Many employees see owning a business as a way to achieve freedom, flexibility and financial independence. While these upsides are certainly possible, so are significant downsides. Business ownership typically involves long hours and financial risk that can be harrowing to those with limited or no experience.

Many highly successful and profitable businesses are built on personal goodwill – the trust and relationships with customers and clients built by the owner. These businesses often generate significant cash flow and provide an excellent personal income with few fixed assets in the company.

Not all business owners expect to make the decision to put their company on the market and then be inking a deal in 2 months, but that’s exactly the scenario for two of Bridgepoint’s recent business sales.  Both a professional home care business and a medical device sales and service business received offers inside of 8 weeks that they could accept.

Like The Beatles, we get by with a little help from our friends.

While many of our clients contact us directly, we are equally thrilled to receive referrals from individuals who we call Bridgepoint connectors. These men and women recognize the value of our services and connect us with customers or colleagues in need.

Business consultant and Bridgepoint Influencer Earle Toews has made a name for himself in helping a variety of Saskatchewan businesses grow and thrive. Earle works hard to identify what his clients need to succeed and sets them up with the tools and the resources to get there.

For a couple who were ready to sell their small, highly profitable business in the automotive services sector, the challenge was the sheer number of similar competitors also on the market. "We were the same size as many other businesses with owners who were also ready to sell," the couple said. "We were all doing well, but we all faced the same problems and competed for the same customers. With so many businesses just like ours on the market, we expected lots of low-ball offers if we got offers at all."

For high net-worth individuals, investing in businesses can offer strong returns and capital growth. The challenge is finding the right advisor – the person who can separate the best opportunities from a vast number of choices.

The decision to sell a business isn't always based on a thorough assessment of all the factors. For the owner of a successful, well-known Saskatchewan printing operation, a major health incident meant stepping away from an active role in the business almost immediately.

You might think it would be a simple transaction when an employee is buying the business they work for. After all, the buyer and seller already know each other and both know the ins and outs of the business.

While no business sale is ever simple, some are more intricate than others. When the sale involves a business that is built on personal relationships, provides professional business services to the private and public sectors, has limited hard assets, and is owned by a founding partner who wants to retire and a younger partner who plans to stay with the organization, complexity and delays are inevitable.

Dollars and cents are just one consideration when looking for a business opportunity. Whether the buyer is a large corporation, an owner-operator or a business investor, their new business has to fit into their long term goals and plans. This was definitely true for a busy professional and his wife, who were looking for a business as an investment.

What are the chances that a successful, experienced Chartered Accountant would refer his clients to a small, local firm for a highly-specialized service rather than try to do the work in-house? In the case of Bridgepoint Business Brokers, it’s happened more than once.

Even when they have no intention to sell, many business owners dream of a buyer or Realtor® walking in the door and asking "how much do you want for the place?" When it happened to the owner of a substantial vehicle sales and service operation, his first call was to his accountant.

Even for experienced entrepreneurs, every business has its own unique characteristics. For two partners who own and operate several businesses together, the purchase of a well-known communications materials manufacturer involved several new and challenging aspects.

Gary* is the owner of a construction service business in Saskatoon. He hired Bridgepoint to find a buyer to continue his business and to help complete the sale of his business. Bridgepoint was able to market the business confidentially, while generating a large number of well-qualified buyer leads that ultimately resulted in the successful sale of the business.

Jeff* is the owner of a luxury goods retail business. He was approached by a potential buyer interested in purchasing his business. Jeff's Accountant referred him to Bridgepoint as he knew his client needed help from a team with a solid understanding of current market values. Without the proper support, this business owner could have undervalued his business and risked agreeing to a bad deal.

With over 10 years in business, two partners had worked side by side every day, investing at least 50 hours each per week in running and maintaining their business. Suffice it to say, they were tired and looking for a change of pace that would allow for more quality family time and hobbies.