In the professional services world, referrals are golden. All a service provider wants when we refer a client to another service provider is for that provider to take as good care of that client as we do. It’s a very high standard that needs to be constantly met with each client. It’s a vote of confidence to receive a referral and one that has been extremely valuable to us time and time again. Our service provider success stories are built on relationships of trust, communication, professional knowledge and emotional intelligence. Once we receive a referral, our focus becomes 100% about the owner as we work to serve their best interests.
Attorneys
When business owners pass away, estate attorneys have entrusted the business exit strategy to us. In a case where multiple agents were telling a surviving spouse to sell fast, we were invited come in and give an honest, objective take on the situation. We advised against selling, encouraging the surviving spouse to give it time and continue to add value to the business. We didn’t leave the advice on a piece of paper but actually went in and worked alongside the management team, spouse and advisory team on the best plan. We remained with the company as the quarterback to build that value and are taking a much stronger company to market next year.
Business and Real Estate attorneys call us to keep their deals on track.
“I recommended Exit Consulting when my client needed not just accounting and financial services, but leadership. The client was in the final leg of a major transaction, and the work demands were too much to be piled on top of the existing staff. I knew that the Exit team could relieve the pressure while reinforcing the worth and contributions of those already on board. Placing that level of trust in Exit may have saved the deal.”
– Whitney Skala, APC
Transaction attorneys call on us to work with them and their client owners going through a partnership divorce or when a client is considering an unsolicited offer to buy their business and we are happy to work collaboratively with the attorneys to achieve the ideal exit for their client.
Financial Planners
Certified Financial Planners are highly skilled in helping their clients plan for their future. Often times someone’s business is a significant portion of their overall net worth, yet they don’t have a business exit plan. We support this part of planning by making sure their client’s perspective of value is realistic. For example, a financial planner brought us an owner who wanted to sell their business for $10 million after tax. A $10 million sale, after taxes and transaction costs in California, is close to a $20 million price tag.
We took the owner through an exit assessment, which helped him understand what the business is worth now and what it needs to look like in terms of revenue, customer concentration, and product concentration in order to fetch that $20 million sale price. After deliberation, the owner and financial planner successfully pivoted to a very attainable 3 to 5-year exit strategy. It wasn’t a matter of dashing his dreams, but rather clearing the path and establishing a plan.
“Exit Consulting has the experience, knowledge, and depth to make things happen – the right way!”
– Jeff Lysaught, CFP, The Hunter Group.
Accountants
A CPA is usually a long-tenured and highly trusted advisor of a business owner. They have worked together for years, surviving bad times and thriving in good times. When it comes to the sale of a business in California, there can be significant tax consequences based on the deal structure. We work closely with the client’s CPA during the deal negotiations to make sure the after-tax consequences are always being considered. Whether it’s an asset or stock sale, cash or financed, third party or ESOP sale, each of these ideas are collaboratively worked out so the owners understand their options and can make the best decision to meet their goals. Uncle Sam and the State always want their money first so knowing how to protect our clients is a team effort.
“I refer ECG because I am confident in our track record with them. We will use Exit Consulting Group over and over because they deliver.”
– Brian Willoughby, CPA & CVA.
We view service providers as our initial clients and our partners. Business owners need us and we need each other in order to serve them. We win and lose as a team.
Thank you to all of our referral partners; we deeply value and appreciate your trust.
Here’s to a successful 2019 for all of us!
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