walden, Sara was a successful entrepreneur as the founder of a permanent staffing service specializing in high-end administrative support personnel. In 1984, her acquisition of a temporary services provider expanded her firm to one of the largest in […]

We believe the small-to-midsize business mergers and acquisitions market looks positive going into 2021.  More Clarity and Certainty  As we put 2020 behind us, what does 2021 hold for us in the SMB M&A industry? We are now entering a new year where lockdowns give way to a vaccine, and there is more clarity around taxation, spending, and related policy from an […]

The IRS reminded taxpayers of the home office deduction rules during Small Business Week and urged individuals to consider taking the home office deduction if they qualify.   Who qualifies for the deduction?  The home office deduction is available to qualifying self-employed taxpayers, independent contractors and those working in the gig economy.  However, the Tax Cuts […]

I have met thousands of business owners over the decades, and the majority of small to medium-sized business owners/entrepreneurs are “do-it-yourselfers.”   Most have survived many challenges along with some failures but have continued to work diligently which is why they are successful today. They believe in themselves, as they should, and many believe they do […]