Get your message on Facebook before 4 p.m. so it’ll get some hits

Jeff — Thu, 10 May 2012 12:41:57 +0000

Business First by Andrew Robinson, Reporter Date: Wednesday, May 9, 2012, 4:08pm EDT

ACBJ archive

Some times are better than others for getting your message out on social media.

Andrew Robinson: Reporter – Business First

Ever wondered what the best time of day is to send that link via Twitter, or post that video on Facebook?

Bit.ly, which shortens links which are shared across social networks, recently released a lot of metrics on when exactly links are clicked on by users on social media sites Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr.

Twitter

The afternoon hours — earlier in the week — are the best for Twitter. Bit.ly found the most clicks took place between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and very few clicks after 8 p.m. or after 3 p.m. on Fridays and through the weekend.

This makes sense because people often are settling in after lunch and are likely to check Twitter to see what they might have missed during the morning rush. The information on the lack of traffic during the weekends also makes a lot of sense. People are busier and more active on the weekends, less likely to be sitting with a device checking Twitter.

Facebook

Bit.ly found links posted between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. resulted in the highest average click throughs on Facebook.

According to Bit.ly, the peak time of the week for Facebook clicks was on Wednesdays at 3 p.m.

Like Twitter, Bit.ly recommends not posting on Facebook on the weekends.

I found it interesting that traffic from Facebook fades after 4 p.m., however Bit.ly did find posting around 7 p.m. will result in more traffic on average than posting at 8 p.m. Perhaps people don’t really settle in to check Facebook until after dinner?

Life of a link

How long do those links live in the social media world once their posted? Bit.ly released information last September detailing those metrics and found the average “half life” — the amount of time at which a link will receive half of the clicks it will receive after it’s reached its peak — is about 2.8 hours for Twitter, and 3.2 hours on Facebook.

A lot of this has to do with the number of accounts one follows on Twitter. I follow upwards of 1,500 accounts and so the life of a tweet in my timeline is very short because it’s very likely that I’ll miss it unless it becomes viral among the accounts I follow.

Certainly posting links isn’t a science, but it’s good to know when the most eyeballs are out there so the link you post receives optimal attention.

Tags: Marketing+Tips

Tennessee makes the CNN Money Fastest Growing Cities Poll

Jeff — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 13:11:17 +0000

10 fastest growing U.S. cities

Despite the housing bust and the recession, these 10 U.S. cities still managed to record population gains of 30% or more in the decade ending in 2010, according to the Census Bureau. The national average was less than 10% during that time.

ENLIGN Represents Amazon Millworks in the Sale of the Business

Jeff — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:56:28 +0000

RALEIGH – ENLIGN Business Brokers has acted as intermediary in the sale of a custom design/build firm located in Durham, NC. Representing Andrew Sloop as seller, ENLIGN prepared a buyer’s information packet, provided a brokers opinion of value, worked with the seller to determine an appropriate asking price, listed the business online, pre-qualified potential buyers, represented the seller in pre-offer discussions, assisted in the negotiation of the terms of the transaction, and worked with buyers attorney in preparing closing documents for client review.

ENLIGN marketed the opportunity with the top online business listing services. Additionally, the opportunity was posted on the company’s Web site, www.enlign.com, eleven blog sites and marketed directly to ENLIGN’s internal business buyers list.

The buyer was Grant Yarber, former CEO of Capital Bank.

ENLIGN does not typically release financial details of transactions. For more information, visit http://www.enlign.com

About ENLIGN Business Brokers: ENLIGN Business Brokers, which has its headquarters in Raleigh, N.C., provides seller and buyer services, professional negotiation, and valuation and marketing services to small- and medium-business sellers and buyers in the Southeast and nationally through the ENLIGN Business Brokers Affiliate program and ENLIGN Professional Partners Program (EPPP). ENLIGN provides business owners wishing to sell their businesses with discrete, objective counsel and valuation advice, and an innovative, comprehensive approach to marketing businesses for sale. Complete confidentiality is offered throughout the process. ENLIGN, which is a member of the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA), M&A Source and the American Business Brokers Association (ABBA), requires that its agents and affiliates have owned a successful business of their own, hold an advanced degree and be members of IBBA working towards or having completed the Certified Business Intermediary (CBI) accreditation. For more information about buying or selling a business or becoming an ENLIGN affiliate broker, contact Jeff Snell at jsnell@enlign.com or visit the Web site at www.enlign.com.

Keywords: ENLIGN Business Brokers, Jeff Snell, Amazon, Millworks, sell, buy, business, Raleigh, Durham, Andrew Sloop, Grant Yarber, NC, North Carolina .

ENLIGN Represents Madden Tools in the Sale of the Business

Jeff — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 19:03:12 +0000

TRIAD – Charles Milam, CBI has acted as intermediary in the sale of an online specialty tool retailer located in the Triad North Carolina area. Representing Brenda & Al Madden of Madden Tool & Supply trading as blue tools.com as seller, ENLIGN prepared a buyer’s information packet, provided a brokers opinion of value, worked with the seller to determine an appropriate asking price, listed the business online, pre-qualified potential buyers, represented the seller in pre-offer discussions, assisted in the negotiation of the terms of the transaction, and worked with buyers attorney in preparing closing documents for client review.

The buyers were Sarah and Phil Burger.

“This process was an absolute pleasure as a good business owned by good Sellers was bought by good Buyers. Speed bumps appear in every deal, but this combination of business, seller and buyer made them easy to overcome so the future is very bright for all.” Charles Milam, CBI

ENLIGN does not release financial details of transactions. For more information, visit http://www.enlign.com

About ENLIGN Business Brokers: ENLIGN Business Brokers, which has its headquarters in Raleigh, NC, provides seller and buyer services, professional negotiation, and valuation and marketing services to small- and medium-business sellers and buyers in the Southeast and nationally through the ENLIGN Business Brokers Affiliate program and ENLIGN Professional Partners Program (EPPP). ENLIGN provides business owners wishing to sell their businesses with discrete, objective counsel and valuation advice, and an innovative, comprehensive approach to marketing businesses for sale. Complete confidentiality is offered throughout the process. ENLIGN, which is a member of the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA), M&A Source and the American Business Brokers Association (ABBA), requires that its agents and affiliates have owned a successful business of their own, hold an advanced degree and be members of IBBA working towards or having completed the Certified Business Intermediary (CBI) accreditation. For more information about buying or selling a business or becoming an ENLIGN affiliate broker, contact Jeff Snell at jsnell@enlign.com or visit the Web site at www.enlign.com.

Keywords: ENLIGN Business Brokers, Jeff Snell, Madden, Tools, sell, buy, business, Triad, power tool, bluetool, Sarah Burger, Phil Burger, Brenda Madden, Al Madden, NC, North Carolina.

Tags: ENLIGN+Business+Brokers,+Jeff+Snell,+Madden,+Tools,+sell,+buy,+business,+Triad,+power+tool,+bluetool,+Sarah+Burger,+Phil+Burger,+Brenda+Madden,+Al+Madden,+NC,+North+Carolina

Lending time for small businesses

Jeff — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 11:37:41 +0000

Bank of America steps up its game, hiring to fill the niche

Posted: Saturday, Mar. 31, 2012

Modified: Saturday, Mar. 31, 2012

1-4-2012

Charles Milam Awarded Certified Business Intermediary [CBI] Designation

RALEIGH, N.C. – Jeff Snell, principal broker for ENLIGN Business Brokers (www.enlign.com), a firm representing profitable privately-held, NC companies for sale with annual gross revenues in excess of one million dollars, has announced that Charles Milam has been awarded the Certified Business Intermediary Designation [CBI] from the International Business Brokers Association [IBBA]. Milam completed all requirements and passed the comprehensive exam at the bi-annual international IBBA conference and expo held in Phoenix, AZ held November 14th through 19th 2011. The CBI designation is awarded following rigorous education, testing and demonstrated superior working knowledge of business brokerage skills. This difficult to obtain designation has been awarded to less than 800 recipients internationally.

Related Links: www.enlign.com www.ibba.org

News Facts: · Jeff Snell, principal broker for ENLIGN Business Brokers (www.enlign.com), a firm representing profitable privately-held, NC companies for sale with annual gross revenues in excess of one million dollars, has announced that Charles Milam has been awarded the Certified Business Intermediary Designation [CBI] from the International Business Brokers Association [IBBA]. · Milam is a Business Broker with ENLIGN Business Brokers working with business buyers and sellers in the Triad area of North Carolina.

“As Certified Business Brokers We deliver the highest market value in the shortest amount of time, with complete confidentiality™, which is what our business seller’s expect for their years of hard work.” said Michael Fekkes, CBI another ENLIGN Broker who represents small and medium business sellers in Tennessee. ENLIGN is a strong supporter of the IBBA, which is the leading organization dedicated to raising the level of professionalism within the industry through its CBI and Mergers and Acquisition programs. “In a state like NC where there is no regulation of business brokers it is even more important that business owners look for the credentials of the individuals and firms being considered to represent them.” stated the firms Principal Broker and Founder, Jeff Snell, CBI, ABI.

Keywords: ENLIGN Business Brokers, Jeff Snell, Charles Milam, Michael Fekkes, brokerage, business seller services, business buyer services, professional negotiation, valuation services, marketing services, business sellers, business buyers, North Carolina, NC, Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill, Research Triangle Park, RTP, Tennessee, CBI, IBBA, Certified Business Intermediary, International Business Brokers Association.

Are You Thinking of Selling Your Business in 2012?

Jeff — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:37:48 +0000

Putting a price on business.

By: Barbara Taylor

Is it 2012 yet? From where I sit, the Great Recession has felt like the movie “Groundhog Day,” in which Bill Murray relives the same miserable day over and over again. For those of us waiting for the business-for-sale marketplace to turn the corner, 2012 brings a number of reasons for hope, many of which are addressed in a just-published New York Times article. While the decision to sell your business should be entered into with careful thought and planning, here are five reasons you may want to get a deal done by the end of 2012.

1. Expiration of the Bush-era tax cuts.

As the article spells out in detail, the expiration of the Bush-era tax cuts could have a significant affect on the after-tax proceeds of a business that is sold after 2012. While you’re getting your books in order and scheduling a year-end meeting with your accountant, make a note to ask about the tax savings associated with selling your business in 2012 versus waiting another year or two. If you’re on the fence, the answer to this question may point to a decision.

2. This was a good year for many small businesses.

I have spoken with several small-business owners whose sales and income numbers have finally returned to pre-recession levels. Businesses in the construction, leisure and entertainment, and Internet industries saw a solid upswing, to name a few. With expenses cut to the bone in an effort to survive the past three years, many businesses are lean, mean and ready for buyer scrutiny.

One thing to keep in mind is that small-business valuations are not what they were. “Don’t make the mistake of asking pre-recession prices,” said Mike Handelsman, group general manager for BizBuySell and BizQuest, in a recent article. “Buyers will often have no problem paying for a strong business, but they will still scoff at overvalued listings.”

3. There’s still plenty of money on the sidelines.

The buyers are out there! Corporate buyers and private equity groups in particular are sitting on record amounts of cash and looking to put it to use through strategic acquisitions and investments. Meanwhile, many owners of middle-market businesses (defined as having at least $2 million in pretax earnings) have been waiting until the economy improves to go to market. Bolstered by stronger management and more access to capital than their Main Street counterparts, many of these businesses have remained robust throughout the recession. If you own a healthy and profitable middle-market business, 2012 will continue to be a seller’s market for you. Even at the Main Street level, my firm represented more individual buyers looking to leave corporate America behind and purchase an existing business in 2011 than ever before. The problem for Main Street continues to be the availability of traditional bank lending for small-business acquisitions.

4. The market may be flooded soon.

With Baby Boomers retiring en masse over the next 15 years, a lot of business owners will be heading for the exit. There are predictions that this will put a damper on small-business valuations, as the supply of businesses will outweigh demand. Whether or not you sell in 2012, you should start planning now to position your business for sale in what could become a crowded and competitive marketplace.

5. It may be time to get on with your life.

Many business owners who were looking to sell over the last three years have had to put their lives on hold, shift into survival mode and weather the economic storm. For these folks, the opportunity to cash out at a decent price and move on will be more than welcome.

While 2012 may be a good time for many business owners to sell, that’s not to suggest that you should try to market-time a sale, something merger and acquisition professionals like Gary Brooks — president of Exit Plan Pros — caution against. “Those sellers who tried to time the market were completely surprised at how quick the market dried up in 2008,” said Mr. Brooks. “I have a client that turned down an offer for $11 million in 1999 because he thought that expansion would go on for a few more years. We had another offer for $6.5 million in 2007, and now the business is worth $2 million or $3 million.”

Whether the coming year breathes fresh air into what has been a stagnant market remains to be seen. If you do plan to sell, keep in mind that it typically takes about a year to complete a transaction. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to get a deal closed by the end of 2012.

Five Reasons to NOT Hire a Business Broker

Jeff — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:23:13 +0000

Most articles written by business brokers (or their PR firms) are about all the wonderful reasons you should hire a business broker to facilitate the sale of your business – and there are of course some really good ones that focus getting the highest market price in the shortest amount of time with complete confidentiality^tm. (Which happens to be a Trademarked slogan of ENLIGN Business Brokers.)

However, this article is about why you SHOULD NOT under any circumstances hire a business broker to sell your business.

1. You have no financial records, poor records, “multiple sets” of records or are taking cash off the books that you want considered in the sale. A business broker can’t help you. Get your financial house in order and we can talk in 12 months.

2. You want to ‘see what happens’. Business brokers are compensated based on performance. Even those that charge a retainer (like ENLIGN) don’t earn a dime until and unless your business actually sells. If you aren’t willing to sell if presented a fair offer, don’t list it and waste hundreds of hours of other people’s time.

3. The company is about to fail or take a big hit such as the loss of your top sales person, a large account, loss of a credit line or exclusivity of a product and you aren’t willing to disclose it. There is no way that a competent buyer will miss this during due diligence and it will either kill the deal or be priced out. These events don’t make a company unsellable, but they must be disclosed and considered in the asking price.

4. The company has cash flow problems or “can’t make payroll on Friday”. Properly preparing a business to be marketed takes at least two weeks. The average time to identify and qualify a buyer, complete lending applications and underwriting can be 12 months. Selling a business is not a quick fix it should be part of a long term strategic plan. If you have problems big enough that you need to sell the business, who is going to pay you money for those same problems?

5. You aren’t willing to provide any seller financing. The fact is the majority of business acquisitions are funded by commercial loans with an SBA guarantee. The SBA requires (it’s not an option or negotiable) that the seller finance a portion of the sale price. Typically it’s 10% of the sale price and the term is usually 5 years. Sometimes the seller note is on full stand-by for up to 2 years which means no interest or principal payments during that time. If you aren’t willing to comply with SBA regulations don’t hire a broker (and understand that your business is probably now unsellable).

6. You really want to sell it yourself but your attorney, accountant, financial advisor, private wealth manager (fill in the blank) told you that you should hire a business broker. If you don’t believe that a business broker will save you significant time, money and frustration throughout the process and more than earn the large fee that will be paid at closing don’t hire them in the first place! Marketing and selling a business is one of the most complex transactions imaginable. There are multiple stakeholders including not just the buyer and seller, but their spouses as well, the lender, the SBA, the loan packager, both parties attorneys and accountants. There are literally dozens and dozens of terms to be negotiated that all directly impact the financial benefit you will receive.

The sale of your business is likely the highest value transaction you have undertaken so far. It’s wise to seek the advice of your trusted advisors including a business broker. If you ultimately choose to work with a business broker make sure you check out our free article on Questions to Ask a Business Broker. Ultimately though selling a business is a complex transaction that takes a fair amount of time that is best managed by experienced professionals.

While there are some compelling reasons to hire a business broker to sell your business this article is intended to illustrate a few of the reasons that working with a business broker would not be advised.

Jim Swigart Joins ENLIGN Business Brokers

Jeff — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 21:00:10 +0000

Local Business Brokerage Adds New Broker to Experienced Team

Raleigh, N.C.- Jeff Snell, CBI, ABI and Principal Broker of ENLIGN Business Brokers, a firm representing profitable privately-held, Southeastern companies for sale with annual gross revenues in excess of one million dollars, has announced that Jim Swigart has joined the firm as a Broker. In this role, Swigart will serve as a liaison between buyers and sellers in business transactions.

Mr. Swigart has ten years of banking and investment banking experience and has previously worked for the middle-market M&A group of PricewaterhouseCoopers and a middle-market M&A boutique founded by the former heads of M&A at Dean Witter and Paine Webber. During those ten years, Mr. Swigart worked on closed M&A transactions with a cumulative value in excess of $1 billion.

Swigart received his MBA from Columbia University. He is also a member of the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA).

Mr. Swigart is the sixth industry professional to join ENLIGN in the 2011 making ENLIGN Business Brokers not only the fastest growing, but the largest in the region as well with 15 business brokers serving all of North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee.

News Summary:

Jeff Snell of ENLIGN Business Brokers (www.enlign.com) has announced that Jim Swigart has joined the firm as a Business Broker.

-> Swigart received his MBA from Columbia University.

-> Swigart is a member of the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA).

Related Links: www.enlign.com/contacts.html

Quotes: “ENLIGN is raising the bar of professionalism in the business brokerage industry and I want to be a part of that.” Commented Mr. Swigart.

“Swigart extends ENLIGN Business Brokers capabilities to larger transactions and brings unique experience and talent to the team.” Added Jeff Snell, CBI, ABI.

Relevant Links: www.enlign.com/contacts.html