Business Beyond You

This is the audio version of “SaaS Business Valuation: What Buyers Really Want.” In this episode, our host, Sara Vaziri , speaks with David Jacobs , Business Broker – Technology Group, about what truly drives the value of a SaaS business and what buyers evaluate before making an acquisition. David explains why many software founders overestimate the value of their source code while underestimating...

This is the audio version of “CEO Loneliness, Peer Advisory Groups, and Better Business Decisions.” In this episode, our host, Sara Vaziri , speaks with Ric Franzi , Business Partner at REF Global, about one of the most overlooked challenges of business ownership: the isolation that comes with leadership. Ric explains why many business owners, founders, and CEOs eventually reach a point where the...

This is the audio version of “How a 27-Year Business Failed — And the Financial Warning Signs Owners Miss.” In this episode, Sara Vaziri and business coach Ellie Marshall discuss a real-world example of a long-established business that ultimately failed after decades of operation, and what business owners can do to avoid a similar outcome. They explore the financial warning signs many owners overl...

This is the audio version of “How a PEO Helps Business Owners Reduce HR, Payroll, and Compliance Risk.” In this episode, Sara Vaziri and Ailene Dewar Costello discuss how Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs) help growing businesses manage HR, payroll, compliance, employee benefits, workers’ compensation, and employment-related risk. They explain what a PEO is, how the co-employment model wor...

This is the audio version of “Why GAAP Accounting Matters When Selling a Business.” In this episode, Sara Vaziri and Diane E. Wittenberg, CPA, discuss how GAAP accounting and financial transparency can influence business value, buyer confidence, and transaction readiness. They explain what GAAP accounting is, why it was created, and how it helps business owners present a clearer and more reliable...

This is the audio version of “How Business Valuation Really Works.” In this episode, Sara Vaziri and Gordon Lin discuss how valuation professionals determine what a business is worth and the factors that can significantly influence enterprise value. They break down the difference between a business valuation and a formal business appraisal, explain what EBITDA measures, and walk through the three...

This is the audio version of “Working Capital in a Business Sale: What Owners Miss.” In this episode, Sara Vaziri and Raymond Skaug discuss why working capital becomes such an important part of buying and selling a business. They break down what working capital means, what is typically included, and why buyers pay close attention to inventory, accounts receivable, accounts payable, cash flow, and...

This is the audio version of “Exit Planning for Business Owners: Build Value, Reduce Risk, and Prepare to Sell.” In this episode, Sara Vaziri and Maylia Tsen discuss why selling a business successfully starts long before a buyer makes an offer. They break down how exit planning helps business owners prepare their company for sale, succession, ownership transition, and long-term continuity. Maylia...

This is the audio version of “ESOP Exit Strategy: How Business Owners Can Sell to Employees Through an ESOP.” In this episode, Sara Vaziri and Anthony Levi discuss how an ESOP, or Employee Stock Ownership Plan, can give business owners another path beyond selling to a strategic buyer, private equity, or family successor. They break down how an ESOP can help owners sell their company to employees t...

This is the audio version of “Inventory Can Kill Deals: Why Inventory Control Matters Before Selling a Business.” In this episode, Sara Vaziri and Marc Hamilton discuss why inventory management can become a major issue before a business sale, especially for manufacturing, importing, distribution, and inventory-heavy companies. They break down why inventory may look like an asset on the balance she...

This is the audio version of “How to Build a More Valuable HVAC Business Before Exit, Sale, or Succession.” In this episode, Sara Vaziri and Patrick Lange discuss what HVAC business owners can do to build a more valuable, more transferable, and more attractive company before going to market. They break down why HVAC businesses are getting strong buyer interest, what private equity and strategic bu...

This is the audio version of “Why Buyers Walk Away From Owner-Dependent Businesses | How to Build a Business That Can Run Without You.” In this episode, Sara Vaziri and Krista Tucker discuss one of the most overlooked parts of exit planning: reducing owner dependency before a transition or sale. They break down why buyers do not want to inherit the owner’s job, why a business that still lives in t...

This is the audio version of “Will Selling Your Business Replace Your Income? What Owners Need to Know Before Exit.” In this episode, Sara Vaziri and Ralph Adamo discuss one of the most overlooked parts of business exit planning: what happens after the sale. They break down why a business valuation alone does not determine financial readiness, why sale proceeds often do not replace the income a bu...

This is the audio version of “Reps and Warranties in a Business Sale: What Sellers Need to Know After Closing.” In this episode, Sara Vaziri and Addison Adams discuss one of the most important and often misunderstood parts of selling a business: reps and warranties. They explain what these provisions actually mean in a purchase agreement, why they matter long after closing, how disclosure schedule...

This is the audio version of “Quality of Earnings: What Buyers Really Check Before Buying a Business.” In this episode, Sara Vaziri and Neal Sheth discuss how buyers verify a company’s true financial performance during a sale process. They break down what a Quality of Earnings (QoE) review actually is, why it matters in M&A, what financial mistakes and red flags can lower value, how working ca...

This is the audio version of “The Shock After Selling a Business: What Owners Need to Know After Exit.” In this episode, Sara Vaziri and Jonathan Sherrill discuss what many business owners overlook when preparing for a sale, including how to build a company that can run without the founder, what makes a business more sellable, why reducing owner dependency matters, and the emotional shift that can...

This is the audio version of “The Tax Side of Selling a Business: What Owners Need to Know Before Exit.” In this episode, Sara Vazi and Rex Ours discuss what business owners need to understand before a sale, including asset vs. stock sale, capital gains treatment, double taxation for C corporations, purchase price allocation, and why preparation matters long before exit. Key topics: • tax impact o...

This is the audio version of this Business Beyond You episode. In this episode, Sara Vazi and Claudio A. Vilas discuss what business owners should do when they receive an unsolicited offer, how to spot serious buyers, where sellers lose leverage, and why the wrong deal can cost more than it seems. Key topics: • unsolicited offers • buyer types • LOI strategy • seller leverage • private equity basi...