June 6, 2016
Ignore Good Advice at Your Own Peril
Awhile back I wrote the following on a piece of paper and put it by my computer. “I tell my business buyer clients what it…
June 1, 2016
Win the Battle and the War
A business owner friend, in the process of selling his business, told me how frustrated he was with the deal and especially the buyer. The…
May 6, 2016
Technology vs. Relationships; Guess Which Wins
If you’ve read my books, articles, newsletters, or blog posts you know I stress, heavily stress, the buying and selling of a small business is…
April 26, 2016
Value is in the Eye of the Beholder
When we get too attached to something it becomes more valuable in our eyes than in the eyes of others. My house has to be…
April 19, 2016
Can an Expense Be Profit?
Last month a friend referred me to a business owner wanting to sell his company. His primary motivation was he's burned out and the driving…
March 22, 2016
Why Not Do What You Like (or Love)?
Recently I saw a long-time friend and one of the first things he said to me was, “I’ve become the person I never liked.” You see,…
March 16, 2016
You Have a Good Business So Get Over It
Pete Higgins at 2nd Avenue Partners, a Venture Capital (VC) firm, has told me a few times the toughest thing about his business is telling…
March 11, 2016
Beware of Incomplete Information
Time goes fast. Years whiz by, quarters, months, and weeks come around too soon. At the end of December a client got an email from…
February 22, 2016
Small Dogs & Enabling Behavior
We take our dogs for a walk almost every day. One thing figured out a long time ago is micro-to-small sized dogs get very aggressive…
January 29, 2016
It’s the People; It’s Always the People
Recently Seattle business legend Dave Ederer spoke to a group of my clients. One of his key points, concerning acquisitions, was he cares less about…
