Monday, December 8, 2014

What funeral directors MUST know before hiring someone to help them sell their business...


 re: my article in THE DIRECTOR magazine


 by Heath Frantzen
Delta Business Services


If you’ve been in the mortuary business for any length of time, you’ve certainly
earned your right to a healthy dose of skepticism.

Most funeral business owners have endured more than their fair share of eye-glazing, brain-numbing sales pitches and vendor-sponsored events.

They’ve been pushed to try numerous products, procedures and systems,many of which have failed to deliver anything but mediocre results.

That’s why, even though you might be near retirement and more than ready to
start the process of selling your successful funeral service business, some solutions
presented to you promising a better,more financially lucrative and less stressful way of selling might put you on the immediate defensive. “Too good to be true.” “Heard it before.” “If this works
so well, why doesn’t everyone do it this way?” These are a few of the familiar yet understandable responses business owners give when urged to look into alternative selling strategies.

Funeral directors, who play such a critical role in the final exit each one of us
must take, often find themselves overwhelmed by the details that attend their own retirements.
If they are looking to sell their businesses,they must diligently plan the sale or risk facing adverse tax consequences.

If they choose to use a business broker,they may find themselves paying hefty commissions and fees while... (the rest of the article is here:



Friday, November 14, 2014

New Exit Coach Radio Webinar: Heath Outlines the Delta Solution For Helping Baby Boomer Business Owners Sell

re: Check out our latest webinar. I discuss in more detail the value of the Delta Solution for helping business owners 65 and older sell their businesses in 49 days (or less) for more money, and while paying ZERO taxes...

Friday, November 7, 2014

Tax Implications of Selling A Business...

I ran across this article that highlights an important issue when you decide to sell your business.  Qualified sellers can avoid this altogether by using the Delta Solution.  Learn more at www.deltabusinessservices.com- Heath

Tax Aspects of Selling Your Business: An Overview

When you sell your business you may face a significant tax bill. In fact, if you're not careful, you can wind up with less than half of the purchase price in your pocket, after all taxes are paid! However, with skillful planning it's possible to minimize or defer at least some of these taxes.


You will be taxed on the profit you make from selling the business. You may be able to control the timing through the terms of the deal, but the IRS will take its share at some point. 
The amount of tax that you will ultimately have to pay depends upon whether the money you make from the sale is taxed as ordinary income or capital gains. Profit received from the sale of the business assets will most likely be taxed at capital gains rates, whereas amount you receive under a consulting agreement will be ordinary income.

Allocation of Sales Price Governs Tax Consequences

If you negotiate a total price for the business, you and the buyer must agree as to what portion of the purchase price applies to each individual asset, and to intangible assets such as goodwill. The allocation will determine the amount of capital or ordinary income tax you must pay on the sale. It will also have tax consequences for the buyer. 
What is good for the tax picture for the seller is often bad for the buyer and vice versa, so the allocation of price to various components of the deal is frequently an area for negotiation and compromises.

Monday, October 13, 2014

Check out our latest podcast on ExitCoach Radio.

Heath has assembled a top-notch guest panel featuring: specialists in the areas of business strategy, finance, compliance, exit planning, insurance, and other areas of interest to business owners over 55.
Business Exit Roundtable is designed with you, the business owner thinking of retiring, in mind..
Today's Exit Coach Roundtable lineup features:
1. Brian Kinahan  10AM-10:20 Central-, Partner  Newport Board Group.  Los Angeles- based  Brian Kinahan’s specialty is increasing the valuation of a business before it’s sold.
2. Peter Duff 10:20-10:40 (CENTRAL)   Partner,  Newport Board Group  Based in Central Texas, Peter Duff  has over a decade of service with Hanson & U.S. Industries, Peter partnered with the CEO of a footwear manufacturing company on a 3 year restructuring program, resulting in improvement in EBITDA from zero to $29 million..
3. Kerri Salls 10:40-11:00 (Central Time) Founder and Managing Director, This Way Out Group, Framingham,MA.  An active advisor in business strategy with an eye towards owner exit planning for 40 years, Kerri Salls is leading a revolution in the exit planning field.  A prominent exit strategist and mentor who prepares owners and entrepreneurs to achieve their optimum exit plan, she created a new paradigm delivering a comprehensive collaborative solution to help business owners:


Tags:
business-exit
business-boards
business-exit-strategy
heath frantzen
business-exit -coach
exit-coach-radio
best-exit-coach-strategies

Monday, September 29, 2014

Inaugural Podcast- #HarryDent Sees The Bubbles Coming...

re: An hour in the brain of Harry Dent

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/exityourbusiness/2014/09/26/business-exit-roundtable-demographic-expert-harry-dent
 
by Heath Frantzen
Delta Business Services

Are you ready for the inevitable demographic cliff that will occur as the #BabyBoomer generation heads for the exits?

Do you understand the boom/bust cycles that defy every government effort to control them and which threaten your wealth?

Is it time for you to sell your business while you can and get the most money possible for it or should you take your chances and wait a few years?

Economic trend forecaster and author Harry Dent joined me on my very first podcast to answer these and other important questions. 

You'll enjoy Harry's lively, sometimes controversial takes on investing and preserving wealth in an insane economic climate and how he uses demographics to accurately chart a course out of this mess.

Check out the archived interview here:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/exityourbusiness/2014/09/26/business-exit-roundtable-demographic-expert-harry-dent

File under: #harrydent, #economy, #timetosellyourbusiness, business selling strategies in 2014, harry dent predicts bubble in real estate, best financial strategies in 2014, #businesspodcasts, delta business services

Thursday, August 28, 2014

How to Attract Quality, Motivated Buyers for Your Business

re: attracting the right kind of quality buyer for your business



by Heath Frantzen
Delta Business Services
www.deltabusinessservices.com

If you are a baby boomer business owner considering selling your small business in the next few years, then you need to know exactly how to attract your ideal buyer.

Many baby boomers will be selling in the next decade and it will definitely be a buyer's market.  Do you know how to create value within your business to make it irresistible to potential buyers?

How do you get the attention of qualified buyers in a market overrun with cash-producing businesses?

Our free report, written from the perspective of a veteran business buyer, will give you actionable strategies for selling your profitable business, even in an unpredictable marketplace.  You can get it for free right now by going to:

http://www.mediafire.com/view/v245ljf8bpwugyq/howattractqualitybuyers3.pdf

File under: Baby boomer business owner resources, baby-boomer-businesses, how-sell-small-business, avoid-business-brokers, get-more-money-when-selling-your-business

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Check out my latest radio interview with Exit Coach Radio

re: Exit Coach Radio interview..


by Heath Frantzen
Delta Business Services

Recently, I had an opportunity to sit down with "The Exit Coach," Bill Black, to discuss some of the daunting problems faced by baby boomer business owners who want or need to sell their businesses and retire.

It doesn't require an MBA to look at the data and determine that, at least for the next 20-25 years, the wave of boomers trying to sell is going to create an unparalleled buyer's market.

Bill and I looked at some of the challenges boomers will face in attracting the kinds of buyers they need for a successful sale and I offered some viable solutions.

Check out the interview and let me know what you think.


Sunday, May 18, 2014

9 Mistakes Plumbing Company Owners Make When Selling Their Businesses









If you are the owner of a plumbing company, then you are probably like many other business owners.

You realize that you can't work forever. In fact, it may be that you do not WANT to work forever despite enjoying what you do.





Even the most successful plumbers eventually get to the place where they are ready to hang up the wrench and do something different.

You may be burned out from the daily stresses of running a business, have physical or family issues that demand more of their time, or they simply want to move on to a new challenge.

However, for many plumbing company owners who are thinking about selling their successful businesses, it's difficult to find the time to sit down and map out a strategy for exiting the business.

If you own a successful plumbing company, you probably don't have a plan in place that will facilitate your goals of selling your business quickly, without a lot of hassles, while creating a lifetime stream of income from the proceeds.

A significant portion of your retirement planning is likely predicated on the sale of your business. Exiting a business is truly one of life's most important transitions; a transition whose outcome can make or break your retirement future.

That's why it is so important to create an action strategy that will help you avoid making mistakes that can result in you running out of money in retirement.

But, do you know exactly what it will take to create such a sale? When the time comes to leave will you become so frustrated, overwhelmed and desperate that you make poor decisions that will cost you lots of money?

Knowing the answers to these questions is important, especially if you are nearing retirement and more than ready to start the process of selling your business. You must seek solutions that promise a better, more financially lucrative and less stressful way of achieving your selling goals.


Plumbing company owners who want to sell in the 21st Century must seek alternative systems for selling a business that address some of the common mistakes owners make when they try to sell their companies.

I say "try" because more often than not, sellers wind up either not selling at all or having their businesses sit on the market for months, even years, before they find a qualified buyer. Even if they do manage to find a good buying prospect, there are currently so many businesses on the market that they may wind up getting a lot less money than anticipated.

9 of the most common business exit planning mistakes plumbers make and how to avoid them:

It is not uncommon for plumbing company owners to have no exit blueprint at all. They usually either haven't given it much thought or they make assumptions about the future that may not be true.

1. Not planning at all
As the old saying goes, "it isn't a plan until it's written down." For a succession plan to be effective and implementable, it MUST be written down and reviewed by all parties involved. A plan must be clear, concise, and free of ambiguities that could cause problems later.

Read the rest of the article at : http://EzineArticles.com/8504903

Friday, May 9, 2014

Why crafting a mission statement in the beginning of your business is crucial to a successful ending



 by Heath Frantzen

“I believe that purpose and principle, clearly understood and articulated, and commonly shared, are the genetic code of any healthy organization. To the degree that you hold purpose and principles in common among you, you can dispense with command and control. People will know how to behave in accordance with them, and they’ll do it in thousands of unimaginable, creative ways. The organization will become a vital, living set of beliefs.” - Dee Hock






One of the most oft-repeated pieces of business advice ever was written by author and corporate trainer Stephen Covey, who admonished us to “begin with the end in mind.”
Covey believed that the critical piece of beginning at the end involved a carefully conceived and constructed mission statement.  He observed:

If you don’t set your goals based upon your Mission Statement, you may be climbing the ladder of success only to realize, when you get to the top, you’re on the WRONG BUILDING.”

Covey posited that there is a two-step creation process for all things: a mental creation and a physical creation that follows the mental just as a building follows a blueprint.  If you fail to develop a firm visualization of who you are and what you want to get out of life, you give carte blanche to others to define you, mold you,  and impose their visions on your life.    


The default setting for having no understanding of your own uniqueness, values, and personal guidelines is to be forever at the mercy of the whims of those around you.

This is certainly true for business owners and you can see it happening all the time.
Without even realizing it, business owners who have developed no clear idea of who they are or what they want their business to become often find themselves limping along, putting out fires, and stuck in survival mode.   

They can barely get through the present; much less put any thought into the future.  Most of them have no plans in place for the day when they will want or need to leave the businesses.

Often times, the lack of business succession planning can be directly linked to the fact that the business never had a personal mission or purpose statement in place.

Many small to mid-sized business owners balk at the idea of developing a personal mission statement, believing it to be some kind of New Agey fluff or a high-minded exercise for the Fortune 500 crowd.

However, research has shown that truly successful people have clarity of thought and purpose and a well-defined sense of who they are in the world.  They tend to see themselves as a brand to be developed, nurtured and cultivated

(get the rest of this free report at http://www.deltabusinessservices.com )

Saturday, May 3, 2014

What Funeral Directors Must Know Before Selling Their Business To A Competitor

by Heath Frantzen
Delta Business Services.com


http://www.deltabusinessservices.com

 
"I have a very highly developed sense of denial"- Gwyneth Paltrow

Nearly every study done on business succession readiness indicates that 70% or more of all small and medium business owners have no written exit plan in place.
Funeral business owners are no exception even though they know, perhaps better than anyone else, the high cost of failure to plan.

As a funeral director, you are confronted daily with painful and stressful conditions that occur when your clients don't make plans and are forced to make important decisions under duress. You probably also realize that most of this failure to plan can be traced to human beings' intimate relationship with denial.

Denial is a powerful, double-edged sword. On the one hand, it helps us cope with devastating occurrences that come our way. On the other hand, it often leads us to eschew preparation and planning in favor of crossing our fingers and hoping for the best.

Funeral directors succumb to denial just like anyone else; putting off much-needed business succession planning in lieu of a "wait and see" approach.

While most funeral business owners express an intense desire to see the businesses into which they have poured so much of themselves continue after they have retired, few have a plan in place to make that happen.

Without such pre-retirement planning, owners are opening themselves up to situations which can severely compromise their ability to sell their businesses for enough money to retire.
Many of them believe that when the time comes to walk away from the business, they will be able to sell the business quickly to a competitor for a nice price.

Why Selling to A Competitor Isn't Always A Good Idea
Over the past few years, large corporations have been buying up individually owned funeral homes in record numbers. Many directors have balked at this trend and are not interested in becoming a part of a "McBurial" chain.

It's natural, then, that when the time comes for those directors to retire; they look for other independent mortuary business owners to whom they can sell their profitable business.
However, before selling your business to a competitor, be sure you understand some of the potential adverse consequences of such a sale.


1. The would-be buyer's interest may not be genuine. In many businesses such as funeral homes, it is not uncommon for another business owner to feign interest in purchasing a competitor simply in order to gain inside information. By posing as a prospective buyer, competitors may hope to get access to your trade secrets, marketing techniques, or customer lists.
You must not give way any sensitive data until you have done due diligence and are satisfied that the prospect is genuine. One way to do this might be to ask for proof that they have the funds available to make such a purchase. ALWAYS ask potential buyers to sign a non-disclosure agreement that has been reviewed by your attorney. This can serve as a deterrent to "fakers" and protect your trade secrets during the selling process. You might also want to ask others you trust in your business about the reputation and integrity of the competitor who wants to purchase your business.

2. Competitors sometimes have a "low-ball" game plan. Selling to a competitor means that you are selling to someone who ostensibly has as good an insight into the funeral industry as do you. He or she has knowledge specific to the business that allows them to justify offering you less that the most desirable price.

For instance, competitors understand all the stresses and headaches unique to the funeral home owners; they understand the "buttons" that can cause an owner to want to sell. Because they can read you and your situation, they are not as likely to want to give you your price as an equity fund or individual buyer. Additionally, because they can perform the same services as you do, they often try and carve out the "good will" part of the business valuation.


(SEE THE REST here: http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Funeral-Directors-Must-Know-Before-Selling-Their-Business-To-A-Competitor&id=8474089)

FILE Under: funeral-director-business, #selling-funeral-homes, selling-mortunary-business,  how-sell-funeral-business, baby-boomer-business-owners, how-funeral-home-owners-can-sell-their-businesses-more-money-less-stress, funeral-home-business, selling-your-funeral-business

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Why 2014 Could Be a Great Year to Sell Your Business


In the entrepreneurial ecosystem, business owners looking for an exit strategy are likely to find 2014 an optimal year for selling.- Peter Lehrman, Entrepreneur Magazine




By Heath Frantzen
Delta Business Services


Timing any market is always a tricky proposition, especially in this era of diminishing returns and lowered expectations.  The market for selling a small to mid-sized business is no exception.

Anyone considering selling a business, especially boomer business owners thinking about retirement, should have a list of compelling reasons why they want to sell and a plan to help them do so.


For most business owners, the timing will never be perfect, so waiting until the ideal moment to sell could be an impractical course of action.

However, certain indicators are pointing to a better than average success rate for selling a business in 2014.  That’s why it’s a good idea to employ strategies right now that will help you get the maximum money for your business.

2014:  The “Year of The Seller?” 

Three or four years of turmoil in a struggling economy makes some business owners understandably cautious when it comes to optimistic projections for 2014.

However, there are some very good indicators pointing to the possibility of a perfect selling environment for at least the next 18 months or so. 
 
For example:

 
  • The majority of businesses have experienced increased profitability for the past 2-3 years.

For numerous business owners, 2008-2010 were flat as far as profits were concerned.  Those who survived this period felt lucky to break even, much less put profits on the books.   With demand down across the country for services and solutions, business owners were unhappily treading water 

However, the recession is slowly retreating, allowing businesses to recover.  Many are now in a position to show the three or four years of solid growth that qualified buyers want to see when they build projection models.

The ability for a company to demonstrate upward trends in their financials shows prospective buyers that it is right to make positive projections for future growth.  This in turn gives owners better valuations and does wonders to make the deal viable.  Buyers want to know that a business they purchase is poised to survive even a serious economic downturn.

  •     Low interest rates (for a little while longer, anyway)

You don’t have to have an advanced degree in economics to understand that the artificially maintained low interest rates we now experience will soon be a thing of the past.   
Forecasters have been fretting that the Federal Reserve will be forced to curtail its’ bond-buying program soon.  A growing number of experts now say that 2014 could be the year when that finally occurs.  

This means, naturally, that waiting too long to sell might mean an owner will see higher interest rates and a lower price for his or her business.

The reason for this is that interest rates always have a direct impact on the price of capital used to purchase a company.    Buyers who rely on loans to acquire a business will feel the sting of these rising rates since earnings are used to pay the interest on loans.  An increase in the price of capital will almost certainly lead to lower valuations for businesses.

It makes sense that the more expensive it is for buyers to get capital, the less willing they are to pay top price for a business.  As soon as rates begin to rise in 2014, there will be a negative impact on business valuations.
 

  • ·         Low levels of debt and lots of positive cash flow


Credit Suisse reported in February, 2014 that 73 percent of U.S. companies and 56 percent of European companies have incredibly low levels of debt on their balance sheets compared to their total market capitalization.   Private equity companies are awash in cash, with nearly $1.1 TRILLION in cash on hand.  At the same time, levels of corporate debt are falling to new lows.  


So, what does this mean for you as a business owner who is seriously considering selling?


Well, for one thing, since all this cash needs to go someplace other than under the CEO’s mattress, private buying groups will be out en masse looking for successful businesses they can buy and from which they can see immediate cash flow.  


For another thing, there is a natural mood elevation that goes on when so many dollars are in play.  The old saying “a rising tide lifts all boats” is applicable here.  Every billion dollar mega-deal that goes down makes every smaller business deal more attractive.  Small businesses are sure to benefit from the optimism that comes with any boom.


  •  Changing demographics are pushing boomers to sell.  


The first half of the “Baby Boomer bubble” (2005-2010) has passed.  During that period, older Boomers were able to sell to younger boomers, although the success rate was still a mere 3%.   

However recent research indicates that the number of boomer owners indicating they wanted to retire increased from 50,000 in 2001 to over 750,000 in 2009/


It is possible we could see over one million businesses go on the market in the next 10-15 years in a transition tsunami.



If this holds true, then it makes sense to sell ahead of the herd and reap the benefits of the current buying frenzy fueled by low debt levels and loads of cash.



Even if you think you aren’t ready to leave your business yet, you should plan as if you are. Positioning your business to sell is never a bad idea or waste of time.



By crafting a well-thought-out exit plan, you will be prepared if circumstances (either good or bad) push you to sell, or if you get an offer from a qualified buyer that you just can’t afford to pass up.



You never know, maybe 2014 will be year you make a profitable transition from your business and start enjoying everything for which you’ve worked so hard.

Saturday, March 29, 2014

It really isn't too good to be true...



Why the Delta Solution is NOT “too good to be true”



By Heath Frantzen
Delta Business Services



When business owners and potential buyers learn how the Delta Solution is rewriting the rules for business selling, giving them an opportunity to sell their businesses more quickly, with fewer hassles, while creating a lifetime stream of income...

they are usually skeptical.

After all, most of us have come to believe the old chestnut, “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

The idea that one company has workable, proven solutions for all of the problems plaguing the sale of a business causes some buyers and sellers to become a bit skeptical.

I can understand that.  After all, I’ve gone on and on about how the Delta Solution solves all of an owner’s concerns when selling a business.  That’s true enough, but there are also lots of problems for a potential buyer.  How does Delta address issues that buyers have that often result in “sale fail?”

Let me give you a snapshot of a few of the top issues facing those who want to buy successful businesses.

The growth cycle for businesses mirrors the growth cycle for people.  They’re born, they grow quickly, hit adolescence (which is a pretty funky time), and then reach young adulthood where they can usually take care of themselves without someone watching them every second of the day.  Young adulthood is followed by middle-age, where everything starts firing on all cylinders.  Businesses have similar experiences in this “prime” period. 


Then, something strange happens.  People experience a “mid-life crisis,” a time when life seems to be an endless treadmill where one neither advances nor retreats and where longings are difficult to define and nearly impossible to satisfy.  In business, this period of angst-filled transition is called “No Man’s Land”.  It is a place where boulders can roll down on both sellers and buyers.  



Let’s take a look at some of the more obvious barriers to a successful sale and see exactly why the Delta Solution is the best, indeed the only, way to overcome them.






1. Falling into the “Capital Gap”

The capital markets are interesting creatures.  I’ve been operating in the capital markets for the better part of 25 years now and even won a National Champion of Fundraising title. I can tell you unequivocally that capital likes what it likes, and hates what it hates.  By that I mean deals have to meet certain criteria to attract particular types of financing, and if they do, there are usually many sources.  But the ones that don’t meet all of these certain criteria usually can’t attract a single source of capital.  This makes financing for businesses (the life blood of a selling a business) in the “Capital Gap” a tricky proposition.

There are three general categories of businesses: small, medium, and large.  Small businesses get financed mainly by commercial banks that view business loans as individual loans and qualify the business owner based on personal criteria.  These banks can make some loans, but only up to certain limits—no more than the borrower can personally repay.  Those are critical words…“personally repay”.  For most banks, there is a limit of $500,000 for bank loans, and this constitutes the “floor” of the capital “gap”.[1]

For large businesses, the opening financing amount for capital tends to be about $5 million (the “ceiling”).  Institutions interested in financing these kinds of business deals are mainly commercial banks (the commercial division), venture capital companies, corporate financing arms, and private equity companies. 

The problem for these institutions is that loan acquisition and servicing costs combined with risk-adjusted returns to the investors prevent these institutions from profitably making loans at anything less than a 25% rate of return (interest rate).  Obviously, this is a non-starter for businesses as these usurious costs of capital would put the enterprise into a chokehold.[2]

“So what does this mean, Heath?” you may be asking. Well, what I am about to tell you is the sad truth for mature small and medium businesses who are stuck between the floor and the ceiling.

There is simply no capital for your deal. Zilch, zip, nada…

It’s a sobering reality, and it underscores the number one problem for business buyers.

It is a big problem too, because the logical extension of this reality is that not having capital for buyers also means that there is no capital for sellers either. Both buyer and seller are in a world of pain due to this fact.  The Delta Solution addresses this lack of capital in a real way by eliminating the middlemen (banks, brokers, finance companies) who drain the capital well dry.



[1] No Man’s Land, by Doug Tatum, Ch. 5 pp. 125-126.
[2] No Man’s Land, by Doug Tatum, Ch. 5 pp. 126.
 



2. You can’t structure a deal to make sense

Even with an “all cash” deal structure on a $1 MM cash flow acquisition (which NEVER happens by the way), a seller would get, say, $3 MM in cash up front and pay at least half of that to brokers, lawyers, accountants, lenders and tax authorities leaving them with about 1.5 MM (if they’re lucky). 

Only if a seller is then also very good at investing and minimizing broker/transaction fees on the investment they then buy, they might be able to net $150 K per year (10%), which is then taxable and subject to inflation.  Going from $1million in income a year to $150,000 is a big hit.  I’m fine with downsizing, but I don’t think anyone wants to downsize that much!  

Even if a seller took back a 5-year seller note at a market rate of interest, they would get approximately $360 K for the first five years, but the tax authorities would take out taxes on the capital gains and income taxes on the interest, leaving a seller with “skin and bones”.  Oh, and did I mention it was only a 5-year note?  The checks stop coming at that point and the asset column becomes bone dry.

Conversely, out of a buyer’s 1 million in cash flow comes the $360 K in debt service to the seller and approximately $600K to the bank, leaving a paltry $40 K net for the first five years for a buyer to put in his pocket— no joy for any professional business buyer, particularly given the risks involved. In this instance only the broker, the banker and the taxman make any money on the deal.  Delta eliminates this situation by cutting out the middle men altogether.   After all, why should the broker, the banker, and the tax man get all of the profit from your hard earned efforts?






3. A buyer has to make personal guarantees to a bank or other lender.   
Another issue buyers must deal with is that they have to make personal guarantees to banks and other lenders.

Such guarantees provide zero benefit to sellers.  Any astute buyer will structure their finances in such a way that a deal going bad won't sink them.

Bankruptcy protection ensures that sellers won't get paid out of a personal guarantee.  Banks know this but use it as a limitation on loans, and will often only loan to wealthy people with exposed assets.  

This really puts the buyer at risk for 200% of the guarantee—100% from the business plus another 100% from additional assets at risk.  Delta’s response to this untenable situation is to collateralize its guarantee. 

By doing this, we minimize the risk of default for the seller and ensure that the assets pledged aren't protected via the bankruptcy statutes, as they would be with a personal guarantee.  This makes it real and ensures that it won’t take lawyers to get recourse if a deal goes sideways.

At Delta Business Services, we knew we had to fix the financing issues for buyers and sellers in order to solve a big problem in the market place.  With Delta, the financing is built right into the deal, which greatly streamlines the entire process for both buyer and seller.

The reason we're willing to do this is simple: it is a great deal for us as well as for the seller.  Our unique proprietary selling platform allows both buyer and seller to avoid the hassles and stress of the sale and achieve their mutual goals. 

And now you see how the Delta Solution is not “too good to be true”.  It’s a real solution to real problems. facing baby boomer owners who want to successfully exit their businesses.

Find out more- get our free reports and other resources:





Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Sometimes "too good to be true" is both TRUE and GOOD

re: talking yourself out of the ultimate selling solution...

by Heath Frantzen
Delta Business Services


If you've been in business for any length of time, you've certainly earned your right to a healthy dose of skepticism.

Most business owners have endured more than their fair share of eye-glazing, brain-numbing sales pitches and vendor-sponsored events.  They've been pushed to try numerous products, procedures, and systems; many of which have failed to deliver anything but mediocre results.

That's why, even though you might be near retirement and more than ready to start the process of selling your business, solutions presented to you that promise a better, more financially lucrative, and less stressful way of doing so put you on the immediate defensive.

"Too good to be true." "Heard it before." "If this works so well, then why doesn't everyone do it this way?"

These are just a few of the familiar, yet understandable, responses I get from business owners every day when I explain my powerful system for selling businesses.

When I tell Baby Boomer business owners who are looking to sell their businesses that they can do so without using business brokers, in less time than they thought possible, and for the fairest, most reasonable price and that they can create a lifetime income which they cannot outlive...they simply don't want to believe me.   

I admit, our process is a lot different from the old school way of selling and the system we've created does seem almost magical.  

However, it is proving itself again and again with business owners just like you who want or need to sell their businesses.  These Boomer owners realize that for most people, selling a business is a one shot deal.  If you make mistakes you could very well end up running out of money in retirement.

That scenario was simply not acceptable to the professionals at Delta Business Services.  We decided  that we had to find a simple, effective cure for the pitiful 3% success rate for sellers of businesses.  After all, the number of Baby Boomer owners who want to retire, but cannot find qualified buyers, is growing exponentially.   It was evident to us that a better way had to be found-quickly.

My partner, Patrick McDonald, and I dissected over 300 potential selling deals and came to some startling conclusions about why the current model of selling businesses is broken and can't be repaired.  We figured out exactly what needed to be done to construct a new one and we put some of our findings into free reports, like our newest one, "11 Steps You MUST Take Now To  Sell Your Business Successfully."

Our system isn't magic, but rather a carefully crafted blueprint for selling success born out of our own experiences buying and selling businesses.  

The Delta Solution is centered around achieving the best results possible for Baby Boomer owners and their families and is built on a solid foundation of business acumen, well-refined skills and tools, and reasonable expectations.  

Delta Business Services isn't a business brokerage (in fact, we believe brokers are partly responsible for low success rates) but rather a dedicated group of professionals with real world business experience.

Check out  this short video that explains how we partner with Baby Boomer Business owners to achieve incredible results.


In addition to having the tools and skills necessary to reach a seller's goals, Delta Business Services adds several intangible elements to the mix

1. We LOVE what we do.  We are grateful for the opportunity to locate, acquire and manage great businesses.  It gives us experiences we could have never otherwise had.  We actually enjoy writing checks to our sellers every month, helping them ensure that they won't outlive the proceeds from their sale.

2.Our unique referral program can provide substantial income to our referring partners for the deals they send our way.   We love sending out these checks, too!

3. Young entrepreneurs hold a special place in our hearts.  Our system gives qualified young people the opportunity to buy successful businesses for nothing down, without having to provide a personal guarantee or "sweat equity."   They are able to pay off the business from the proceeds with clear backing, training, and mentoring from the Delta Team, which is 100% vested in their success.

4. While we know there is ALWAYS some risk and the possibility that a business might not survive long term, we do everything possible to mitigate risk.  Our primary focus is on making any business we acquire even more successful than it was before.  If for some reason that isn't possible, we cover our sellers. (and stick Wall Street with the bill!)

Uh oh... 

Now the Delta Solution really must sound too good to be true.

But, it isn't.  Please check out all the resources mentioned in this article.  Also, take a look at some of  the real life testimonials posted on our Youtube channel.


You'll see some Baby Boomer business owners who were skeptical, just like you.  These owners soon discovered that the Delta Solution is truly the only effective method for selling a business that allows you to get the right price for your business, in less time, with less stress... while guaranteeing you a lifetime stream of income.