How to Sell a Business St. Louis: Do I Need a Business Broker or Transaction Attorney?

http://www.ValuationStLouis.com (314) 541-8163 How to Sell a Business St. Louis: Do I Need a Business Broker or Transaction Attorney? What is the process for selling a business? How do I find business brokers and lawyers?

Hi, my name is Melissa Gragg, I am an accredited valuation analyst at Bridge Valuation Partners in St. Louis, MO.

Business owners always have questions about how to sell a business: one of the main questions is “Do I need a business broker or transaction attorney?

People just want to know the M&A process even if they are not ready to sell in the next year or two. Being prepared to sell your business before you are actually ready will put you ahead of the game and then you will know what to do when an opportunity appears.

Selling your business is not an easy matter, especially if it is your first time.

There are simple cheap ways you can list your business for sale on various directories, but this is just to post basic information about your business for potential buyers surfing the internet.

Most people talk with a business broker or mergers and acquisitions specialist. You are hiring an advocate, someone who is going to work to get you the highest price for your company.

There are many reasons to hire a business broker – the biggest one is that they act as a 3rd party mediator in a sense. You will be doing some hard negotiating at times and it is good to have someone who will be able to really stand on your offer and requirements for the deal.

As the business owner, it is hard to really stand by what you want because you are emotionally connected to your business, you don’t want to pass up an opportunity and sometimes the dollars are so big that you may back down on certain issues when you don’t have to.

The business broker’s job is to create an environment where the buyers are competing to buy your company. The business broker usually gets paid based on your final deal, but sometimes they will also want a retainer to work for you.

The sale process could take a year or more to finalize, so be patient if you want to get the best price for your company.

You will probably end up hiring a transaction attorney as well, this person could be a recommendation from your business broker, accountant or banker and will help you understand all of the contracts involved in your deal.

Working with a business broker and transaction lawyer will put two very experienced professionals on your side. Don’t rely on a handshake and someone’s good word. Protect what you have built and get the highest price when you are ready to sell.

If you would like to learn more about business valuations, how to value a company, how to sell a business or how to find a qualified valuation appraiser – check out our additional videos at http://www.YouTube.com/businessvaluationstl

Family Law St. Louis: When Do I Need a Business Valuation?

http://youtu.be/B2qKt-Be5UI

Business owners always have questions about what happens to the family business when one owner is getting divorced or involved in a family law issue: one of the main questions is “when do I need a business valuation?

There are times when a couple may or may not need a company valuation.

Here are some things to consider if you own a business and your marriage is ending:

1. Was any of the business or marital property owned prior to the marriage?

2. Is there a buy-sell agreement that deals with how the business is valued in the event of a divorce?

3. Has there been any written offers to purchase the business within the past 3 to 5 years?

4. Do you and your spouse disagree on the value or what the business is worth?

5. Have you had any prior valuations done for the company?

6. Will you be going to family law court to settle the matter?

All of these questions are very important to determine whether you need a valuation performed for the business.

Basically if there is a buy-sell or other agreement which clearly states how to value the company, there are prior transactions for the business which could provide an indication of the value AND you both agree that the value is reasonable, then you may NOT need a valuation.

If on the other hand there is no info to help value the company, or the business was owned prior to the marriage — AND you and your spouse are fighting about everything including the value of the business — then you should consider hiring a valuation expert.

The valuation expert is a 3rd party expert, who can look at all the financial issues, apply valuation methods, provide a report if needed and then testify in court about the final value.

Divorce is a negotiation and if you know the numbers for all of the different pieces of property, then you will be equipped to handle the discussion and settle the matter quickly.

If you would like to learn more about business valuations, how to value a company for family law and divorce litigation, or how to find a qualified valuation appraiser – check out our additional videos at http://www.YouTube/businessvaluationstl

or visit our website at http://www.valuationstLouis.com

Business Valuations St. Louis – Divorce Valuations – How to Hire a Valuation Expert

Are you confused by the divorce litigation process when it involves a family-owned company?

Many people specialize in business valuations, but when you are getting divorced, you really need to look for is somebody who understands how to apply valuation methods in divorce litigation.

Divorce valuation methods are particular to the state where you are getting divorced. Just because a valuation company works in a certain state does not mean they understand the differences in court.

This is why it is also important to find someone who has testified in divorce court, particularly in your state. The reason why this is important is that there is certain case law that the analyst needs to be familiar with and how it affects the valuation.

Make sure your valuation expert understands the difference between personal goodwill and enterprise goodwill — this is a big topic in valuation right now and it is a complicated matter.

The rules are different in each state and the valuation methods could vary, so if you have an expert who understands all of the nuances then you will not be surprised on the day you go to court.

There are several factors involved when a person gets divorced including child support, maintenance (or what we call alimony), and the value of the business. All of these issues do not seem connected but they do have one common factor. Money. And how you separate the assets. This is the most important reason to have a third-party valuation expert involved.

If you are someone you know is going through a divorce and need a business valuation expert to testify in court, please visit our website at http://www.ValuationStLouis.com

If you would like to learn more about how to value a company, how to buy a business or how to find a qualified valuation appraiser – check out our videos at http://www.YouTube/BusinessValuationSTL

If you need a referral for a divorce lawyer or family law attorney give us a call at 314-541-8163

Welcome to the Valuation Appraiser Blog

Hi, I am Melissa Gragg, President of Bridge Valuation Partners in St. Louis, Missouri. I started this blog to share information about how to value a company, how to buy or sell a business and general valuation information. Let me give you some background on my experience and how I work with business owners and attorneys to determine the value of a business or litigation case.

After earning my Masters in Finance from Saint Louis University I worked in the investment banking world as part of team assisting in the buying and selling of businesses. I searched for market transactions in order to determine the market value of a business, developed written material summarizing the operations of the company for sale, researched buyers for the company and then maintained relationships with venture capital firms in order to understand their buying parameters.

The most important part of my job was working with the business owner and preparing them for the emotional aspects of selling their company as well as the strategic complications. Selling a company is a process and preparing for the changes and challenges ahead is a big part of the deal.

After a few years I went to work for a regional accounting firm in the business valuation and litigation support department. I worked with business owners to transfer shares of the company to their children and grandchildren in the form of gifting. In order to gift shares of stock to another person, a business valuation must be prepared. This report aids in the preparation of the gift tax return and establishes the value of the shares at the time of the gift.

I also have extensive experience when valuation concepts are entwined in a litigation as well, whether lost profits, lost wages or separation of marital assets. I work with attorneys to help them understand the value of a lawsuit and develop financial models to support the calculation in court. I have testified in deposition and trial as well. My experience has also lead me to conduct fraud investigations for a variety of government entities and private companies.

I stepped away from valuations for several years to help my family start a business in the health care arena and in 2011 started my own valuation and litigation support firm.

Now I have the experience of being an entrepreneur and business owner which allows me to understand the responsibility and professional drive the position requires. I relate to business owners and can assist them in the different stages of development, valuation and eventual sale.

I work with business owners, merger & acquisition professionals, accounting firms as well as other valuation providers and have an extensive network of experts who serve as my “partners”. I look forward to helping others understand how to value a company.