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The Best-Kept Secrets for Business Growth

Expand your reach.

By finding ways to increase your exposure to the world, you can give your business the momentum it needs to grow. Examine your marketing plan. Broaden your social media footprint. Immerse yourself in the trade by publishing articles and having a strong presence at trade shows. Think of creative ways to interact with customers and target markets to generate buzz and get people talking. The extent of the opportunities available to you will vary depending on your company’s industry, but you will want to be sure you are doing everything you can to reach as many people that you can.   

Embrace change.

Doing business a certain way may have gotten your business where it is today, but you should not be afraid to make some changes. Is there a new process or department you can implement? Is there a sales opportunity you are missing? Are there adjustments you can make to save time or money? Always be open to hearing new opinions, ideas, and ways of doing things. Markets can change quickly and you will want to adapt seamlessly. By closing the door on change, you could be closing the door on growth. 
 

Value relationships.

It is just as critical to maintain existing relationships as it is to cultivate new ones. You will want to network in new circles and expand your horizons. At the same time, you will want to show your long-term customers that they are important to you. After all, they have been with you through it all and are partially responsible for your success. Stay engaged with them and focus on their needs. Your track record of lasting relationships is a reflection of your company and its values, making doing business with you more appealing to new customers. Those relationships can also be a source of referral of new business opportunities.
 

Get a boost through mergers and acquisitions.

Consider using mergers and acquisitions strategies as a smart option and faster route to generate growth. While greatly beneficial, pursuing a merger or acquisition can also be quite complex. This is especially the case if you are planning to expand into a global market, which presents its own host of challenges. Ready to explore your exit and growth options?

You will need to determine if you need a cost synergy or a revenue synergy solution. For example, buying direct competitors to increase your company’s size and decrease competition is a revenue synergy. So is adding value by purchasing companies that are market adjacent to your own. This method can help you add new talent or gain ownership of intellectual property. In contrast, a cost synergy solution reduces costs through consolidation of overlapping entities. Getting this right can result in a valuable deal for all parties involved.

Major deals include a large amount of small details, such as timing, tax planning, and logistics. Additionally, if you plan on leaving the business as part of the transition, you need assistance crafting your exit strategy. Consult a resource that has vast knowledge and experience in all of these areas. By partnering with a reputable mergers and acquisitions firm, it will be easier for you to navigate these complicated waters and ensure that you find the best strategy for your company’s growth.

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How Can I Expand My Business Internationally?

Expanding into new markets around the world is an exciting opportunity for business growth. But where do you start? There are several factors you will need to consider when undertaking a venture of this magnitude.

First and foremost, you will need to determine if expanding into a new country will be profitable. Identify your target market and assess the need for your commodity in that market. Perform a product gap analysis or SWOT analysis to determine demand and how your product or service stacks up to local products. You basically need to determine whether anyone will buy it, so it can be a wise move to test your product in that market before going any further.

Create a localized business plan to evaluate your preparedness for the venture, and set reasonable goals for the process. Expanding into new markets is akin to starting something new and it’s going to bring a new set of challenges. Consider if you need to create a new executive team to help manage the transition or if your existing team can hit the
ground running.

One of the most important steps you can take in expanding to a new market is to make sure you take the time to understand the country’s culture. Etiquette, language, and business culture can vary greatly and impact the success of your endeavor.For example, make sure your product or business name translates appropriately into the native language.

You will also need to think about the country’s logistics and how you plan to distribute your product or service. Consider legal regulations, tax laws, insurance needs, banking transactions, transport costs, data protection, and labeling requirements. You should also protect your intellectual property by looking into trademarks, patents, and design rights. Hiring an international business consultant can help you avoid any pitfalls and ensure that all your bases are covered.

Taking a product into new markets also means understanding the ins and outs of exporting. The good news is that it’s often in the best interest of most governments to boost exporting, so seek out ways that they can help you with market research, trade support, and exportation training programs. This information is typically available on government websites. You can also contact trade commissions, chambers of commerce, and other organizations
for assistance.

If you plan to acquire an existing business, you will need the proper guidance from an experienced business acquisitions firm to help find the best opportunities and broker a successful deal. There is plenty of due diligence required to adhere to local laws and make sure the terms of the acquisition suit all parties involved. At the same time, the right acquisition can be quite advantageous and reduce some of the risk that comes with an international venture. The business to be acquired has existing infrastructure in place and understanding of the local market’s regulations and relationships, offering some stability to a complex process. A sound strategy can make all the difference when buying a company.

There is a great deal to manage when expanding a business internationally, but you don’t have to do it all alone. World-class business experts with strong global connections, such as Benchmark International, can help you analyze the market, navigate the process, and tackle the world.

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Retirement Tips for Business Owners

Planning for retirement can be a daunting task, but if you follow some basic principles and seek the proper help, the process can be reassuring and even empowering. 

Start with the numbers.

The first step you will want to take in planning your retirement is to figure out how big of a nest egg you will need in order to live comfortably. Once you set your goal, you can assess your current position and determine how much time you will need in order to meet that goal, and any additional steps you’ll need to take to make it happen. Consider the amount of income you expect to earn over your remaining working years and how much you want to contribute to retirement plans. A quick Google search for online retirement calculators can give you an easy starting point. 

Determine your company’s valuation.

Before you can thing about selling, you need to know what your business is worth. Your company’s cash flow, market value comparable to other companies, and precedent transactions are all factors in business valuation. You’ve worked hard to build your business and you shouldn’t have to make compromises when you want to retire. Consulting a company broker such as Benchmark International will help you get an accurate picture of your company’s worth and take the next steps in selling your business in the smartest way possible and with the smoothest transition. After all, you want your freedom to retire, but you also want your employees to be taken care of and your core business values to remain in tact.

Ready to explore your exit and growth options?

Invest early.

It’s crucial to start investing in your retirement as early as possible. Whether it’s a 401k or an individual retirement account (IRA) or both, investing sooner means earning more interest. 401k plans have higher maximum contribution levels and a preselected list of limited investment choices. IRAs allow you to invest in a wide variety of mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and individual stocks and bonds. 

Another option to consider is a Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) plan. It gives the business owner a vehicle to contribute to their employees’ retirement savings as well as their own, with easy setup and flexible options for funding. Annual earnings are not taxed and it grows tax-deferred, and there are no maximum contributions. 

Most importantly, all of these options allow your money to grow tax-free. If you have already begun to invest, take a step back to look at your investment plan and see if you need to make it more aggressive to achieve your goal within the expected timeframe. Consulting a financial expert can help you choose what type of retirement plan is right for you and create a blueprint to make the most of it. 

Strike a balance.

Saving and investing are not one and the same—and you’ll need to do both. Place money into a savings account that has slow but guaranteed growth. As a counterbalance, invest money in an investment account that carries some risk. While there’s always a risk you can lose your principal, the return may be quite high if invested wisely.

Diversification of your financial portfolio is also an important component of your retirement plan. Factor in goals, risks, and think about how to reduce vulnerabilities. The younger you are, the more aggressively you can invest. Consulting a financial planner can help you easily determine what is right for you.

Get exit planning advice.

You’ve put everything into building your business. When the exciting time comes to move on from that business, you’ll want to start planning your exit strategy sooner rather than later. Think about how you would like to see the business make a successful transition. Think about increasing the value of your business and selling at the right time. The smartest way to do this is to partner with a trusted M&A firm such as Benchmark International to help you make your dreams a reality. They will help with your company valuation and offer a winning strategy tailored to your specific needs, and even help you find the perfect buyer. Even if you only wish to partially retire, creating an exit plan opens up your options and gives you peace of mind for when the time comes for a transition.  

Take the next step.

If you are ready to plan for your retirement and create a successful company exit strategy, call Benchmark International today.

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2019 is the Year to Put Your Exit Strategy in Motion; Here’s why:

M&A Activity has remained steady over the last year, but can the same be expected of the years to come? A closer review of the annual activity for 2018 indicates that the peak of the M&A cycle is slowly coming to a plateau. It’s time for business owners to reflect and decide whether riding out the next few years is truly worth it.  

Here’s what we know about M&A activity and what we can predict based on current trends. Year over year, the total number of completed deals has been on a slow and steady decline from 2015 to 2018. In 2015, there was a total of 16,566 deals completed. Whereas, in 2018, there have been 10,734 deals completed so far. Although there has been an impressive total deal value of more than $800 billion completed in deals so far in the US for the 2018 cycle, that value is a decrease from previous years.  

What business owners have to look forward to in the coming years is a bit of uncertainty, especially following the anticipated 2020 presidential elections. 2019 is expected to be another great year for M&A transactions, but it may very well be one of the last for this incredibly hot activity we have experienced recently 

Following the 2016 elections, there was a short pause in activity followed by a quick uptick and a wave of transactions. The 2018 midterm elections were an indication of the coming “blue tsunami” predicted in 2020, with the Democratic Party taking hold of the House of Representatives. A change in political leadership can unsettle the ship that so many have been sailing upon for the last four years. President Trump’s 2016 campaign was centered on economic surety, and that surety brought a wealth of support for M&A transactions to follow. Should a new leader be at the helm of the nation following elections, volatility in the market is certain 

In addition to an anticipated election, there is no denying that the successful economic swing that has taken place thus far has also had an effect on the current market standing. A fourth interest rate increase is anticipated before the end of 2018, and three additional hikes are estimated to take place in 2019. Buyers will be wearier of transaction decisions as interest rates increase. They will not want to pay high valuations as those seen in previous years because the purchase risk will increase as a result.  

Now is the time for business owners to act before the market shifts from a sellers’ market to a buyers’ market. Steadily increasing interest rates will give more power to buyers in transaction negotiations. Business owners should keep this in mind before they decide to wait a few more years to put their exit plans in place.  

Moreover, the market is predicted to become somewhat saturated over the next decade as more adults are coming to retirement age. Baby Boomers make up approximately 60% of privately-held businesses in the in the US, and this means the number of businesses on the market are going to increase a great deal.  

As a result, valuations for businesses will likely decrease. Buyers will have many options at their disposal for their ventures, so they will have a higher competitive advantage against sellers. Sellers can take advantage of the current market and get ahead of the game now.  

A transaction can take anywhere from one year to eighteen months to complete on average. Getting a business on the market sooner rather than later will give sellers the power to take advantage of lower interest rates and getting a deal locked in before the market is filled with a myriad of new businesses.  

A sell-side mergers and acquisitions firm helps business owners derive the most value for their businesses in a sale. Benchmark International is a firm with decades of experience and a wealth of dedicated professionals who are looking out for our clients’ best interests in a transaction from start to finish. If you want to learn more about where the market is headed and what your options are, we can help you formulate an effective exit strategy now. 

 

WE ARE READY WHEN YOU ARE. 

Call Benchmark International today if you are interested in an exit or growth strategy or if you are interested in acquiring.

 

Schedule A Call

 

Americas: Sam Smoot at +1 (813) 898 2350 / Smoot@BenchmarkCorporate.com

Europe: Carl Settle at +44 (0)161 359 4400 / Settle@BenchmarkCorporate.com

Africa: Anthony McCardle at +2721 300 2055 / McCardle@BenchmarkCorporate.com

 

ABOUT BENCHMARK INTERNATIONAL

Benchmark International’s global offices provide business owners in the middle market and lower middle market with creative, value-maximizing solutions for growing and exiting their businesses. To date, Benchmark International has handled engagements in excess of $5B across 30 industries worldwide. With decades of global M&A experience, Benchmark International’s deal teams, working from 13 offices across the world, have assisted hundreds of owners with achieving their personal objectives and ensuring the continued growth of their businesses.

Website: http://www.benchmarkcorporate.com
Blog: http://blog.benchmarkcorporate.com/

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The Benefits of Vertical Integration As Evidenced by Apple's Intent to Purchase Assets from Dialog

Apple has agreed a deal to acquire the assets of its long-time supplier, Dialog Semiconductor, which include 300 employees and patents in a $600 million deal.

Dialog supplies power management circuits to Apple, which help to extend the battery life of its iPhones and iPads. The move comes after Apple announced in November 2018 that it was planning to phase out the use of Dialog’s products as Apple stated it would be using chips from another supplier.

This was believed to be Apple itself and, with the acquisition of Dialog’s assets, this allows Apple to bring the development of chips in-house.

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Why Now is the Time to Sell to Private Equity as a Small Enterprise

Recent data from the Centre of Management Buy-Out (CMBOR) at Imperial College Business School, in association with Investec and Equistone Partners Europe, has shown that the number of small buy-out (sub-€10m enterprise value) private equity backed transactions have nearly doubled in the UK from H2 2017 to H1 2018, rising from 24 to 48 deals. Statistics also show that there has been strong growth in Europe, increasing by 26 per cent to 168 deals.

The north of England has also shown promising statistics in terms of deal value, increasing from £25m in H1 2017 to £28m in H1 2018.

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Keeping Up: Benchmark International Conferences

Staying on top of industry trends and gaining practical knowledge is a top priority for Benchmark International. As such, gaining more industry knowledge requires commitment to professional development and creating more connections with potential clients and buyers. Throughout the mergers and acquisitions industry, there is a myriad of events and conferences specific to this field that Benchmark International has the opportunity to attend.

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