VA Business – Page 4 – Business Strategy & Marketing Advice

Should I use a business broker to sell my business?

You would like to sell your business and you are debating should you business a business broker or should you sell your business by yourself. Which option should you use? Do you sell the business on The Business Place website or do you hire a business broker? There are no wrong choices, there are advances of listing the business yourself and there are advantages of using a broker.

If you list your business for sale yourself, you will save commissions. You will also be able to control who is told your that your business is for sale. You have much more control of this feature if you are concerned about your customers finding out about your business for sale.

Rule 504

This rule is considered by many as the perfect answer for the company just starting out OR one that needs to raise less than $1 million.

Regulation D Rule 504 offers such companies:
An exemption to raise up to $1 million
No disclosure criteria
Few general solicitation and resale restrictions
No limit as to the number or type of investors

Actually, Congress’s original intent in 1982 for Rule 504 was to “set aside a clear and workable exemption for small issuers to be regulated by state blue sky requirements, but by the same token, to be subjected to federal anti-fraud provisions and civil liability provisions.” Rule 504 exemption is provided for almost any type of organization, including corporations, LLCs, partnerships, trusts, or other entities. However, it is not applicable to companies already reporting to the SEC (subject to the ’34 Act) or investment companies.

How is your business affected when your spouse wants a divorce?

You have been operating your business for many years and you have been having marriage problems for years. One day your spouse wants finality to the relationship and wants a divorce. How do you cope? Do you have lines of credit that still can be drawn? Is the spouse working for you. I spoke to a person the other day and they split up 4 years ago, live in the same house on two floors and still worked in the business.

No arrangement was made for closure because neither wanted to pay for a lawyer. It is difficult for a married couple to split up however there are two ways to do it, the friendly way or the non friendly way.

When you are using divorce lawyers and are fighting, the only person who wins are the lawyers. The two spouses and their family loses. I saw one spouse who was very vindictive cause the husband to lose 50% of his net worth due to fighting. The kids see the fighting and no one wins.