On this episode of Everyday M&A, we hear from Gary Hensley, a school teacher turned entrepreneur who started an EdTech company that he sold to Pearson - a $5B education technology & publishing company. Gary shares with us:

• How a pitch competition planted the seed for his acquisition
• How EdTech companies should think about raising venture capital vs. getting acquired
• The biggest challenges of growing an EdTech company
• How to plan an exit for an EdTech company
• How Board members and investors can help during an M&A process
• What Gary would have done differently during the M&A process

Everyday M and A is hosted by the business law firm of Thorsen Legal. If you need a skilled business attorney, contact us for a free consultation.

“Solve an issue, solve a problem, make money, and make it on your own.”

On this episode of Everyday M&A, we hear from Peter Burns III, a serial entrepreneur who has started over 100 companies as well as founded the first college of entrepreneurship in the US. Peter shares with us:

• How a college course he took in 1977 sparked a lifelong career in starting companies
• What Peter’s process is for starting a company
• The business opportunities Peter is most excited about today
• Creative funding strategies you can use today for your business

Everyday M and A is proudly hosted by the business law firm of Thorsen Legal. Our team of corporate lawyers have decades of experience representing companies of all sizes, from small startups to large multinational corporations. And when you're ready to sell, contact the team at Texas Business Brokers for a free valuation to see how much your business is worth.

On this episode of Everyday M&A, we hear from Susan Miller and Sean Mirzabegian, two investment bankers with over 15 years of experience each. Susan and Sean share with us:

• When to bring on an investment banker vs. business broker
• What typically motivates younger business owners to sell their business
• How M&A for lower middle market is affected by economic downturns
• How debt markets impact company valuations
• Whether they’re seeing more financial or strategic buyers right now
• What buyer type (financial or strategic) is more likely to keep a management team on post-acquisition
• The tradeoff of going with a strategic acquirer
• How to prepare to sell to a strategic vs. financial buyer
• What are some unobvious motivations of financial and strategic buyers
• The risk business owners take trying to run an M&A process on their own
• What can kill a deal
• What is a Quality of Earnings and why is it important
• What due diligence should sellers do of their acquirers

The California and Texas business attorneys at Thorsen Legal are available for any corporate legal need you may have. We have represented over 1,000 business clients and are confident we can help you.

And if you're a Texas business owner thinking of selling, our friends at Texas Business Brokers can help you with the transaction. 

On this episode of Everyday M&A, we hear from Eric Boyce, a business valuation expert who also helps business owners prepare financially for life after selling their business.

On this episode, Eric shares with us:

• What is exit planning
• What industries is exit planning really important for
• When should you do exit planning
• The non-financial aspects of a business drastically affect valuation
• Ways that key customers, employees, and suppliers affect a business’ valuation
• What a Buy Sell Agreement is and why every business owner should have one
• The most common reason why valuations get discounted

Thorsen Legal, a corporate law firm in Texas and California, is a team of attorneys specializing in business, real estate, employment and labor law, entertainment law, and trademark law. Contact them today if you're in need of a business lawyer.

David Hughen brings over 25 years of experience driving HR strategies and solutions. In addition to co-founding, running, and selling Austin HR, he has provided HR consulting services to both buyers and sellers of companies during an M&A process. On this episode, David shares with us:

• How HR plays into an M&A process
• How culture, benefits, and employee compensation impacts an acquisition
• Ways human capital can impact company revenue post-acquisition if not properly addressed during due diligence
• Why many M&A's fail during post-deal integration
• What buyers can do to ensure companies they acquire will thrive under new ownership
• What HR strategies business owners can apply to increase the value of their company

If you liked today's episode, please Like and Subscribe, thanks!

If you're preparing for an M&A, you want an experienced business law firm like that of Thorsen Legal. With over 50 years of collective experience, you can feel confident that our business law lawyers can help you.

On this episode of Everyday M&A, we hear from Mike Feinman, co-founder of Texas Business Brokers. For the last 10 years, Mike has helped people buy and sell businesses across industries and shares with us some key insights:

• What is Seller's Discretionary Income and why is it important
• What amount of Seller's Discretionary Income should your business be above to be well positioned for sale
• How is real estate treated during the sale of a business
• What markets are hot right now
• What markets are not hot right now
• What buyers should do on their own, and when to bring in a broker
• What business owners should do if they get an unsolicited offer to sell their business
• If a business owner found a buyer for their business on their own but still wants to engage a broker, what commission should they pay
• What makes a good seller

If you liked today’s episode, please Like and Comment below who you’d like for me to invite as a future guest!

Everyday M and A is hosted by the California and Business law firm of Thorsen Legal. The business purchase and sale attorneys at Thorsen Legal have decades of experience helping business owners sell their businesses, and assisting buyers - from individuals to large private equity firms - find the target acquisition that fits their investment theses.

In this episode of Everyday M&A, we hear from Krista Endsley, who has served as CEO of companies backed by private equity, including Accel-KKR.

In that role she has bought (as both a financial and strategic acquirer), sold, and scaled companies (one of her last companies was voted the best place to work for in Austin 5 years in a row). This is one episode you won’t want to miss!

Krista shares with us:

• The benefits of working with an experienced buyer
• How due diligence differs between financial and strategic buyers
• The biggest mistake buyers make during an acquisition
• The biggest part of an M&A process
• Red flags that can kill a deal
• The first thing Krista recommends when working with a company
• What due diligence business owners should do of their potential buyers
• Potential consequences of when earn-outs don't turn out as planned
• The Rule of 40 and how to maximize your company's exit value

If you liked today’s episode, please Like and Comment below who you’d like to see as a future guest!

If you need a startup attorney or private equity lawyer, contact the team at Thorsen Legal. Their securities counsel was previously an examiner at the SEC, and their business attorneys have proven success representing businesses small and large.

On today’s episode of Everyday M&A, we hear from John Fincher, a business broker and serial entrepreneur who grew his last company to $50 million in revenue in 5 years prior to selling. John shares with us:

• How business owners sometimes hurt their company’s ability to attract buyers
• How far in advance business owners should start preparing to sell their company
• How a business owner can really tell if they have a good team in place
• The “5 Bad D’s” of why business owners often have to sell their company
• How to deal with multiple shareholders during a sale
• The minimum size of company that could benefit from using a business broker

If you need legal counsel to draft your asset or stock purchase agreement, count on the mergers and acquisitions attorneys at Thorsen Legal. With proven expertise transacting business sales up to $50 million, you can trust their team for the purchase or sale of your next business.

Have you ever wondered about the tax consequences of an M&A? If yes, you’ll want to tune into today’s episode of Everyday M&A. We interview the very knowledgable David French, a CPA with M&A experience, who shares with us:

• How companies in different industries are valued differently
• How goodwill affects the decision of whether to go with an Asset Sale or Stock Sale
• A way to reduce your tax from an acquisition by 3.8% that most CPAs forget about
• What often comprises 80% of a company’s value
• Tax consequence of earn outs
• The ideal time to bring in a CPA to prepare for an acquisition
• What type of sale you want to avoid if you’re a C Corp
• An alternative to an Asset or Stock Sale that most people don’t know about
• What business owners can do from day 1 to reduce their tax liability upon exit by 20-30%

If you liked today’s episode, please Like and Comment below who you’d like for me to invite as a future guest!

In addition to a knowledgeable accountant, you should hire an excellent attorney. Look no further than Thorsen Legal for your business legal needs.

On this episode of Everyday M&A, we hear from Subbu Rama, who cofounded a software company that he sold to VMware. Subbu shares with us:

• The tradeoffs you should consider before entertaining an offer to buy your company
• The benefits of getting acquired by one of your customers
• What options you want to have lined up before going into deal negotiations
• Why higher valuations don’t always result in greater financial returns
• Ways you can leverage your investors to increase the purchase price

When selling a company, make sure you consult with experienced M&A legal counsel with success in selling businesses in your industry. The attorneys at Thorsen Legal have represented companies of all sizes across industries and are available for a free consultation.