Making an Offer to Purchase a business for sale.

Buying a business through a business broker is a very exciting experience. Once you decide you want to make an offer to buy a business, you need to understand the process involved.

After you make an offer through your business broker, the next step is becoming familiar with the Offer to Purchase contract for the sale of a business and completion of same.

As in all contract negotiation, certain clauses and amendments can be added or altered to the Offer to Purchase contract (it’s all about negotiation with the other party!). Your business broker in conjunction with you and your lawyer should be able to advise you on this.

Performance Business Brokers always recommends the buyer and the seller to obtain independent legal advice on the Offer to Purchase contract for a sale of a business.

We continue to handle the negotiations between buyer and seller and their advisors. We manage the due diligence process that ensures the buyers know that what they believe they are buying is what they really are buying. We ensure the business purchaser knows that the seller still has alternatives, because perceived choice impacts on the speed and price of the business sale. We therefore work hard to get you the best deal possible. Contact Performance Business Brokers to assist you in selling your business.

Brought to you by:

Dwight Lester, Performance Business Brokers, Edmonton Alberta

Selling Businesses is our ONLY Business

How to Increase Customer Loyalty at Your Small Business in Edmonton Alberta

So, you’ve already accomplished one of the hardest parts of running a business: drawing in new customers. Now, an equally difficult task awaits: keeping your current customers loyal to you. In this economy, customers are more particular than ever about the companies with whom they choose to do business, so it’s extremely important to ensure that you are doing everything you can to retain the customer base you already have. Here are several pointers you can abide by to make customer retention one of the main priorities of your small business:

Monitor the behaviour of your customer service staff.

Whether your staff interacts with its customers in person or over the phone, making sure that their behaviour is at least professional is mandatory. With the unemployment rate as high as it is, you need to find a nice way to remind your employees that they can’t take their employment for granted. It is more important than ever for employees to remain on their best behaviour, because it makes all the difference in customer loyalty

Make it easy for customers to communicate with you.

One common mistake identified by Performance Business Brokers made by many larger businesses is by making their customers jump through hoops to communicate with them. It is not a smart move to install a phone service that requires customers to punch in dozens of keys on their telephones before they can get an answer to their question. Furthermore, putting customers on hold for too long is a serious mistake that could very well cost you customers and jeopardize your business’ reputation. Make it a priority to be able to clearly communicate with each and every one of your customers. This involves having good customer service over the phone, quick responses to email inquiries, and even offering a live chat option on your company website.

Be responsive on social media.

A smart tactic you can implement at your small business is by providing quick responses to any and all social media interactions with your customers. If one of your customers writes on your company’s Facebook wall, sends you a Tweet, or bookmarks your site somewhere online, you need to be gracious and responsive! If your customers are using social media to let you know of any problems or issues they had at your small business, it is especially important to let them (and the public) know that you are taking their concerns to heart and doing something about it. Using social media sites to actually be “social” will certainly set you apart from your competitors

Brought to you by:

Dwight Lester, Performance Business Brokers

Selling Businesses is our ONLY Business

Lakeland Artic Spa – Business For Sale, Bonnyville AB

A great opportunity to buy an established growing business in Bonnyville has just been listed for sale.

 Lakeland Arctic Spa is a full retail outlet that sells, installs and repairs the top brand names in the hot tub industry, such as Arctic Spas and Coyote Spas at great prices. They also sell outdoor structures, Steam Showers, and cedar accessories.  For your indoor enjoyment they also retail pool tables and games room furniture and furnishings.

 Arctic Spas are made locally in Throsby Alberta and are made to handle the worst our cold climate can throw at them due to superior engineering. The tubs are 33% more efficient to run than any tub in the market.

 Lakeland Arctic Spas has been in business since 2005 and has shown profitable growth every year. The store is located on the busiest corner in Bonnyville giving it excellent exposure.

 You can view their new Web Site at: www.arcticspasbonnyville.com

 Bonnyville is the centre of oil field activity and is expanding rapidly. Due to the influx of people there are ample opportunities for growth in the above mentioned product lines.

The Town of Bonnyville is located in northeastern Alberta, approximately 240 kilometers (150 miles) from the provincial capital of Edmonton. The Town’s motto – “it’s Multi-Natural” – refers to the town’s celebration of its diverse cultural heritage and rich natural resources.

The economy is growing and expanding faster that the provincial average creating employment opportunities in construction, oil and gas, as well as retail sales. As a major service area, the Town serves more than 10,000 people. The Bonnyville market area is strong with a population of 27,000 within 30 minutes driving time, 49,500 within 60 minutes, and 56,500 within 90 minutes. Bonnyville is the HUB for the oil and gas industry with over 60 national and international companies setting up head offices within the Town.

Additional community information can be viewed at: www.town.bonnyville.ab.ca

This business can also be purchased with a complementing business that operates out of the same building. Please see our Purified Water Store listing as well.

 For full information, please give us a call today (780)-756-2990 of email us at info@performancebb.ca

Brought to you by:

Dwight Lester, Performance Business Brokers, Edmonton Alberta

Make a Good Impression in 30 Seconds,  By Ron Ashkenas

In the U.S., the Super Bowl this weekend showed us the power of 30-second advertisements, and how influential they can be in promoting a company’s awareness. But how often do we craft our own 30-second spots with audiences that we want to influence?

Most of us are not in the business of making TV commercials, but in conversations there is almost always a 30-second moment that can make the meeting memorable.

Malcolm Gladwell touches on this phenomenon in his book, Blink. He talks about “thin-slicing,” or “the ability of our unconscious to find patterns in situations and behavior based on very narrow slices of experience.” He explains how too much information can cloud an individual’s ability to accurately analyze a situation, and how “in good decision making, frugality matters.” In other words, mini-impressions do count. And although you never get a second chance to make a first impression, you do get many chances to make the next impression.

So how do you turn your moment into an award-winning spot? Let’s look to advertisers for guidance:

Capture your audience’s attention. Think about one of your favorite commercials (or you can pick one from the game). Which part of that commercial stays with you? What technique did the advertiser use to draw you in — humor, aesthetics, emotions, surprise, or something else? Think about how you could incorporate that technique into your next important conversation.

Convey a clear message. Consider the key message for the target audience. What did the company try to convey, and how did the advertiser use that to connect with viewers? How did they frame the message to make this point? Now, think about your own messaging — what is the most critical takeaway you would like your viewers to receive? How might you deliver your message to ensure your audience walks away with this understanding?

Focus on differentiation. Think about what distinguishes your advertiser from the rest. How did the company use the commercial to portray its unique brand? Think about the same for yourself: What sets you apart from others? How can you highlight your distinctive qualities?

When you combine these three elements, you’ve got the potential for an influential “spot.” The key is having these components ready so that you can recall them when needed. For example, the best salespeople are always prepared to connect with potential customers who say that they don’t have time to talk. Similarly, the best leaders often are not those who speak the longest or the loudest, but those who convey their ideas in a memorable way, and can do it over and over again.

Our world is filled with noise, information, and distractions; so having someone’s undivided attention — even for 30 seconds — is an opportunity that shouldn’t be wasted. If you can use those 30 seconds to capture their attention, deliver your message, and distinguish yourself from others, you’re likely to be heard, understood, and remembered. What sponsor wouldn’t want that?

Brought to you by:

Dwight Lester, Performance Business Brokers, Edmonton Alberta

Talk About Your Business Everywhere

You can really help your business if you’re bold enough to talk about it to everyone you encounter. Casual connections can easily turn into serious business. A business survey asked members about where they made unusual connections and the answers ranged from diners to dog parks to funerals and everywhere in between. One guy even made lemonade out of lemons, selling to the person who rear-ended his car.

Brought to you by:

Dwight Lester, Performance Business Brokers, Edmonton Alberta

Beat the Competition With Better Service

Contrary to popular opinion, most purchasing is not based on the lowest price. Service is a key component in many buying decisions and can take many forms: shorter turnaround in shipping, a customer-friendly website, dealing with problems quickly, admitting, correcting, and paying for mistakes. Excellent service almost always wins out in the end.

Brought to you by:

Dwight Lester, Performance Business Brokers, Edmonton Alberta

3 Critical Pieces of Information About Your Business

Name, Address, Phone. These are the three most important pieces of information you must be consistent with if you want to be found on the web. Consistency is critical because search engines look for clusters of information. For example: (724) 555-1212 is not the same as 724.555.1212 and Street is not the same as St.

The Internet is still a mystery for most! With the emergence of Twitter, Facebook, Yelp, Google, Linkedin, and a host of other sites, getting started with online marketing seems more daunting than ever. Yet, as consumers flock to the Web daily to research local products and services, visibility for your business via the Internet literally spells success or failure. Bottom line: Online marketing is NOT optional anymore its mandatory.

Brought to you by:

Dwight Lester, Performance Business Brokers, Edmonton Alberta

Communicate With Your Customers in Every Way Available

There are so many avenues of communication going on right now, and business owners need to take advantage of as many as possible. Surveys, emails, Facebook and twitter are where the younger generation–who get older every day–are getting their information. Don’t miss out on staying top of mind.

Brought to you by:

Dwight Lester, Performance Business Brokers, Edmonton Alberta

Here’s an Easy Way to Keep Your Customers Happy

Give them a call! Make it a point each week to call five of your best customers and thank them for their business. It will go a long way to connecting you with your customers. And you’ll likely learn a lot in the process and have a better pulse on their needs and wants.

Follow these steps to let your customers know you recognize and appreciate their business.

1. Be observant: Notice when you have frequent or repeat customers; on the phone, via email, or in person, be aware of the number of times a customer is touching your business and your customer service department. Observe their habits. Do they talk about the same concerns? Do they have products they are loyal to? Let your customers know you recognize their buying habits.
2. Face Issues Directly: When there is a source of conflict or a potential source of conflict, don’t wait for your customers to point it out to you. Be diligent and address the concern head-on. Not only does this save your customer from complaining, it also shows that you really do try to view your company/product/services through the lens of your customer.
3. Apologize: Sometimes a bad situation can be turned around with a simple apology. Regardless if you think the customer is right or wrong, the customer feels they have been wronged. Take a moment to give a sincere apology.
4. Show Appreciation: Everyone wants to feel like they matter, so take a moment to show your customers how much they do matter to your business. Showing appreciate builds brand loyalty and trust. Trust = more sales.

Brought to you by:

Dwight Lester, Performance Business Brokers

The Best Emails Have Only 1 Call to Action.

When sending an email to your customers, choose one product, service or promotion to be the focus of the email. Then create one call-to-action (click, call, come in) and emphasize it. In addition to a compelling subject line, what are some things you should include and how should the email be structured to make your emails more effective at initiating a conversation?

When writing an email as a part of your process for developing leads and guiding prospects through your sales process, keep these points in mind:

• Keep it short. Long emails tend to scare readers. Remember, the purpose of the email is to get your prospect to the next stage in your sales cycle. If you get leads from your marketing team, or your automatic web form alerted you that someone downloaded your white paper, decide what you want the prospect to do before you compose your email. Write it with the purpose in mind.
• Break up large blocks of text. Tight text on a screen looks like a wall of words and is an invitation for your prospect to hit the delete key. Compose your text so that your reader can simply scan it, easily consume it and quickly comprehend it.
• Get their attention at the beginning. We’ve placed plenty of emphasis on composing an enticing email subject line encouraging the recipient to open the email. Now, what do you do once they have the email opened? Get their attention at the start and entice them to read further. Use one of the five methods you use to open your voicemail messages: mysteries, shock, enticing facts, compliments and stories.
• Have one call to action. In some of my early emails attempts, I’ve used multiple product lines with various conditions and multiple calls-to-action attempting to make the decision process easier for my prospect. The resulting action was typically no decision on their part. Use just one call to action and make it easy for your prospect to move forward.

Brought to you by:

Dwight Lester, Performance Business Brokers