Some of the most frequently asked questions by Maxik’s clients – often when they have just started to think they might sell their business at sometime in the future are: “How can I sell my business for more?”;”How can I maximise the value of my business before going into sale mode”; or “How do I maximise earnings before sale”. These are simple questions but the answers have many complex dimensions.

My advice is that it’s critical to understand how businesses are acquired and the logic and psychology of the buyers.  Buyers with serious money to spend will engage or have a professional business valuer. If not they will certainly apply valuation techniques in forming a view of your business.
MORE >>

One of the most important aspects of building and investing in a brand is the necessity for every single person in the organization to be trained in and fully aware of what your brand stands for and be given the skills to ensure every interaction with customers and other stakeholders is on message.

It takes years and often millions of dollars to build a brand but it can be harmed or even destroyed by one or two careless staff who “missed the course”.

So as not to be accused of excessive negativity, in previous blogs we have praised the efforts of, for example, the staff at Melbourne Flight Training in Moorabbin in the way they achieve a consistently high standard of customer action supporting the MFT brand.

MORE >>

Further to my blog of 7 November  2011 entitled Product Differentiation Creation in Motion Channel 10 Breakfast, Melbourne’s  The Age newspaper reports under the heading “Off-brand and unoriginal: Why Breakfast failed to satisfy” that the show will go off the air on 30 November 2012.

We are not sure if all the lack of perceived success of the show was, as is attributed, purely due to Paul Henry. Channel 10 clearly had, has and will have some much more serious issues impacting their entire network but nevertheless this is a wonderful study in product differentiation. Also interesting is the cultural differences exposed between New Zealand and Australia.

Read more and watch the entertaining video here.

]]> http://maxikconsulting.com/channel-10-postscript/feed/ 0 http://maxikconsulting.com/ready-for-sale/ http://maxikconsulting.com/ready-for-sale/#comments Wed, 14 Nov 2012 20:22:33 +0000 Paul M. Southwick http://maxikconsulting.com/?p=531

Engaged to optimise price and minimise owner stress.

Our clients operate in multiple industries, and look to us for solid advice on issues that affect value in their organisations. We conduct a rigorous analysis of each client’s individual situation and develop customised solutions. This section presents useful, relevant insights and understanding to key aspects of preparing a business for sale and associated activities that we have found to be common foundations of that client specific and customised advice.

Maxik’s laws of ready for sale
What are the laws of getting a business ready for sale that are true in every case? Laws that are more than rules, laws that, if one understands them, can be used to one’s advantage. Conversely, if one does not know these laws things can go surprisingly wrong. Here are 12 laws that we at Maxik have observed and found to be always true.
MORE >>

---

Roles and tasks of Maxik
The roles played by Maxik and the typical steps in helping owners prepare businesses for sale. From early on Maxik works with clients to help them determine the best Merger and Acquisition (M&A) firm fit for them and from that point in time liaises very closely with the M&A firm as part of the prepare for sale process.
MORE >>

---

Roles and tasks of m&a firms
The roles usually played by the Merger and Acquisition (M&A) advisers and the typical steps they work through in selling a business. M&A firms have very specialist skill sets related to finding, qualifying, contracting and closing the sale with buyers. They need to be very strong technically (financially and legally) and are required to have a Financial Services Licence (FSL) and be registered with ASIC.
MORE >>

---

Maxik’s ready for sale test
Score your readiness for sale with this simple 12 point, 5 minute test. This test is designed to see if you are ready for sale. Is your business and are you as an owner or manger ready for the sales process? Often business owners think that they are, but because most owners only sell a business once in their life, this over confidence can be born out of a lack of knowledge…
MORE >>

---

Ready for sale misconceptions
Working every day with owners preparing their businesses for sale we find that time and again the same common misconceptions arise about both preparing a business for sale and the sales process itself. Often owners underestimate the effort, resources and time required.
MORE >>

---

M&A adviser characteristics
Capability and bedside manner are not always found together in M&A firms. The reality is that all M&A firms are very different – in capabilities positioning, connections, technical skills, culture or style and charging methodologies.
MORE >>

---

BAU vs ready for sale overview
Running a business as usual is completely different from running a business being prepared for sale. In order to optimise sales price and minimise stress in the sales process it is important for business owners to understand these difference and implement changes in their organisations.
MORE >>

---

Maxik’s 12 key factors in DCF analysis
All buyers with real money value businesses on a perceived DCF basis, or similar financial basis [e.g., IRR]. It is therefore critical, in preparing a business for sale, some time in advance, to understand the factor used to set value in DCF – or more particularly the discount rate, so that they may be turned in the business’ favour and increase its value.
MORE >>

Positioning
Nothing you do in preparing your company for sale (or profit or reputation) does more than correctly positioning the brand.
GO>>

Research
Qualitative customer research builds a foundation of rock.
GO>>

Maxik does not provide financial, investment, accounting or legal services. Independent professional advice should be sought in these areas.

]]>

Position brands for profit, sale or reputation.

Some people get lost in long reports, presentations, diagrams flow charts and SWOT analyses. What matters most is how your customers describe your business to others. You may say you’re ‘dynamic’, ‘innovative’ or ‘trustworthy’. Almost everyone does. What you need are true words that really say what you do differently. If you can find three words that define you, distil the core of your business and resonate with your clients, you’re already ahead of the pack.

Maxik’s tips on brand positioning
Correctly positioning an organisation’s brand for sale, profit or reputation is a delicate balance of science and art. It is a constantly evolving sub set of marketing spend, yet underscores everything else.
MORE >>

---

Positioning the business brand
Nothing you do in preparing your company for sale (or profit or reputation) does more than correctly positioning the brand.
MORE>>

---

Brand Meets Finance: Making your business more valuable
Getting your brand right has the greatest effect on long – term earnings. “The opposite is also true”.
MORE>>

Ready for sale
Nothing you ever do makes or loses more money than preparing your company for sale “The multiplier years – generate and capture value”.
GO>>

Research
Qualitative customer research builds a foundation of rock.
GO>>

Maxik does not provide financial, investment, accounting or legal services. Independent professional advice should be sought in these areas.

Market, competitor and customer intelligence.

It’s the type of research you cannot have a university student do, research that requires multi discipline, multi industry experienced and business savvy consultants. Our core skill is getting to and extracting qualitative value for our clients from this research. 

Maxik’s tips on customer research
Independent qualitative market research can both reveal the real thoughts of customers – thoughts they would not tell a company directly and secret hidden gems worth more than gold.
MORE >>

---

Recent research assignments
Here are some details of recent research and market intelligence assignments we have undertaken recently at Maxik across multiple industries. Due to client confidentiality we are not able to give the names of the clients and a few minor details have been changed to protect their identity.
MORE >>

Ready for sale
Nothing you ever do makes or loses more money than preparing your company for sale “The multiplier years… generate and capture value”.
GO >>

Positioning
Nothing you do in preparing your company for sale (or profit or reputation) does more than correctly positioning the brand.
GO >>  

Today’s guest blog is by Maxik team member and channel distribution expert, Gary Watson who may be contacted either via Maxik or via email at gwatson@odysseybi.com.au

I speak to many organisations regarding their marketing management, and their evaluation of the success – or otherwise – of their marketing.

Almost always, the response is framed in terms of sales volumes…if sales increased, then the marketing was effective. If not, then it failed.

MORE>>

]]> http://maxikconsulting.com/why-campaigns-fail/feed/ 0 http://maxikconsulting.com/456/ http://maxikconsulting.com/456/#comments Wed, 14 Nov 2012 18:04:40 +0000 Paul M. Southwick http://maxikconsulting.com/?p=456

Today’s guest blog is by Maxik team member Bella Katz

Opinion: Are you also suffering from Social Media Fatigue?  

Social Media Fatigue (lets call it SMF) may not be a recognised medical term yet, but I’m certain its inclusion into the Medical Dictionary is not too far away. In fact, given the rate at which things spread through social media, it may already be there by the time you reach the end of this page.

I won’t bother to list all the many social media websites and apps for you, aka the causes of SMF, as I’d put money on you using at least one in your daily life, either for personal or business use.

MORE >>

In my last blog I wrote about the demise of Sony, once the world’s greatest brand. A decline that was visible just by visiting their stores and the complete lack of “buzz”, from a customer viewpoint, as well as a lack of sexy new products, in comparison with Apple.

Yesterday Sony confirmed its slide with a forecast annual loss this year of nearly US$3 billion. In the article referenced below three interesting points stand out:

a) The recently replaced CEO had a penchant and reputation for costs cutting, c.f. innovation;

b) The company has lost the innovative flair that they demonstrated with the Walkman and Play Station; and

c) The company is racked by internal structural problems.

MORE >>

What a thrill it is to be watching, in real time, two very different brands being repositioned in front of our eyes, one going north and one heading south. One attempting repositioning by its owners and one being sent south by the market as it looses its magic touch. These are MBA case studies in the making.

First I am referring to Virgin Blue who is spending millions trying to reposition the brand upmarket – as the business carrier of choice in Australia. Today Virgin is offering a one way domestic fare from Sydney to Perth, business class, for $1,399 – more than an economy returninternational ticket to LA ($1,113). And, with all the advertising of plush leather seats and preferential treatment comes an offering to Velocity Lounge members of lifetime membership for close to $10,000. That’s brave, especially when much business talk is of GFC II.

MORE >>