Maximising your business value and my life as a broker

  • by Sam Lewis 

Interview with...

Mike Hindle, principal and ex-managing director of Aldes Business Brokers
Topics covered:
Experiences selling businesses, preparing your business for sale, and life in the brokerage business
CV:
Broker for 30 years, selling thousands of businesses in virtually all sectors. Opened first Aldes franchise in 1995, now 50+, making it largest business brokerage in Southern Hemisphere
Recently sold his shareholding but retailed a franchise. Also presents courses on running businesses for budding entrepreneurs
Expertise:
Business valuations, selling businesses & franchises, mergers & acquisitions, & training of business brokers
Location:

Pretoria
Businesses for sale South Africa

Mike Hindle on businesses for sale in South Africa at his brokerage..

"We've sold everything from funeral parlours to hotels, manufacturing, nurseries... virtually every type of business, we've dealt with.

"A more controversial one was a little adult shop that we sold. We had a lot of enquires on this business, but the stumbling point was the type of industry it was in! It took a while to find a suitable, more liberal buyer to take the business up."

If you're selling a house you paint and do it up a bit and the same applies with a business

On how a business owner can maximise the value of their business before a sale...

"I think this is something a lot of people don't consider. If you're selling a house you paint it, do it up a bit, and the same applies with a business. The first thing you should do is get all your information about the business from a seller's point of view.

"Have a good look at the business itself. Maybe it requires a coat of paint, tidying the business up, throwing out any broken equipment, and things like that. When someone comes in you want them to get a good first impression of the business."

On why Mike is in the brokerage business...

"Because it's interesting and challenging. I've found over the years that every business you go into, you learn something interesting about the industry.

"Structuring the whole transaction, and seeing someone acquire something and make the business grow and then years later helping them sell it, it's rewarding in that sense and every day can be different."