I'd like to thank you again for all your help in selling my business, Bay Watersports.  As you know, I was dealing with another business broker and was very disappointed with the way things were handled so I took my business off the market for a year. After meeting with you I was pleasantly surprised. You walked me through all the steps and taught me what I needed to do. You found several qualified buyers in a very short time. Although I was originally worried about your fee, after all was said and done, the advice you gave me saved more than your fee and it was truly a pleasure doing business with you. I appreciate your professionalism. Thank you again.
Sincerely
Louis Alcamo

"The professional way in which the sale was offered to select buyers and at the same time keeping the identity of my company as confidential as possible was indeed very important to me...the concern and perseverance shown in all aspects of this delicate sale were truly top quality.
"Jack E. Kelly, K/P Enterprises, Inc."

"Your performance in assisting us with the
sale of our business merits accolades...your honesty, hard work, and dedication to
your clients are rare traits these days."
Herbert Jackson, Syntech Enterprises, Ltd.

"if you are considering the sale of your business, I think you could not do better than to allow Corporate Investment to save your time
and help you define and meet your goals by bringing qualified buyers to your door."
Lee Masoian, President, AeroComm, Inc.

"By qualifying the buyers, you have saved
me a lot of valuable time and aggravation."
Mel Grifin, East Coast Wholesale Distributors

"I can safely say that the number of qualified prospects introduced by Corporate Investment amounted to at least a six to one ratio over those produced by other brokers."
Emmett H. Nanna, Jr., Esq.

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Selling A Business?

With over 25 years of experience buying and selling businesses, both with and without real estate, Corporate Investment has developed and refined the business sales process to be confidential, professional and effective. 

If you would like a free, no obligation consultation, contact Arnold Heckman, President of Corporate Investment, by email or call 301-572-6000 ext. 312.  All inquiries are held in the strictest confidence and there are never any up-front fees or expenses.

The Business Sales Process:

We understand the importance of employees, competitors and other parties remaining unaware that a business is for sale.  Consequently, confidentiality is of the utmost importance during all phases of the business sale process. All of CI’s brokers are sensitive to this and educate buyers about its importance. We make every effort to insure that all communications with buyers and sellers are kept strictly confidential.

Once a business owner decides he would like to explore the possibility of selling his business, we begin the process by determining its value.  The business valuation involves analyzing historical financial information such as business tax returns, balance sheets, and profit & loss statements. 

Since accountants and tax preparers decrease apparent business value by minimizing profit and taxable income, we must work closely with a seller and/or his accountant to unlock the hidden cash flow in order to achieve maximum market value for the business.  Because of the way buyers value businesses, this “re-cast or sellers discretionary cash flow” analysis is critically important.  It is one of the primary tools buyers use to compare business opportunities, as well as determining how much money is available for debt service and a return on investment.  Once the financial analysis is concluded, we provide a value range for the business.  Ultimately however, it is a seller’s decision as to the asking price he would like.   

Once the sale price and terms are set, and a Brokerage Agreement is executed, we begin assembling a marketing package that properly represents the business.  This package normally includes a re-cast cash flow analysis that is extracted from the previous three years business tax returns and financials, an equipment list, leases, promotional materials, and any other relevant information.  We also prepare a concise business summary that is presented to prospective business buyers as part of the marketing package.

Due to the number of brokers in our organization, and relationships developed over the past 25 years, we have a substantial number of prescreened, financial and corporate buyers.  For larger businesses, with earnings and/or cash flows in excess of $1,000,000, we have found that publicly-traded companies are often great candidates. 

Buyers are only introduced to business for sale listings after they are interviewed by one of our brokers and execute a Confidentiality Agreement.  In the event the buyer is interested in seeing the business, and meeting the seller, we arrange a meeting, either at our offices, or at the business, depending on the sellers wishes.  After the initial meeting, we determine if the buyer would like to make an offer.  If so, we secure a Letter of Intent or Purchase Contract for presentation to the seller. 

Once an offer is made, the real work begins.  The initial offer is just the beginning of a time consuming and complex round of negotiations. These negotiations require expertise and experience to give the business sale the highest probability of closing.  Once we have secured an initial agreement on “price and terms”, we assist with solving the multitude of other issues that can arise, such as:

• Purchase contract preparation

• Contract negotiations with the buyer’s legal counsel and/or advisors

• Negotiating with the landlord for lease assignments, extensions, etc.
• Securing financing
• Franchise applications and approvals
• Writing Business plans
• Securing 3rd party approvals
• Communicating with the buyer’s accountant
• Anything else necessary for the preparation and scheduling of a smooth business sale closing.

Each issue requires experience and negotiating skills, and all must be successfully completed for a successful business sale closing.

For a free, no obligation consultation, email or call 301-572-6000 ext. 312. All inquiries are held in the strictest confidence and there are never any up-front fees or expenses.

The Corporate Investment Team Our team of professionals has experience in every conceivable type of business including, retail, distribution, restaurants & hospitality, service, manufacturing, construction, transportation and technology. Our goal is to provide effective and confidential assistance in the sale and transfer of any business, regardless of the size or complexity, and we have the people to get the job done.

Business Valuations / M&A In addition to Business Brokerage and M&A, CI provides independent third party business valuations for a variety of needs. With more than 25 years of experience and the knowledge gained by analyzing over 1,000 completed transactions, CI’s Business Valuation Department has accumulated a wealth of experience, as well as a comprehensive database, on the value of privately held businesses.