In reviewing CEO checklist of strategies for emerging from the COVID pandemic, and the biggest challenges they face, I am reminded of the near catastrophic meltdown of IBM in the early 90’s. The similiarities of the challenges faced by the new CEO to rebuild the value of the company has some similiarities with the challenges facing companies Read more…

I know you have a lot on your plate at the moment. Let me cut to the chase, as you have probably been inundated with ‘advice’ from people trying to be helpful in the current situation. After talking with dozens of CEOs, business owners, and their advisors over the last few weeks, some common themes emerged. Here Read more…

In a discussion with an executive last week who is doing some work with a large private equity firm on one of their recent acquisitions, he asked a question I thought might be of interest. His question was, in maximizing the valuation of a company, is there any difference if you are planning on an IPO vs Read more…

We just read another survey, this one from BEI, that said 75% of business owners said they were ready to exit if the right circumstances presented themselves. And of that same group, 26% believed that they would not have any problems exiting their businesses successfully. The reality according to experts and a number of other surveys we Read more…

Part 4 – Overcoming Barriers to Growth to Improve Business Valuation Maximizing the business valuation involves improving the management team performance when it comes to planning and executing the strategic plan.  The valuation of the business by buyers and investors such as private equity depends on how well the president or CEO has addressed the issues such Read more…

Buyers and investors in companies are buying or investing in the potential for future growth, not only in sales, but more importantly, growth in earnings, or more precisely EBITDA. They assess the organization for predictability of future earnings as part of their business valuation. Ensuring the future becomes reality results not only from keen insight and excellence Read more…

Improving the valuation of a company will clearly imply changes need to be made to the ways in which the management team functions. The implications are clear:  the growth strategies that are inhibited by the corporate dysfunctions require courage to come against the inertia, politics and fear in management teams to address the dysfunctional behaviors.  What is Read more…

One of the major drivers of business valuations is the assessment of the growth potential of the firm. The effectiveness of the management team, and therefore the dysfunctional issues of the management team has a significant impact on the business valuation. Much of the business press has traditionally talked to the issue of looking beyond downsizing, TQM, Read more…