Joe the Biz Broker

01/27/2026

M&A Pro Tip: The Flow of Due Diligence!

Due diligence is the thorough investigation, audit, or review performed by individuals or organizations to verify facts, assess risks, and confirm liabilities before finalizing a business deal, merger, acquisition, or investment. It acts as a protective measure to ensure informed decision-making and legal compliance.

What many buyers fail to understand in small business transactions is the “Burn Out” scenarios for sellers. Due Diligence MUST follow the pace and comfort levels of the seller. There is a proven chronological order of information being delivered that serves the best interests of all parties involved. Recognize the sellers rhythm of delivery and do your best to respect it.

Likewise, Sellers fail to understand Buyers need to perform Due Diligence to make an informed decision on their investment. It can feel intrusive, but Sellers must respect the process and understand the timeline to closing depends heavily on the overall completion of due diligence as well as the satisfaction of the buyer feeling confident in the business.

When in harmony, the due diligence process flows elequently. When not in harmony, prepare for a crash landing and your deal falling apart.

This is one of many reasons why buyers and sellers need an EXPERIENCED Advisory team to navigate the deal process!

01/19/2026

I have a client who now owns their Dad's manufacturing business. Current owner stepped in to the business when their Dad passed away. Dad was the operator and provided the customer service. However, Dad never planned his exit strategy.

Now, the kid has had to step into run and operate the business. Sales are are in a negative downward trend. This is making it very difficult to sell the business because the business does not hit appropriate Debt Service Coverage Ratios. And yes, the equipment value is now greater than the cashflow value. This makes the pool of buyers shrink and forces us to only entertain buyers who like turnarounds or are synergistic and have a complimentary business to help off-set the negative downward turn in the financial performance.

All of this could have been avoided if we had our strategic plan in place earlier.

Please..... if you own a business, plan accordingly. Everyone needs to have an exit strategy plan in place the moment you own a business. Even if it is 3 years, 5 years, 10 years down the line. Have a plan! Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail! Get a plan in place, your M&A Advisor and entire family will thank you for planning accordingly!

11/25/2025

https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2025/11/21/table-of-experts-caution-is-the-trend.html

Deals are still being done, but buyers, sellers and the people who finance the deals are spending more time scrutinizing transactions.

08/27/2025

Business Owners….When executing your exit strategy, forming the right team to have in your corner is critical! From time to time, I find advisors who forget the actual goal and objective of our client, The Seller.

They wish to SELL their business!

Of course, we need to protect the Seller and make it a “WIN” for the client, but that can be accomplished by having advisors in your corner who cheer you on and want you to succeed!

When selling your business, you need at minimum the following advisors in your corner “who want to see you Win!”

- M&A Advisor
- M&A Attorney
- Accountant
- Financial Planner

Selecting the wrong advisors can actually kill your deal. Make sure you have advisors that will both protect you and accomplish your exit strategy goals at the same time. Your advisors should communicate and share the mentality of “Teamwork to Make the Dreamwork!”

Choose your team accordingly!!!

08/14/2025

Talk about one of the best marketing strategies that creates an incredible buzz and gets an entire community talking about your company! A long-standing tradition beloved by all Wisconsinites!

Treat yourself to one of our special Premium Burgers. Choose from The 1948, Ultimate Super George, Mushroom Swiss, Pub Burger, or All-Star Cheeseburger served on a buttered bun with a stack of skin-on potato wedges. You deserve it!

08/12/2025

ATTENTION MANUFACTURERS IN THE GREEN BAY AREA! New CNC Machine Shop is now FOR SALE with Real Estate included. Business has been around for over 45 years and has a seasoned staff of machinists and state-of-the-art equipment. If you are looking to grow and expand your manufacturing operations, this is an incredible opportunity to explore. For more information, please contact me or my team at Lake Country Advisors.

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Joe Braier is President and CEO of Lake Country Advisors. Joe and his team work exclusively with business owners in Wisconsin & Illinois with annual revenues of $1m - $50m. To schedule a Free Exit Strategy Consultation, contact Joe at 414.429.3615 or email at [email protected]

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08/12/2025

They say “Timing is Everything” and it applies to making a strategic decision on when to sell your business as well. Here are 3 of the top reasons to schedule a Free Exit Strategy Session with my team to begin planning when the right time is to Sell Your Business:

1. Personal Decisions
While our “Business is our Baby” and no one understands the blood, sweat, and tears we’ve poured into our business, it’s ok to realize when we get burned out. Amazingly, there is more to life than just business. I’ve never heard a doctor or nurse tell me the last words of a dying individual was “I wish I would’ve worked more!” Instead, it’s regret of limited travels, or not spending time with friends and family, or not enjoying the true hobbies that brought them joy. As an M&A Advisor (NOT a business broker - IYKYK) my team and I take great pride in participating in these discussions with business owners to decide when the time is right.

2. Health Concerns
It’s always incredibly difficult when I meet a business owner and they informed me that they have a chronic health issue and they need to sell their business ASAP. My first question tends to be where are you at with your exit planning strategy. Sometimes, they inform me they’re at the beginning stages. My team and I work as quickly as possible with these business owners, but there are definitely challenges to overcome. Selling a business when it’s not a forced situation is the best scenario for us entrepreneurs, but we still move forward accordingly. Again, timing is everything.

3. Market Conditions
It’s always advantageous for us business owners to meet with advisors who understand the current M&A market conditions. This could include industry, trends, current interest rates and their upcoming forecast, current Valuation methodologies, and a complete overview of the different types of buyers that would be interested in the subject business.

There are many other factors to take into consideration. The three mentioned above are just a few that should be discussed with your advisor. Whether you’re looking to sell now, in the near future, or in 5, 10, 15, or 20+ years you should always have an exit strategy plan in place!

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Joe Braier is President and CEO of Lake Country Advisors. Joe and his team work exclusively with business owners in Wisconsin & Illinois with annual revenues of $1m - $50m. To schedule a Free Exit Strategy Condultation, contact Joe at 414.429.3615 or email at [email protected]

08/11/2025

Paramount+ acquires the “Unicorn Asset” …. The exclusive rights to UFC fights on a 7-year deal for$7.7B! No increase in fees for viewers, paramount + gets exclusive rights… and UFC, I think they are happy too! Talk about a win-win-win deal!

Paramount buys UFC rights in $7.7 billion, 7-year deal

The Paramount deal will eliminate the pay-per-view model used by ESPN in its current UFC deal, making all events available for no extra charge on Paramount+.

07/31/2025

Our TV Commercial Goes Live, starting next week on Fox, Fox News, CNBC, and ESPN! Very excited to begin working with new business owners who are looking to Sell their Business - Confidentially!

07/09/2024

Business Valuation is a combination of Art & Science!

The Science is the Math & Accounting and understanding the purpose of the valuation (acquisition, estate planning, etc)

The Art is a combination of the Business Value Drivers and the “Company Specific Risk”. It’s the Qualatative analysis needed to narrow in on the range of value for a company. Here are just a few business value drivers to assess when valuing a business:

- Historical Bookkeeping Methodology and Trends
- Owner Dependency
- Depth of Management and Labor Force
- Customer Concentration
- Customer Industry Outlook
- Equipment Confition / Cap-X
- Subject Company’s Industry Outlook
- Contracts in Place
- Reoccurring Revenues
- Growth Opportunities
- Barrirrs to Entry
- Unique Selling Proposition
- IP
- Texhnology in Place
- Operational Processes
- And Many, Many More!

Business Owners…. Want to learn more? Contact my team and we will set up a FREE consultation to set you up for success when the time is right to sell your business!

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