Services

Sell your Business

Making the decision to sell your business is a big step.  If you’re not 100% sure you want to sell and are just interested in discussing the process and what it might look like I am happy to have that discussion with you to help you better understand your options.  GWS’s goal is to help you have all the information that is necessary so that you can make an informed decision and be comfortable with the decision you’re making.

We can discuss the sale process, different potential buyers (depending on your business there are many different types of buyers), market conditions, potential valuation and any other concerns you may have that will help you make an informed decision.

Buy a Business

When you’re considering buying a business it’s important that you trust your business advisor to help guide you through the purchase process. Buying a business can be very complex, and having a trusted and experienced advisor will help ensure that the process ends in a successful transaction for you and the seller.

It’s hard to weed through all the garbage out there, and to make sure your doing your proper due diligence and not buying a “lemon.” A good advisor will not only help you negotiate your business, and run your diligence process, but will also go out and help you find the business you’re looking for.

Recapitalize your Business

Are you looking for that extra push and help to help grow your business into something even bigger?  If your business is big enough to “stand alone” an exit to a Private Equity group may be a possible solution.  In this model there isn’t as much “cash up front” and you’re expected to continue to work as CEO for another 5 year period.

The basic Private Equity Model will have them purchase a controlling interest of your business for a combination of cash and equity that will be negotiated during the process.  Their goal over the course of approximately five years will be to add on smaller businesses via M&A to grow aggressively and/or to help support you in growing organically.  They’ll provide you with additional resources and oversight, with the goal of drastically improving your EBITDA and then selling in approximately 5 years for more than you could sell for today.

Once sold, you’ll collect another payout for the equity that was retained and given to you by the PE group. Oftentimes you’re given the option at this point to continue as CEO and “do it again” over and over in some cases, constantly re-selling your existing business.  This, potentially, is a way to make even more money over a longer period of time however it comes with many challenges, and disadvantages.

I will help you understand what it is exactly you’re committing to, as well as help you do your due diligence on the PE group you work with.  There are a lot of PE groups out there now, and not all of them are going to give you the best experience.

Fractional CFO

In need of CFO level expertise but not on a full time basis?  This is a service I can offer at a billable hourly rate.  It’ll be a discount compared to going directly to larger placement firms.  Many clients need a CFO for a set number of hours a week (i.e. 10 hours a week).  Some need it for a set number of hours per month.  Some engage a CFO only once per quarter to help support them during quarterly reviews and board meetings with investors.

Whatever your fractional needs are at CFO we can accommodate any number of hours.

Interim CFO

Is your company in transition from having a CFO or in need of a CFO to fill the seat urgently while a search is being conducted?  Hiring the right long term CFO is a lengthy and in depth process, and rightfully so.  You want to make sure you hire the right person for your organization that has the skill set and is also a cultural fit.  Whether this is a new position that you’re going to fill, or your previous CFO has left and you’re searching to fill the role, I can step in on a temporary basis and keep the wheels turning and the train moving forward.  Once you hire your new CFO I will make sure that they’re set up for success and not sitting on 3 or more months of bag logged work and issues to address.

Executive Management Consulting

If you’re in need of some executive management consulting this is also something I can offer.  Through my experience both as an “in house” CFO and a consulting CFO, I have a wide breadth of experiences and diverse background of information.  I can help consult on any number of areas such as:

• Advisement to your current CFO, whether new to the position or experienced and needing support.
• Advisement surrounding specific projects. Anything from reorganizations to banking or audit.
• Advisement on M&A projects and deals. If you’re acquiring businesses and not in need of an advisor at this stage, but do want support in valuing a potential acquisition or the onboarding process.