Archives

A Downside of Debt By Loren Smith _________________________________ Because borrowing money to finance various business activities is such a normal practice, I am often asked about the pros and [...]

The Value of a CIM by Loren Smith  Often, wire harness owners who retain me to sell their company will ask if developing a CIM (confidential information memorandum) is really worthwhile. I [...]

ABCs of an LOI A recent exchange with a prospective buyer of a harness company we were representing surprised me. After we had provided her the usual amount of initial information, she requested [...]

A Component Nightmare  By Loren Smith Ask me to describe the most frustrating, frenzied day in all my years owning and operating a wire harness company, and I will have an immediate response: the [...]

Expertise Matters   by Loren Smith Some time ago, I received an email from the owner/founder of a $10M West Coast wire harness company indicating he had reached retirement age and was [...]

A Fuller Answer: How to Select an M&A Adviser  by Loren Smith After my presentation at the recent WHMA conference in Scottsdale, I was asked about the process of choosing an M&A adviser [...]

Buyer Beware: Hidden Talent by Loren Smith  I have heard more than one business owner or CEO give a seemingly surprising answer to the question “What keeps you up at night?” Sure, losing a key [...]

Pros and Cons of a Private Equity Buyer by Loren Smith Harness company owners often ask me whether they should sell to a private equity buyer. Although there is no easy answer to this common [...]

Why pay an M&A fee? Why should I pay you a fee to sell my company?  This question is commonly asked by owners of wire harness companies who are weighing retaining an M&A firm like mine to [...]

Profile of an Entrepreneur by Loren Smith During the years I owned a wire harness manufacturing business, I was often asked what would prompt someone to leave the security of a large corporation [...]