Selling your business is always a difficult decision and the process can be long and complicated. This process can be especially difficult for smaller businesses. These deals are often seen as “too small to be worth anything” to many buyers and credit is available to very few local buyers who can see the value in a smaller business. (Frequently the fresh perspective brought by a change in ownership allows the purchase of these small businesses to be solid business investments.) These small business owners also take an additional hit because they rarely have the resources to hire a consultant with … Read more

Considerable focus has been given to the role of private equity in the green industry.  Its impact may be somewhat over-emphasized, but with several industry leaders controlled by private equity and other private equity-backed initiatives either underway or in the planning stages, it is worth considering what private equity is all about. In general, in order to attract private equity investors as a platform or initial investment, a business would need to have revenues of approximately $20 million or more with good growth prospects in both revenue and earnings (EBITDA).  This would mean roughly the top half of Lawn and … Read more

The state of the capital markets is a very significant factor impacting merger and acquisition activity.  A recently-published academic study of private capital markets provides insight into current conditions. Pepperdine University’s Graziado School of Business and Management conducts a semiannual survey of conditions in private capital markets.  The most recent report gives insights into the impact of  the turmoil and changes in the credit markets on financing options available today. Commercial banks continue to be the cheapest form of capital, with interest rates averaging 6% to 8% on commercial loans.  However, banks in the survey reported that they will typically … Read more

Business-for-sale transactions begin to increase after hitting bottom in recent months San Francisco, CA – October 6, 2009 – BizBuySell.com — the Internet’s largest marketplace for buying or selling a small business — today released economic data for the third quarter of 2009. After multiple quarters of declining business-for-sale transactions, the new numbers suggest that the state of the small business economy is finally beginning to improve. BizBuySell.com’s new Third Quarter 2009 Insight Report shows a 24% year-over-year drop in closed small business transactions. While still lagging behind year-ago transaction numbers, BizBuySell.com’s previous report — which included data for the … Read more

The Brickman Group announced the acquisition of D. Foley Landscape, Inc., based in South Walpole, Massachusetts. Founded in 1987 by Dan Foley, the company quickly grew to become a market leader in Boston and surrounding areas. Foley’s recipe for success is aligned with Brickman’s: deliver phenomenal service, relentlessly pursue continuous improvement, take care of your people, and have fun serving the customer. Brickman’s acquisition of this motivated team is a triple win for both companies and their clients. Existing Brickman clients with operations in Massachusetts and surrounding areas will now be able to receive the same quality service their other … Read more