Arvind Sridharan

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When it comes to your business, choose to thrive! Need support? We can help…

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During these difficult times, if your business is struggling or you are concerned about the future well-being of your business, it may be time to start thinking about new ways of doing things, in addition to staying positive. Through years of experience and professional expertise, I can help support you and your business, now, when it matters most.

That’s why I am offering a PRO BONO consultation to get you and your business where you want to be. Check out my blog below and if this sounds like something of interest, I would love to hear from you.

Preserve your business and come out stronger

There is no doubt we are all going through challenging and unprecedented times, no matter what industry you are in.

Government limitations may hinder the ability to continue business operations. Additionally, the uncertainty about where this is all going and how long it will last is quite overhwhelming and unknown - especially for a character like me!

But the good news is – we will get through this. And I have no doubt that things on the other side will turn out to be better than they were before for most of us, if we continue to act in our best interest and strive for success.

Every crisis is also an opportunity

Most businesses and organisations struggle in today’s environment, and there are a few possible reasons why and one that will set you apart:

 

  • You go down with the crisis and have to cease operation
  • You survive the crisis, and suffer significant and persisting damage
  • You turn the crisis into an advantage, and come out stronger

 

Your first priority should be to preserve your business, whether that is making hard, sacrificing decisions or implementing significant changes. Cash is king – now more than ever.

But once you’ve done that, it’s time to prepare your business for when YOUR next opportunity arises and life is back to being (somewhat) normal.

The window of opportunity is open NOW

The better you can prepare your business now, the stronger your business will be when we come out of these challenging times. First take the right actions to preserve your business, then set it up for future success.

Whether you feel lost and don’t know where to start, or you need someone to have a discussion at eye level, providing independent expert advice, I’m here to help.

So, if your business is affected by the current crisis, let me help you by taking you through my Check / Solve / Do approach, pro bono. We will set-up a conference call to discuss your situation and investigate your options, which will help you to design a plan for a successful future.

Time better spent – Connect with Arvind

Preparing your business for sale and increasing its value at the same time is part of ‘future-proofing’ your business and having it ready for seizing YOUR next opportunity, whether it is an exciting acquisition, planned succession or a lucrative sale.

If you as a business owner feel you need help getting ready for sale, please get in touch. I also invite you to visit my website. For information straight to your inbox, please subscribe to my newsletter here.

Tomorrow you will wish you had started today!

Are you well-prepared for selling your business? Get in touch and perform a FREE ‘Ready For Sale Check’

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Almost two-thirds of Australian business owners would seriously consider selling their business if approached, however, over 50% say they are not ready for a sale.

 

Get in touch and perform a free 'Ready For Sale Check' to see whether you are setup for sale and ready to get the best deal for your business.

Preparation - Establish the right mindset

Be clear about what you want and don’t want. What is the reason for selling your business? Set a framework of acceptable (and non-acceptable) parameters; for example, price range, time frame, inclusions and post-acquisition commitment.

Documentation – Prepare due diligence information

Compose and structure a complete set of business documents:

 

(A) Financial information to determine the accuracy of assets and liabilities

 

(B) Legal information to identify potential risk and exposure

 

(C) Commercial information to determine the commercial and strategic value of your business

Communication – Present a compelling post-acquisition scenario

One of the most important steps of the 'Ready For Sale Check' is to convince the acquirer by developing a strong business case, showing how the investment could be paid back over a short period of time, and what would need to be done to take the business to the next level.

Time better spent – Connect with Arvind

Preparing your business for sale and increasing its value at the same time is part of ‘future-proofing’ your business and having it ready for seizing YOUR next opportunity, whether it is an exciting acquisition, planned succession or a lucrative sale.

If you are a business owner and would like to receive your FREE 'Ready For Sale Check' straight to your inbox, click here, connect on LinkedIn or send a message with your email address.

Tomorrow you will wish you had started today!

Is your business ready for sale? Be well prepared to get the best deal!

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When selling your business there are a few things you should take care of first to ensure that you get the best deal possible.

Follow the steps outlined below to ensure a desirable result.

Get the results you want!

Due diligence processes when selling your business take a long time and consume valuable resources that cannot be used elsewhere. And they often do not produce the results you want!

Out of the approximate 500,000 small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) that are put on the market for sale in Australia every year, a significant portion never sell.

And of those that are sold, many are sold for less than the previous owners initially expected.

If you are aiming to sell your business, but not quite sure if you are ready for sale, then you could run the risk of not selling or underselling your business by not being prepared.

Know yourself…from the other side

You know you have a great business and buyers should be queuing up to offer to buy it, right?

Well, that would be great, but you may have this view exclusively and it is up to you to convince potential buyers that what you have is worth top dollar.

Put on the acquirer’s hat…Would you catch a falling knife?

Would you buy a business that is losing money, stagnating or even shrinking? And if the answer is ‘yes,’ would you pay market value, or would you use this distress to negotiate the price down?

Also, what would you think as a potential buyer, feeling the business owner does not know down to the last cent where the money in the business is coming from and where it’s going to?

And finally, assuming the business has been growing for the last few years and the business owner knows their numbers inside out, how much (if at all) would you pay for a business whose success is not identifiable after the acquisition has been made?

Would you take the risk, or would you walk away to look at one of the other approximately half a million businesses up for sale?

Stand out – Be ready for sale

In my previous article, I have outlined the various reasons why business owners who aim to sell their business sometime down the track should start preparing NOW.

If you want to achieve the best possible deal, get ready for sale before putting your business on the market!

Being ready for selling your business means:

(A) You are running a successful business

(B) You can prove you are in full financial & operational control

(C) You can demonstrate your business is future-proof

How to prepare your business for sale

So, what can you do to increase your chance to pass the due diligence process and sell your business successfully without wasting valuable resources?

1. Show your business is successful and growing

You will be in a better position to sell your business when you can present financials and explain last 3-5 years’ evolution of growth.

If this is not possible, be prepared to answer questions why profitability has decreased, or revenues have stagnated/ shrunk. Point 3 below becomes even more important.

2. Prove full financial and operational control

Know your numbers, determine a budget and work with a forecast.

Implementing a quality financial reporting covering actuals, budget and forecast informs business owners and acquirers at a glance about where they are, where they should be and where they will be.

3. Demonstrate your business is future-proof

The better you can explain the potential acquirer’s return on investment, the better your position during the sale negotiation.

A comprehensive post-acquisition scenario will support you getting the best deal. Present a business case to the acquirer, showing how his/ her investment could be paid back over the next 2-3 years.

The growing pool of unsold and baby-boomer businesses puts noticeable pressure on business owners and prices.

Preparing your business for sale or starting the discussion before putting it on the market, increases your chance of selling it at the best possible price.

Time better spent – Connect with Arvind

Preparing your business for sale and increasing its value at the same time is part of ‘future-proofing’ your business and having it ready for seizing YOUR next opportunity, whether it is an exciting acquisition, planned succession or a lucrative sale.

If you as a business owner feel you need help getting ready for sale, please get in touch. I also invite you to visit my website; for information straight to your inbox, please subscribe to my newsletter here.

Tomorrow you will wish you had started today!