I received this letter today from one of the many firms we are in contact with, who are interested in buying existing businesses. The letter is very typical of requests we receive weekly.
Hi Bill,
I am optimistic we will see more activity this year as owners who may be ‘on the fence’ to sell have one more thing to consider – the capital gains tax increase in 2013. Whether this occurs or not I am still hopeful it will encourage many owners to choose 2012 as the year to ‘let go’ of their treasured possession.
Bill, like you, I understand how difficult it is for an owner who has worked years, sometimes decades, to make that decision and pass the baton to someone else. They have given so much of their life to build something great. My goal is to be their first choice, to be that person who they can trust to continue building what they started.
Our target industries remain the same – business services, niche healthcare, and specialty insurance.
The key criteria are;
- growing industry
- recurring revenue or high % of repeat business
- $5 – $20M in revenue, and > 15% EBITDA margins
- a 3 year track record of profitability
Bill, once an acquisition is made I plan to personally run the company. I believe that my background as a management executive in a successful high growth global company combined with a group of highly qualified investors who are also extremely successful executives makes our firm a strong buyer of choice for your seller.
If you are a business owner nearing retirement, you might want to accelerate the sale of your business to 2012.