Under the Restaurant Table Posted on October 25, 2018 by Doug Robbins A dishonest business owner discovers the domino effect … the hard way. Early in my career I was selling a mid-sized restaurant in a shopping mall. It was a nice restaurant, family style, licensed, table seating of a hundred and twenty with ten bar stools. The statements showed a reasonable profit, not great, but reasonable. […] Read More…
Perception is Everything Posted on January 31, 2018 by Doug Robbins Perception Is Everything We were called in one day to look at a company that was in the specialized trucking business. Milt had forty trucks and substantial customers. He was thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old and looked like he was fifty. And as I got to know him, I found out that he worked roughly […] Read More…
A Magic Wand Posted on November 8, 2017 by Doug Robbins A banker was put in a difficult position with two partners who were fighting. The only thing he could do was call in their loans, because their business was making no money. “I don’t know if you can do anything about this,” he told me, “but I recommended that they talk to you.” “Am I […] Read More…
Out of the Shadows Posted on August 22, 2017 by Doug Robbins The following is a great example of the complexity of family-run businesses. It’s often just one thing that needs fixing. Out of the Shadows Approximately eighteen years ago I was approached by Graham, who wanted to know if I could put a value on his business. Of course I said yes. While our Comprehensive Business […] Read More…
A Second Chance Posted on April 17, 2017 by Doug Robbins In spite of all the clichés that we hear about banks lending money as an umbrella and wanting the umbrella back when it rains, there are many great success stories about how bankers can help a businessperson. For example, they can help owners make a quick solution. The following is an excerpt from Doug’s book “There’s […] Read More…
The Value of Full Disclosure Posted on March 27, 2017 by Doug Robbins When it comes to digging businesses out of self-made trenches, there is nothing quite like an advisory board. Here’s a tale from Doug’s book of how a team of experts helped a company. The Value of Full Disclosure Donny and Erica, a husband and wife team, approached us a number of years ago to sell […] Read More…
Playing Hardball Posted on January 12, 2017 by Doug Robbins The secret to a successful next generation transfer is to create a structured plan as a guide prior to the changeover. The plan needs to be specific to the business and to the family’s circumstances. Once potential trouble spots are identified, proper succession and transition plans can be put into place to overcome them. The goal […] Read More…
3 Tools to Manage FX Risk and Enterprise Profit Posted on July 21, 2016 by Arnie Strub MBA, C.Dir., ACC Many of our clients have exposure to foreign currencies (FX) within their yearly business cycle, but do not utilize the array of foreign exchange tools that are available to manage the risk of fluctuating currency values and the profits associated with those risks. Net Exporters hope for a weak Canadian Dollar (like we are now […] Read More…