Thinking of Selling Your Business?
Work with our experienced Merger & Acquisitions advisors to seamlessly navigate every aspect of the selling process.
Put Our Proven Process To Work For You
Since 2008, Focal 5 has perfected a marketing-centric approach to achieve an 80% success rate. Our 5 Steps to Success Plan effectively eliminates most causes of failure.
1. Discover
A successful transition plan, whether the buyer is a next-generation family member, an employee, or an external party, hinges on a thorough understanding of your future financial requirements, timing considerations, and your business’s value. The Focal 5 Proprietary Marketability Quotient offers definitive answers to these questions, pinpointing your current business value, potential enhancements, and long-term optimization possibilities. This quotient provides unparalleled clarity by drawing on various factors such as industry trends, financial performance indicators, and management structure. In today’s landscape, every ownership transaction carries tax implications, with the IRS scrutinizing Fair Market Value meticulously. To ensure compliance and peace of mind, a comprehensive valuation conducted by accredited professionals using recognized methodologies is indispensable when selling your business.
2. Plan
In an ideal world, every business owner would start their plan for an exit strategy with multiple contingencies pre-planned to allow for their safe exit from the business. However, some owners become so entrenched in their businesses that they overlook the necessity of an exit plan, often resulting in challenges and unfavorable outcomes. Most owners today find themselves somewhere in the middle. While every exit situation is unique, one thing is certain—every business owner will leave their business at some point, the question is how.
3. Market
Two-thirds of all business transitions involve selling to outside buyers, often individuals or entities unfamiliar to the seller. When opting for this route, it’s important to recognize that competition among buyers directly influences the price. At Focal 5, we leverage a combination of technology and marketing to attract a wide pool of potential buyers. Once sincere interest is generated from multiple parties, our negotiators go to work for you to secure the optimal fit for your business.
4. Due Diligence
Where many deals fail is during the due diligence phase, following the acceptance of an offer. A thorough due diligence process is essential for discerning buyers who seek confirmation of all representations made. This encompasses various aspects including property value, building inspections, equipment appraisals, bookkeeping and accounting procedures, employee matters, client contracts, and much more. By working with Focal 5 in the initial Discovery and Planning processes, prospective Buyers are given factual and verified information, ensuring that when Buyers ask questions in Due Diligence, it all checks out. Instead of raising concerns, our process creates Buyer confidence and facilitates a seamless transition to closing the deal.
5. Closing
There should be no surprises while closing a deal; purchase agreements and transactional documents should be negotiated in advance and drafted to ensure fairness for all parties involved. Working with legal advisors experienced in drafting and reviewing transactional documents is paramount when selling a business, as these agreements should accurately reflect the negotiated terms. Focal 5 works closely with “deal maker” attorneys to get the deal closed.
Completed Deals
Wyoming, Michigan
Exclusive advisors to Ownership
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Exclusive advisors to Ownership
Mattawan, Michigan
Exclusive advisors to Ownership
What Our Clients Have to Say
Focal 5 understood the steps you have to make to bring the value up for us. If there had been a wrinkle in any step, I wouldn't have known what to do without Focal 5.
Kim, Michigan
The evaluation was way more then I would have thought it was worth. I was really impressed with how thorough Focal 5 was to look as the business and look at the numbers. We were just goint to close the business until we talked to Focal 5.