Writing the Book on Marketing a Business
The client engaged a Principal of IBG Business to appraise his existing heating oil and HVAC business and to assist in building value for the future. He knew he’d want to sell at some point down the line and made the smart decision to plan for maximizing the value of his company years before the sale took place.
Special Circumstances
The client had a number of properties involved with the business, some of which had old deeds which were difficult to reconcile. We ultimately closed on the business 30 days before we received clean titles to the real estate.
The Process
The IBG Business M&A Broker appraised the company and advised the client that he should add propane service to his existing business offerings. With the firm’s guidance and support, he did enter the propane business. Over the next 12 years, continuation of regular business appraisals and consulting services were provided until the client was ready to retire and exit his business, which had grown substantially larger.
When he was ready to sell, the IBG Business M&A Broker was engaged to market the company. The first step was to complete a thorough due diligence process including preparing marketing materials and a marketing plan. The process started on July 1st and the business was on the market by early August. The firm contacted a number of national and regional buyers as well as several private equity groups. Quite quickly, the IBG Business Principal was able to obtain numerous offers from strategic buyers.
The Outcome
The top buyer was prepared to complete the transaction by the end of October – in time for the heating season. The sale met the owner’s financial and personal objectives and he and his wife were able to retire and enjoy their Florida residence while their son started his college career. The owner was delighted with the outcome and the buyer was impressed by the way the process was handled.
Client Comments
The marketing book was very professional – it’s like we wrote it ourselves. Everything we needed to complete our analysis and make an offer for the company was in there.
