Valuation and Other Services 

Whether you are buying or selling a business, the process is complex, and an experienced partner like Comer Business Brokers can help.  Once we understand your goals and aspirations, we can develop a consulting services scope of work that responds to your particular needs and circumstances.  Whether you are exploring an idea, gathering information, evaluating options or executing a highly specific plan, we can help you achieve your goals and maximize your returns.

Examples of our consulting services include:

For Sellers:

Business Valuation – The best time to start planning your exit is before you enter, but failing that, the earlier the better.  In fact, the earlier your start, the more ways you have to maximize your value.  A great first step is to engage a professional valuation of your business.  A professional valuation allows you to understand what you can realize in the market today without any changes.  But not all valuations are created equal – you don’t want to pawn your business; you want to Sell Well™.  Comer Business Brokers can thoroughly and professionally analyze your business and determine your true profitability, potential for future growth, and value in the real market.  Valuation is an art form – make sure you hire an artist.  Lawyers, accountants and other advisors can tell you what they think – we will tell you what we know.

As professional valuation experts who also broker business sales, we are also uniquely equipped to help you maximize the value of your business.  Every business can increase its saleable value, and we can analyze those steps most appropriate for you.  We can create a specific plan outlining the steps required to maximize your business value and attract the most promising buyers.

Due Diligence – Due diligence is the process by which a potential buyer identifies issues with a target business that may affect valuation, drive changes post-closing, or cause him to walk away entirely.  Potential buyers may, among other things, look at your tax returns, accounts, analytics and other books and records.  Preparation is key to a successful diligence experience, and by performing due diligence testing in advance, Comer Business Brokers can help you avoid undue diligence.  First impressions count the most, and we can ensure that your first impression is the only impression you need to make.  As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and our ounce of preparation can be worth tons of value by the time your sale process occurs.

Offer and Counteroffer Consulting – Negotiation is an art form that requires both skill and preparation.  You may have the skill, but Comer Business Brokers can provide unrivaled preparation.  We make offers and counteroffers for a living, so we have extensive market knowledge, broad experience, and extensive pertinent insights.  Allow us to help you Sell Well™.  Whether benchmarking your offer against market norms, or helping you prepare a compelling counter, our goal, as always, is to maximize your realized value with minimal effort.  Your success is our success, and we love to win.

Marketing Campaigns – Selling a business is first and foremost about reaching the right buyer, which means that an effective marketing campaign is absolutely essential.  The right marketing collateral can be the difference between selling your company for a great value and not selling your company at all.  If you intend to handle the sale of your company by yourself, Comer Business Brokers can equip you with the necessary tools to maximize your odds of success.  Marketing is a process, and we can guide you through it, reaching the right buyer at the right time for the right price.

For Buyers:

Identify Attractive Valuation Targets – Successful business growth strategies can include both organic and inorganic tracks.  If you have decided to pursue a strategic acquisition, you may be perplexed about how to identify actionable acquisition targets, or about how to proceed when you identify one.  We can help.  Allow us to develop a list of specific companies for you to target based on your specific criteria.  And if you need more help from there, see below.

Bring Targets to the Negotiating Table – Once you have developed a list of potential acquisition targets, you have to actually go acquire them.  Many business owners are uncomfortable taking that first step and reaching out with a cold call.  But Comer Business Brokers speaks to business owners for a living.  Let us turn your cold call into a warm introduction, and bring you one step closer to acquiring your desired business.

Valuation – If you have found a target company that meets your needs, the next obvious questions are (i) How much is it worth?, and (ii) How much should I offer?  Comer Business Brokers is an expert at business valuations (see above under “For Sellers”), and can help you identify a business’ true fair market value so you can make an informed offer.  Knowledge is power, and we aim to make you powerful.

Bells and Whistles – Offers, Letters of Intent, Diligence and Financing – So you’ve found a compelling acquisition opportunity and you know what you want to pay for it.  Congratulations!  You’re well ahead of the game, but what do you do from here?  Successfully acquiring a business is a complicated, multi-step process with multiple pitfalls for the unwary.  Comer Business Brokers can help you prepare an offer and/or a letter of intent that addresses all of the necessary issues and concerns to ensure your offer is properly received and your interests are sufficiently protected.  Your lawyer can make your offer or LOI eloquent; we can make it compelling.  If you’re successful at the outset, we can also help you move forward.

Any successful business purchase involves careful and thorough due diligence.  We sell businesses for a living, so we know exactly what to look for, exactly how to look for it, and exactly what you’re likely to miss.  We can help you create a comprehensive list tailored to the industry, sector and company you are targeting to ensure you are completely informed going in.

And if you need to finance your acquisition, we can help there as well.  Whether an SBA loan, a bank loan, seller financing or otherwise, we’ve seen it all.  We can help you identify the most appropriate lender and debt package for your needs, and develop a compelling loan application.