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ADJUSTED EBITDA

EBITDA is an acronym representing Earnings Before Interest Taxes Depreciation (and) Amortization. It is the most widely used “income” metric to estimate the value of a business. The ...
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IS THERE A RIGHT BUYER

Every owner selling his/her company asks us how we find the “ideal” buyer for the business. The answer is that there may be no perfect buyer. However, within our process we are diligent in ...
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WHAT GOES INTO A MULTIPLE?

The most well-known metrics for “pricing” a potential business sale involve applying a multiple times an income amount, EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and ...
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RECAP OR FULL EXIT

Even with the rising interest rates, there is a renewed interest in Recaps or recapitalizations. Simply put, a Recap is the changing of a company’s capital structure, i.e. usually a change in ...
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BUYER BEWARE

We often write about M&A from the prospective of the selling company. But the opposing side to those conundrums are the issues facing even the most astute buyers. The risks of making a bad ...
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DECIDING TO SELL

Most business owners face the dilemma of deciding when to sell. The answer is not simple. Obviously, selling at the right or best time is ideal. But how can you determine that “best time?” ...
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MANAGING EXPECTATIONS

As a professional advisor and investment banker, the most important aspect of an engagement is managing the client’s expectations. In fact, it is even more crucial to conduct a thorough ...
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BUYERS WANT QUALITY SELLERS

No matter the state of the economy, buyers will always pursue what they perceive as a quality seller. Obviously, there are a plethora of buyer types, such as those that: Never vary from their stated ...
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WHAT GOES INTO A MULTIPLE?

The most well-known metrics for “pricing” a potential business sale involve applying a multiple times an income amount, EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and ...
Continue reading "WHAT GOES INTO A MULTIPLE?" »

WORKING CAPITAL

The definition of working capital (W/C) is rather simple: current assets less current liabilities. The ratio is current assets/current liabilities. Any ratio below 1 is negative. For most companies a ...
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PRE-SALE DUE DILIGENCE

Almost anything you can imagine should be part of the pre-sale due diligence. If a selling company (seller) wants to receive the best terms and price, they must perform a certain amount of their own ...
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DECIDING TO SELL

Most business owners face the dilemma of deciding when to sell. The answer is not simple. Obviously, selling at the right or best time is ideal. But how can you determine that “best time?” ...
Continue reading "DECIDING TO SELL" »

Capital Raising

The capital raising landscape is improving for new and growing ventures. Venture capital is plentiful for startups, though much of it is focused on these industries/assets: medical devices, software, ...
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WHY DEALS FAIL

Does one really know why a potential sale of a company fails? As an investment bank, we have witnessed transactions “blow up” for any number of reasons. No one can prove the failure rate ...
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Transaction Closing - Steven Label

Mentor Securities, a premier M&A Advisory firm, is pleased to announce that its client, Steven Label Corporation (“SLC”), was acquired by Goldner Hawn, a renowned Midwest private ...
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WORKING CAPITAL

The definition of working capital (W/C) is rather simple: current assets less current liabilities. The ratio is current assets/current liabilities. Any ratio below 1 is negative. For most companies a ...
Continue reading "WORKING CAPITAL" »

LIFE OF A DEAL

Nearly every investment banking client takes us on an interesting journey, with numerous twists and turns. The progression of a beginning, middle, and (potential) end is very akin to a courtship. Our ...
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Deciding to Sell

Most business owners face the dilemma of deciding when to sell. The answer is not simple. Obviously, selling at the right or best time is ideal. But how can you determine that “best time?” ...
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WORKING THE BUY-SIDE

Most investment banks focus on the sell-side of a transaction, for the following reasons: The engagement includes a retainer for initial advisory work and conducting a process to find the best ...
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PROFITS INTERESTS

Special equity compensation known as profits interests (PI) are only issued by Limited Liability Companies (LLCs). They provide for a share of profit in the company after a specific point in time. ...
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ROLE OF THE VALUATOR

What is the appropriate role of a financial valuator? Objectivity, above all else. As a member of the most prestigious governing body, the American Society of Appraisers (ASA), the credible valuator ...
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What Sellers Need to Know

One of the more vexing issues for the successful investment banker is deciding how much to really “share” with the seller(s) concerning the sale process. The myriad of issues faced by the ...
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Transction Closing - Joneca

The Mentor Group (aka Mentor Securities), a premier M&A Advisory firm, is pleased to announce that its client, Joneca Corporation (“Joneca”), one of the world’s leading producers ...
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SELECTING YOUR INVESTMENT BANKER

COVID-19 created problems and opportunities for investment bankers. Enumerated below are the issues and how the credible IBankers (IB) would handle them. Issues 1. Many companies succeeded in spite of ...
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EBITDA

Careful consideration should be given to potentially significant tax liability with respect to stock issued to founders, employees and contractors (in lieu of other compensation). Often, startups and ...
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