Business Sellers Increasingly Play Banker

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May 26, 2010
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NEWS  THIS WEEK'S TOP STORY Business Sellers Increasingly Play Banker Creative financing can help sellers command better prices or close deals. It can also create complications among banks, sellers, and buyers

Inside: This Week in SmallBiz During the recession, M&A activity in the lower-middle market was anything but active. Now sharp discounts of private company valuations are again piquing buyer interest. Contributing columnist Monica Mehta says buyers are increasingly turning to sellers to fill the funding gap. Catch her column for an overview of the current environment and what to expect if you're considering buying or selling. Then check out our blog for posts on credit card reform and President Obama's recent push for a small-business lending bill. And learn about a recently proposed IRS rule that would require companies with $10 million or more in assets to list all tax-saving transactions that might be challenged by the agency. Finally, hear from "Art of Non-Conformity" blogger Chris Guillebeau on using storytelling to maintain customer interest. Enjoy. --Nick Leiber SEND FEEDBACK  |  E-MAIL A FRIEND  |  GET RSS  |  NEWSLETTERS

MORE SMALLBIZ NEWS CORPORATE TAXES IRS Seeks a Road Map to Aggressive Deductions Companies fear the proposed rule will trigger more audits Obama Urges Congress to Act on Lending Plans for Small Business In a May 25 ceremony, the president urged Congress to act on his proposals to help small businesses secure financing and reduce taxes for investments that create jobs SMART ANSWERS Don't Overlook the Jobs Bill's Tax Incentives Few small businesses are taking advantage of the HIRE Act's 2010 payroll exemption and 2011 credit, says tax-credit consultant Brandon Edwards SMART ANSWERS What Motivates Business Advisors to Help Many seasoned professionals are eager to lend expertise to small businesses. Determining what they want in exchange helps ensure a good fit SALES & MARKETING Use Storytelling to Maintain Customer Interest A company's fans won't buy every product or service it offers. To keep followers engaged, Chris Guillebeau weaves stories into his marketing   SMALLBIZ SLIDE SHOWS THE INNER CITY 100 Slide Show: The 25 Fastest-Growing Inner-City Companies, 2010 Meet the top businesses in this year's ranking FOCUS ON ENTREPRENEURS Slide Show: The Top 10 Cities for Startups The best places to build the next Apple or Google Slide Show: America's Most Promising Startups Our ongoing series tracks new companies from across the country that embody the creativity and resiliency common among today's entrepreneurs   SMALLBIZ SPECIAL REPORTS The Inner City 100 From Detroit to New Orleans, these growth businesses thrive in low-income neighborhoods—and strengthen local economies SMALLBIZ  BUSINESS DIRECTORY Need Help? Find experts in your area in: Accounting Advertising and Marketing E-Mail Marketing Legal Services Public Relations Search Engine Marketing Web Design Web Marketing Web Hosting  BW MALL   SPONSORED LINKS Talent Management Software  Applicant Tracking, Onboarding, HRMS, Performance Management all in 1 Platform! Zurich NA Insurance  Products & solutions to reduce your risks, costs & coverage gaps. Free Google SEO Webinar: Learn SEO Today  Top 10 Free SEO Tools. Introductory Webinar to $295 Training Class on SEO! Effectively Manage Your Employee Time  Software & hardware allow you to integrate time tracking & payroll. View a 5-min demonstration here. More benefits shouldn't cost you more.  Your employees can get Aflac at no cost to your company. Buy a link now! This newsletter is a FREE service provided by BusinessWeek.com. To sign up for other newsletters, cancel delivery, change delivery options or change your e-mail address, please go to our Newsletter Preferences page. If you need other assistance, please contact Customer Service or contact: Wanda Cooper BusinessWeek Customer Rights Communications Data Services 1995 G Avenue Red Oak, IA 51566 Phone: 1-800-635-1200 To learn more about how BusinessWeek.com applies this policy, you can contact our Marketing Department. Copyright 2009-2010 by BLOOMBERG L.P. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Terms of Use | Privacy Notice

BLOG The New Entrepreneur >> The credit card reform that Congress passed last year to protect consumers from practices like retroactive interest rate hikes did not cover small business credit cards. The law did direct the Federal Reserve Board to study the use of credit cards by small businesses and report back to Congress on whether further action is needed, giving the board 12 months to do so. The Fed missed that deadline over the weekend... —John Tozzi, The New Entrepreneur Visit Our Other Blogs Auto Beat Bangalore Tigers Blogspotting Brand New Day Byte of the Apple Economics Unbound European Insight Fine On Media Games, Inc. GreenBiz Hot Property Investing Insights Management IQ New Technology in Asia NEXT: Innovation Tools & Trends NussbaumOnDesign Tech Beat Working Parents POST YOUR OWN COMMENTS SMART ANSWERS KAREN E. KLEIN >> Questions About Tax Deductions for Travel Costs may be eligible, but that doesn't mean they're a valid write-off, says one expert. Others offer advice about per diem allowance SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO KAREN >   VIEWPOINT SCOTT SHANE >> The Term 'Small Business' Is Baloney The government's definition—a firm with fewer than 500 employees—is too broad. To create relevant policy, we need to focus on narrower size categories View all articles for Scott Shane   Advertisement Today's Tip Operations & Technology Technical support doesn't come cheap. In an economy where executives are constantly looking for ways to cut costs and extend the life and value of limited company resources, IT departments are faced with too much to do and not enough time to do it. The result: lost productivity, unnecessary downtime, and vulnerability to a myriad of security risks... --Travis Davis, Director of Technical Services, Matrix42 READ MORE > Advertisement