AFTER YEARS OF hard work building up an asset that they hoped would provide for them in retirement, many business owners are finding there is nothing left at the end of the day when they come to cash in their chips. And we’re not just talking businesses that struggle — I’m talking about businesses that are making a very healthy profit each year.
How many of you know a fellow store owner who has been in this situation? I had friends recently close down at the end of December in a store that had traded for over four decades and was making a large six-figure profit. They were in their 70s, had decided to quit but could not find a buyer interested in taking over their store. Sadly, this scenario is far too common.
Here are five steps you can take to help this situation:
1. Drive every possible dollar of net profit. Most business owners generally try to minimize their net profit to reduce tax, but this ends up costing them as they approach retirement. Jewelry stores are bought and sold nowadays based on a multiplier of net profit, so every dollar could be worth $4-6 to them when they sell … not to mention they can use that net profit to retire debt or create retirement wealth while they still own the business.
2. Establish and achieve an optimum inventory level … one that delivers maximum GMROI while still satisfying your customers. Most stores are heavily over-inventoried, and the store is not an asset unless it generates turn and margin. Many are emotionally invested in their inventory, but no prospective buyer is going to want their old stock at any price. Nor do customers. Guess what is left after a successful GOB? The old stuff!
If Business A has $100,000 of profit on $400,000 of inventory, and Business B has $100,000 on $700,000, then both would sell for the same multiplier of profit. Store B may well be left with either an inflated value that would put a buyer off because they have inventory to clear, or be forced to find a way of disposing of the surplus product.
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3. Transition the owners’ personal skills and responsibilities from “business operator” to “business owner.” No one wants to buy a business (or certainly not at full price) where the current owner is the No. 1 asset in the business (i.e., does a lot of personal sales, buys all of the inventory, does the marketing, is the main bench jeweler, etc.). There is too much uncertainty about what will happen to the performance of the business the day after the highly involved owner departs.
4. Build a strong team. Sometimes this involves outsourcing such things as repairs, custom design, marketing, social media, bookkeeping, etc. to effectively handle all day-to-day responsibilities. Note: this takes time, patience and perseverance.
5. Be visible online and on social media … it’s one of the first places prospective buyers will look.
In a market where supply exceeds demand, you need to give yourself a competitive advantage if you want to cash in that nest egg. It can happen, but it requires a strong level of grooming and preparation. The return, however, is well worth it.
