Additional Resources

More Resources on Selling a Business

The Art of the Exit will help you navigate the complex process of selling your business. If you’d like to learn more about buying, selling, valuing a business, or dozens of other topics related to mergers and acquisitions, please visit the Resources section of the Morgan & Westfield website at morganandwestfield.com. Here’s what’s included:

• Ask the Expert: Links to common M&A questions and answers. Ask any question related to buying, selling, or valuing a business. Receive expert advice from industry professionals with real-world experience.
• Downloads: Links to forms and other useful resources for selling your business.
• Books: A complete list of my books on selling, valuing, or buying a business, and all other topics related to M&A.
• Glossary: A glossary of terms used throughout this book. Don’t be confused or intimidated by any terms or abbreviations in the M&A world. You’ll find answers here.
• M&A Encyclopedia: The most exhaustive encyclopedia in the industry with over 800 pages of insight on every step of the process of selling, buying, or valuing a business.
• M&A Talk: The #1 podcast on mergers and acquisitions, produced by Morgan & Westfield and hosted by Jacob Orosz. At M&A Talk, we bring you exclusive interviews with a wide variety of experts in mergers and acquisitions, private equity, investment banking, business valuations, law, finance, and all topics related to M&A, buying, selling, and valuing businesses. 
• M&A University: Complete courses related to buying, selling, or valuing a business. Courses are led by industry experts with decades of industry experience and are designed to give you in-depth knowledge regarding every aspect of the process of preparing your business for sale, valuing it, and closing the deal.

The Art and Science of Selling a Business – A Course by M&A University

Have you ever wished you could get into the head of the party on the other side of the negotiating table? Here’s your chance. Join us in this nine-hour audio course as we take a deep dive into the sales process to discuss the perspective of both the buyer and the seller with Jim Evanger, a serial entrepreneur and operating partner for several middle-market private equity firms. Jim has founded, started, operated, and sold multiple middle-market businesses and assisted in acquiring dozens of companies as both a corporate buyer and private equity partner, giving him deep experience on both sides of the table. 

The Art & Science of Selling a Business contains priceless advice for entrepreneurs of middle-market businesses with revenues up to $100 million. This course wasn’t built on theory – it is grounded in practical advice that’s been field-tested in the real world. Listen as Jim shares the lessons he’s learned on both sides of the table from over 20 years of experience as both a seller and an acquirer. He’s already made the mistakes, so you don’t have to. You’ll learn how to avoid the most expensive errors business owners commonly make that can harm the value of your business or even derail your sales process entirely.

Additional Books

• A Beginner’s Guide to Business Valuation – Lessons Learned from 20 Years in the Trenches: This book walks you step-by-step through valuing a business with $1 million to $50 million in revenue. You’ll learn the fundamental factors that determine the value of any small to mid-sized business and simple methods for maximizing value when it comes time to sell. This practical guide is based on what I’ve gleaned from 20 years in the trenches selling businesses. It’s written for the layman, specifically meant to address the real-world methods buyers use to value businesses. 
• The Exit Strategy Handbook – A Complete Guide to Preparing Your Business for Sale: This comprehensive handbook demystifies the process of preparing your business for sale and helps you unlock real value in your business to dramatically increase your odds of success once you finally decide to go to market. Selling a home is child’s play compared to selling a business. You only get one chance – and The Exit Strategy Handbook shows you how. Planning to sell is all about building a business buyers want to buy. By preparing well in advance, you’ll ensure you’ll receive the highest price possible. The Exit Strategy Handbook arms you with simple steps you can take to dramatically improve your company’s value and marketability.
• Closing the Deal – The Definitive Guide to Negotiating the Sale of Your Company: This book teaches you the art and science of negotiating the sale of your business. You’ll learn the fundamentals of every step of the process, from the letter of intent to the closing. This essential field manual offers you an effective blueprint to maximize your negotiating leverage and foolproof strategies to optimize your deal structure and after-tax proceeds. Closing the Deal is for owners of businesses valued from $1 million to $50 million and contains proven tactics for avoiding the most common pitfalls in negotiating the sale of your company.
• Acquired – The Art of Selling a Business with $10 Million to $100 Million in Revenue: For a business to sell for what it’s really worth – or even more – you need to properly prepare. But too many entrepreneurs put off planning the sale of their business until the last moment. Acquired will help you prepare your middle-market business for sale and walk you through the sales process, dodging the pitfalls along the way. With a significant amount of your wealth tied up in your business, planning your exit is one of the most critical initiatives you’ll undertake. Don’t go it alone. 

Other Resources

• If you’re interested in selling your company, please visit morganandwestfield.com to schedule a free consultation.
• If you’d like the author of this book, Jacob Orosz, to perform an independent assessment of your business before you begin the sales process, please visit morganandwestfield.com/sellers.