The valet at your favorite Italian restaurant is a ravishing blonde from Kiev who is tall enough to play point guard for the Lakers and has a smile that lights the boulevard and lifts your spirit.
You love this place: the food is exquisite, the atmosphere is lighthearted and carefree, the service superb.
You have ordered and have just started to nurse a spectacular glass of Pinot Grigio when the owner/chef, Tomaso, walks over to your table, greets you and asks if he can sit down.
You’ve been coming to Il Trattoria Tomaso for a decade and have often had a chance to tell Tomaso how much you enjoyed the experience.
After social chit chat, Tomaso turns a bit more serious and says, “I’m going to sell the restaurant and my website that markets the branded sauces. It’s time I returned home to Milano and wrote the great Italian cookbook. Would you be interested in buying my little enterprise?”
Your mind explodes with possibilities. You try to suppress your delight, but cannot. “Yes, Tomaso, I’d be very interested.”
And the process is started.
Buying a business can be one of the most exhilarating and creative experiences of a lifetime.
But to enjoy that experience, your decision to buy a business must be based on truthful and accurate information or dreams can turn into…well, nightmares.
Ensuring that does not happen is where I come in.
My name is Willard Michlin . I am a CPA as well as a Certified Fraud Examiner and have represented potential business buyers for more than a quarter of a century, ensuring that what the seller represents is both correct and honest.
After conducting due diligence on more than 1000 businesses over the last quarter century, I am here to tell you that sellers can hide financial information from prospective buyers in some of the most creative nooks and crannies imaginable.
This is not always the case of course. Some sellers are open and straightforward. But in many more cases than you would think, sellers present the picture of their business that they want the buyer to see, and sweep the financial warts under the financial statement.
We have flashlights and microscopes that bring that information to light so that you can make a truly informed decision.
In addition to myself, I have a staff of lawyers, CPAs and industry consultants that will validate what your seller is telling you, or show you where he is not.
You wouldn’t buy a house without a home inspection and termite report, and you shouldn’t buy a business without a due diligence inspection by experts.
If you are considering buying a business, call us for a free consultation and quote on our due diligence services.
Willard Michlin
CPA #106752, CFE, CBB