Business Owner – Are You Burned Out?

By Generational Equity

08/29/2022

Recently, Andy Medici – Senior Reporter with The Playbook – published a very timely and interesting article on the topic of business owner burn out. Entitled “Small-business owners are already burned out. Many see trouble ahead.” It caught my attention because if this is the case, fortunately, Generational has the solution for you.

Here are some shocking statistics that Medici mentions in his article:

• About 72% of more than 1,000 small business owners surveyed by technology platform Podium said they were burned out. About 48% cited inflation and another 39% said rising gas prices were the top threats to their business.
• It's a trend that spans across a number of industries, from restaurants and retailers to startup founders.
• The trend could have significant implications. A 2021 survey by the International Business Brokers Association found burnout was becoming a major factor for owners selling their businesses.
• About 40% of small-business owners were hesitant to hire – due in part to rising wages – and 42% said there was a shortage of workers with the skills they need.

If you are a business owner and are facing many of these same concerns/issues, I have some good news for you: Generational Group, the industry-leading M&A consulting firm for the lower middle market, can help you alleviate these fears and help you reach financial stability (and far fewer sleepless nights).

How?

Our proven, successful exit planning program can help find an optimal buyer for your business even if you are still not fully recovered from the financial impact of COVID on your company. 

In fact, a new term was coined by financial analysts during the midst of COVID as it relates to the recasting of a business’s earnings due to unplanned, unforeseen circumstances that are not going to permanently impact the long-term financials of the organization. It is called EBITDAC, which stands for:

E – Earnings

B – Before

I – Interest

T – Taxes

D – Depreciation

A – Amortization

C – Coronavirus

Now recasting of EBITDA has been used by M&A firms from the dawn of time to accurately “restate” the earnings of a privately held company to show the true earnings of the firm. As we all know, business owners legitimately write off dozens of expenses annually to reduce the company’s tax bite. This is perfectly legal and sensible to do.

However, it does understate your true earnings and recasting can identify those items that are one-time, non-business related, or simply perks that a new owner would not continue with.

The “C” in the new EBITDAC metric takes into account the pandemic’s effect on business operations since March of 2020. It is a very effective way to optimize your financials legitimately. We should know, we have had a number of record years in a row, closing 172 transactions last year alone (and on pace to beat that dramatically this year).

And according to Refinitiv (previously Thomson Reuters), no M&A firm has closed more transactions valued up to $50 million than Generational over the past dozen years or so.

Why is our process so successful even during tough times? Here are just a few reasons:

• Extremely experienced, dedicated dealmakers who have literally seen it all over the past few decades. If a deal can be closed, they will do it.
• Our proprietary database of 35K buyers gives us access to critical information about what these buyers are after that no one else has.
• The dedication of our team to our Core Values that we bring to every engagement, with every client.
• A focus on bringing Wall Street methods to Main Street businesses, giving middle market business owners access to services usually not readily available to them.
• A full-service focus including our Generational Consulting Group and Generational Wealth Advisors, both of which are vital to a business owner's long-term success.

These are just a few of the reasons we succeed year over year. To learn how we can help you, especially if you are burned out, I would suggest you attend one of our Growth and Exit Planning Conferences near you. You will come away with a wealth of information, and just maybe, a plan to alleviate your burnout!

And here is some food for thought about burnout from folks far wiser than me:

“The reality is: there will always be more work. From our jobs and owning businesses, to being a manager of our families and our homes – there will always be more work. It never goes away. We never escape from the responsibilities that life presents us. But one of our main responsibilities should be ourselves, after all, there's only one of us anyway.” ― Vanessa Autrey, The Art of Balancing Burnout

“If you think you can outsmart burnout, burnout will prove you wrong.” ― Sally Clarke, Protect Your Spark: How to Prevent Burnout and Live Authentically

“I’m so busy, I’m not even available yesterday.” ― Craig D. Lounsbrough

Carl Doerksen is the Director of Corporate Development at Generational Equity.

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