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Business for Sale Market During COVID-19: A Paradox of Unique Opportunity and Uncertainty

October 27, 2020
By: BizBuySell –
BizBuy Sell Confidence Index
(BizBuySell Confidence Index — click image for larger view)

New data from BizBuySell’s small business confidence survey and recent business for sale transactions reflects a market driven by opportunity seekers and business owners, either well-positioned to profit or forced to exit.

BizBuySell’s 3rd quarter 2020 Insight Report, a nationally recognized economic indicator which aggregates statistics from business-for-sale transactions, shows a steady upward trend in sales since the pandemic hit. In April, transactions showed a 51% year-over-year decline, shrinking the deficit to 21% in July, and then just 5% fewer deals in September.

The catalyst behind the resurgence appears demand driven. According to BizBuySell’s 2020 Small Business Confidence Study, buyer confidence reached a record high of 60 compared to 53 a year ago. (more…)

4th Annual SBDC Day Responds to COVID-19

March 18, 2020
By Charles “Tee” Rowe –

Happy SBDC Day! SBDC Day is a national celebration of the success of SBDC clients and the impact that SBDCs have on our nation’s prosperity.

SBDC Day unites the nearly 1,000 SBDC centers across the country and the millions of clients they have served over the years by sharing, in real time, the success stories of SBDC clients and the SBDCs that serve them. Typically, this special day is celebrated with social media campaigns, public relations initiatives, online and in-person events. In light of the recent COVID-19 pandemic and its unprecedented impact on everyone’s lives, especially small businesses, we have decided to focus this fourth annual SBDC Day on how SBDCs can help their local small businesses and clients prepare and persevere in the weeks to come.

We encourage all entrepreneurs and small businesses to check out and bookmark our new “COVID-19 Small Business Resources” webpage. We will continue to add information, resources and opportunities for businesses, to help them keep their businesses afloat as they navigate through this challenging period. And check out your local SBDCs as well — they are there to help!

SBDC clients need their advisors’ expertise now more than ever. For over 40 years SBDCs have been building trust, building communities, and advising small businesses through financial crises, natural disasters, and other misfortunes. This year is no different.

This SBDC Day we ask SBDC clients to share their stories or questions online, and we ask our SBDC Day Ambassadors and other friends in the field to highlight resources they have in their toolboxes that can assist people and companies facing this crisis. We ask everyone to include the #SBDCDay hashtag in their social media communications so we can track and share questions and resources that are posted. Together through this pandemic, SBDCs and their clients will “Stay Calm and Small Business On.”

If you aren’t familiar with the SBDC program and would like more information, please take a few minutes to check out the rest of my blog.  (more…)

CDC Provides Interim Guidance For Businesses About Coronavirus Disease

March 6, 2020

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has provided interim guidance for businesses and employers to plan and respond to Coronavirus Disease.

The CDC says the interim guidance is based on what is currently known about the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and the CDC will update the interim guidance as needed and as additional information becomes available.

According to the CDC, the interim guidance may help prevent workplace exposures to acute respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, in non-healthcare settings. The guidance also provides planning considerations if there are more widespread, community outbreaks of COVID-19.

The interim guidance includes recommended strategies for employers to use now; planning for a possible COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S.; planning considerations; and considerations for creating an infectious disease outbreak response plan.

For the complete CDC interim guidance, and additional resources and information from the CDC, click here.

Infographic: How to Buy and Sell a Business, Grow Big and Cash Out

February 24, 2020
By Bob House, BizBuySell –

This handy infographic illustrates, step-by-step, how to buy an existing business and be your own boss. But it doesn’t stop there! Next, turn it into a valuable asset, attract buyers and sell it for a healthy price. Done right, buying a business is a journey to financial independence.

According to the BizBuySell Insight Report, businesses continue to change hands at a steady pace. Retiring Baby Boomers are fueling the market with an ongoing supply of strong performing businesses. At the same time, demand remains strong, with more qualified buyers and better financing options.

To get started in your journey of buying or selling a business visit the BizBuySell Learning Center or download our free Guide to Buying a Small Business or Guide to Selling Your Small Business. (more…)

7 Ways Entrepreneurs Are Leveraging Age to Grow Their Business

August 20, 2019
By Gerri Detweiler –

Entrepreneurship isn’t just for the young. Older adults are finding that starting a business can be the perfect way to turn a lifetime of experience into something meaningful, take control of their time, counter workplace ageism, and in some cases, make a lot more money.

“In the U.S., the U.K., Ireland, and Australia, 50+-year-olds are launching more start-ups than any other cohort,” shares Kerry Hannon, the author of Never Too Old to Get Rich: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Starting a Business Mid-Life. Hannon has been researching and interviewing older entrepreneurs for over a decade and is an enthusiastic cheerleader for those who want to strike out on their own. She’s also realistic about the challenges of building a business at any age.

Starting a business at an older age isn’t just about money, she emphasizes, though it can be a powerful motivator. “Getting rich can, and should, be also about the inner richness that comes from creating a new product or service that changes lives and our world and gives back,” Hannon writes. “It’s the richness of doing work we love, alongside people we respect.” (more…)