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Case Study:
Sale Of A Safety Harbor Title Company
Take a look at our case study detailing what went into selling this Safety Harbor based title insurance company.
Client
Title Company
Industry
Title Insurance & Closing
Location
Safety Harbor, FL
Sale Price
$475,000
The Client
This particular client was a title company located on the west shore of Tampa Bay, specifically Safety Harbor. They were a very successful company that had served Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Pasco counties for over a decade. The owner had developed excellent relationships with realtors, banks, mortgage brokers, and other continuous referral sources. Their location was outstanding, situated in a prosperous and fast growing community, with a reasonable landlord.
This is a great case study to analyze for business owners looking to retire. We had some presentation considerations when discussing the yearly revenue, 2017 was a down year for the company. However, this dip in revenue could be directly attributed to Hurricane Irma and the partial revenue in 2018 was on track to hit previously expected numbers. Ultimately you will notice the difference in listing vs sale price, and this is why we chose to highlight this transaction. The owner had an offer for $575,000 with $100,000 coming from seller financing and they decided to accept a lesser amount to avoid the promissory note. In a sense turning down the $100,000 and accepting $475,000 so as to have a clean transaction with zero original owner involvement. That can be a hard decision to make as an owner but when looking to retire it may be something to consider.
This case study is going to detail everything that went into closing their particular deal. Before we get into the specifics of each step, take a look at some of the general information on the company.
*It is important to note that due to the nature of this deal and business acquisitions as a whole identifiable information will be left out of this case study. Confidentiality is of the utmost importance to our clients.
- Years in Business: 14
- Number of Employees: 2
- Real Estate: None
- 2016 Revenue: $537,639
- 2017 Revenue: $449,104
- 2018 Revenue (Only 7 Months): $271,931
How did the client find us?
The owner contacted us after receiving one of our informational letters in the mail. Our direct mail campaign was sent out to title companies in the Tampa Bay area to highlight our services. From there we set up an introductory meeting with Robert Cemovich to determine the nature of the potential deal and to establish if the owner wanted to utilize our business broker service. This particular owner was very motivated to sell their business. We provided a free valuation of their business and moved forward with a listing agreement.
What were the client's expectations?
This business owner was looking to sell their business so that they could retire. They were motivated to sell and did not want any ongoing commitments to new buyers, other than a one month transitional period. This combined with our expectations of providing first class service, attention to detail, quick responsiveness, and the best price possible for their business.
The Strategy
Due to our extensive experience here at Cemo Business with selling title insurance companies, the particular strategy for closing this deal was targeted and efficient. We have done this type of acquisition many times over, ranking as Florida’s #1 business broker service for title companies. Below we will breakdown each strategic area we utilized to sell this business.
How did we negotiate?
First, we had the business prequalified for an SBA loan by a very reputable lender. We then utilized the pre-approved loan amount to determine a list price. From there we advised the client on our suggested minimum and maximum prices to consider.
We showcased this process in our advertising by displaying that the business is “pre-qualified by SBA”. This sends a very clear message to experienced investors that the target company is deemed viable not only by Robert Cemovich, a sales and acquisitions specialist, but also by a reputable lender who is ready and willing to loan the funds to buy the company at our price. This also motivates the buyer to propose a more reasonable starting price.
Key Tactic: Once the buyer seems serious, we then require the buyer to submit his
financials to show he is indeed capable of buying the company. Many buyers balk when having to produce financials. Such buyers are immediately eliminated. Thus, we weed out the buyers, in one sense, by reviewing the buyers financials. We then work with the same SBA lender to get the buyer prequalified. This makes the deal almost definite to close.
The Deal
This particular deal presented a few unique aspects that we feel make it a great case study, especially for business owners looking to retire. We will explain in detail what those aspects were, but in the meantime, check out the charts below to see some of the specifics of both the business itself and the closing process.
Organization:
| Years Established | Full Time Employees | Owner Time Commitment | Asset Value |
|---|---|---|---|
|
14 Years |
2 |
45 Hours Per Week |
$18,780 |
Non Compete Details:
| Non Compete Distance | Non Compete Time | Owner Transition Training | Cost of Training |
|---|---|---|---|
|
100 Miles |
5 Years |
4 Weeks |
No Cost |
Listing:
| Listing Price | Sale Price | Potential Buyers | Time to Close |
|---|---|---|---|
|
$649,900 |
$475,000 |
Communicated with 3 total |
90 Days |
How Did We Do?
Here at Cemo Business we hold ourselves to the highest standards. Each deal is a unique opportunity to perfect our process and exceed our client’s expectations. We feel that this approach to selling a business is what sets us apart and makes us one of Florida’s premier business broker services. The information below is meant to provide an individual analysis of how we performed on this deal.
Overall this was a well structured deal for all parties involved. We were able to garner dozens of inquiries from potential buyers. After screening we ended up with 3 highly qualified buyers and began to carry out detailed talks to see what options were best for the client. We are happy with the level of buyer interest we attracted. The down year in 2017 due to Hurricane Irma did present some challenges when discussing this deal with investors.
Like previously discussed, the sale price could have very easily been $575,000. This amount would have been within the advised range of minimum and maximum offer amounts that we discussed with our client. However, for the deal to close at that number the owner would have had to be willing to accept a $100,000 promissory note and they were unwilling to do so. Instead, they essentially gave the buyer $100,000 off the list price and accepted an offer of $475,000.
We point this out to highlight that this was what was in the best interest for our client. The owner was looking to retire and wanted zero continued involvement with their company. We would not necessarily advise this, however, our job is client satisfaction first and foremost. When taking into account what the buyer was willing to pay and the down year in 2017, we believe that we performed well when it comes to sale price. The owner was beyond happy with our services and is enjoying retirement.
We hope that this case study provided you incite into how we operate and what our business broker services could do for you and your business. If you’d like to see our selling process specifically, please visit our selling a business page.