Get the Number You Want
The balance sheet doesn't tell the whole story. A successful valuation takes into account lots of intangibles--and they can add up. Here are five ways to boo... Read more
Buying a Small Business
Recent Buying a Small Business Articles
ESOP Facts
Answers to the questions that business owners frequently ask. Read more
The Ultimate Employee Buy-in
Sell the company to your employees? It's a great idea--both for you and for the business you're leaving behind. Read more
Deal Jitters?
You're not alone. Now more acquirers are buying insurance to ease their fears. Read more
The Anatomy of a Sale--Ours
Magazines know how to go after a story, but this one came to us. Inc. was recently the focus of a business drama with valuable lessons about what a ... Read more
The Anatomy of a Sale--Ours, Part 2
Magazines know how to go after a story, but this one came to us. Inc. was recently the focus of a business drama with valuable lessons about what a ... Read more
The Anatomy of a Sale--Ours, Part 3
Magazines know how to go after a story, but this one came to us. Inc. was recently the focus of a business drama with valuable lessons about what a ... Read more
Finding the Money to Grow Your Business
Tick...tick...tick...the clock is running. Small businesses today face a deadline. Even though a business attracts customers, it must grow quickly before... Read more
What's Your X-Factor?
The ultimate in-store service experience will make your location not just a place to buy your products, but a destination on a Friday night or any night. Read more
Editor's Letter
This month's letter from the editor. Read more
Location Isn't Everything
It turns out, that old truism about location can only take your business so far. What you really need are: Product, Concept, and People. Read more
The Instincts of an Entrepreneur
You don't have to own a restaurant chain to exhibit the skills of a franchise owner. Sometimes, you can be a music teacher. Read more
The Role of Giving
Franchisees are often finding ways to be a part of the community -- it helps business. But charitable giving has other benefits, too. Read more
A Franchise is a Franchise is a Franchise
Franchising is more than chains like McDonald's. Sometimes, it's an expansion strategy, a license, a partnership, or a joint venture. Read more
For the Love of Franchising
Doug Ducey explains why franchising has been a good business for him and others. Read more
What's Your Business Really Worth?
Before you try to sell, make sure you know what buyers want. Read more
The Secret World of Finders
Unlicensed dealmakers are suddenly, uncomfortably, in the spotlight. Read more
How to Conduct Due Diligence
Your goals include managing risk, finding the right professional counsel, and haggling over price. Read more
What Makes a Good Opportunity?
Evaluate your business concept using the three "M's" before you start up. Read more
Valuations 2004: What's Your Company Worth Now?
How, and by whom, valuations are established. Read more
Selling Smart When Selling Off
The champagne isn't flowing just yet, but the climate for mergers and acquisitions clearly looks a lot more appealing these days. There's more equity avai... Read more
Buying a Small Company Requires Some Patience
My recent column about the travails of Bob and Sandy McNary trying to sell their little I... Read more
Buyers Learn to Beware at Franchise Boot Camp
Louis Dominguez, a 53-year-old retired account executive with Verizon, was recently on a conference call with a representative from Alphagraphics, a print... Read more
Advice on Acquisition Advisors
When pursuing growth through acquisition, it's crucial to find the right advisers. Read more
More to It Than Numbers
Business owners seek business valuations for many different reasons -- partner buyouts, divorces, estate planning, death of a partner, and, as Randall Lan... Read more
Rude Awakenings May Await New Franchisees
Before Kelly Waddell, 31, and his wife, Sandra, 35, opened their Pop-A-Lock franchise in Dayton, Ohio, they went to bed at 11 p.m., and assumed everyone e... Read more
Business for Sale: You Haul
By joining a national network, a buyer could unbox growth at this moving company. Read more
Business for Sale: A Business in the Rough
A buyer might be able to get this golf course up to par by hiring a pro, adding nine more holes, or building condos. Read more
Business for Sale: Buy Your Way to Great Margins
Checks, please! This payment-processing company is poised for robust growth in a fast-consolidating industry. Read more
Business for Sale: Little Napa on the Prairie
Over a nice cabernet, you've mused about someday buying a vineyard and winery. But are 12-hour workdays your style? Read more
Business for Sale: Plastic Burgeons
After 20 years of molding sporting-goods equipment, the owners of this Rocky Mountain company are ready to sell. Read more
Capital Profiles
Contrarian thinking -- and a little shrewd planning -- helped these 2002 Inc 500 CEOs raise funds. Read more
Business for Sale: Western Prints
A spectacular Rocky Mountain location helps make this commercial printer an alluring opportunity. Read more
Business for Sale: Pipe Dreams
Here's a chance to get in on the ground floor of an industry that's as hot as a Texas summer. Read more
