M&A Awards 2021

Acquisition International - M&A Awards 2021 17 Oct21843 Best Mergers and Acquisitions Advisory Firm - Western USA or over 11 years, the team at Business Sales Group has been in the business of helping clients sell their companies. Rick started his career as a CPA, then, tired of “counting other people’s money,” he started and eventually sold Liberty Mortgage, a mortgage bank. It was during the process of selling his own business without an advisor, that Rick learned valuable lessons about how not to sell a business. He shares these lessons with sellers to this day. Heather’s experience traverses the world of mortgages and real estate. She is a serial entrepreneur in her own right, having owned two businesses before co-founding Business Sales Group with Rick. Business Sales Group offers advisory and valuation services to buyers and sellers of companies with annual sales between $1 Million - $30 Million. The company specialises in finding ‘hidden champions’ - those companies with high growth potential in fragmented markets. These companies are often regional market leaders that have the potential to maximise returns for both buyers and sellers. The company has expertise in a wide variety of industries that include IT, industrial, construction, software, wholesale distribution, medical and dental, coordination, import-export, retail, oil, gas, and manufacturing. With offices located in Heber City, Utah, Business Sales Group focuses primarily on its client base in the Rocky Mountain region but often works with business owners across the United States. So, what differentiates Business Sales Group? Rick explains: “We don’t just list businesses for sale, we launch them for sale. After carefully planning the exit, we get businesses in front of thousands of buyers within the first 48 hours of going to market. We help structure sales to minimise taxes. This maximises the money the seller gets to keep. No one else is talking about taxes.” “Literally no one is talking about taxes when the owner sells a business.” Business Sales Group utilizes little- know tax saving strategies and sales structures to minimize the tax burden of sellers. Clients can utilize a CAPS trust structure which enables them to defer the proceeds for a business sale for up to 20 years, thereby reducing taxes by treating the sale like an Instalment Sale. Business Sales Group recently helped one of their clients to defer $1.2 million dollars of taxation. Rick is generous with advice to those looking F to sell their businesses. He has made a series of YouTube videos giving insight into the process. As a sales-side advisory expert, Rick has authored a book on the subject. Sell Your Business By Design Not By Default (available on Amazon, Kindle and Audible) is packed full of useful tips and advice for people looking to make an exit and sell their business successfully. Business Sales Group devised a ‘Buyers Toolkit’ too. As well as VIP access to preferred business listings, buyers also receive a host of valuable resources. Template documents, guidance on due diligence, what questions to ask sellers, and even Business Professional Opinion (BPO) Reports including sales data are all included. There is also a free booklet entitled 18 Steps to Buying a Business. As part of the package, there is a free 30-minute consultation too. When asked about the current industry, Rick tells us: “The industry is rapidly growing due to retiring baby boomers. There is an enormous amount of money out there and buyers are actively looking. There has never been a better time to sell a business. The long sales cycle has been a challenge. But we have adapted to this by thoroughly preparing before we list a business. This shortens the time the business spends on the market.” Looking to the future, Rick is spearheading the creation of the Utah Chapter of Exit Planning Advisors (CEPA), a select group of exit planning advisors who help business owners will all aspects of the planning for and sale of their business. If you are looking for advice on buying or selling a business, contact the expert team at Business Sales Group. Contact: Rick Krebs, CPA, M&A Advisor Company: Business Sales Group Web Address: www.Bsalesgroup.com Business Sales Group, an M&A advisory/Brokerage service firm located in Utah, offering a professional approach and personalized services to clients looking to sell their business. The firm launches the sale of businesses, not merely listing them. They employ proven selling price optimization and tax reduction strategies to maximize the money sellers receive when they sell their business.