Blogs
Book Club 41: The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk
In 2011, when Gary Vaynerchuk released his book The Thank You Economy, he was a voice crying in the wilderness of business social media.
The Challenges of Selling a Business Operating Across Multiple Entities
In this article, we will spell out the reasons why a business operating across multiple legal entities should be recharacterized before going to market.
The Apex Guide for First-Time Business Buyers
In this article we’ll briefly sketch some of the themes we touch on when guiding first-time business owners.
Apex Success Stories #8: Selling to Family
Do families often do internal sales? If I want to sell to a family member, how far out should I be planning? What happened to those 15 hours a day that both parents were working?
Case Study #95: Gravity Payments and their $70,000 Minimum Annual Salary
It’s encouraging to see companies like Gravity building a positive universe of work and contribution.
The Apex Guide for First-Time Business Sellers
We recently did a guide for first-time buyers, so we naturally wanted to cover the other side of the transaction: first-time sellers.
ETA: Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition
Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition: That fancy ETA label might get people so excited they miss important caution flags.
Cautionary Tale #15: Time Kills Deals, Speed Wins Deals
If you put together a list of the top ten truisms around the Apex offices, “time kills deals” would be in the top five. In this article we will talk about two ends of the spectrum, one in which the seller didn’t listen to us and one in which the seller did.
Case Study #94: Rebuilding Proven CFO
In November 2023, Dave Gilbert bought Proven CFO (now rebranded as Proven). We will look at what he learned as he took over the business.
3 Hot Business Sectors (and Their Franchises) in 2026
It’s a new year, but some of the sectors that were already growing in 2025 continue to do so, providing growth for existing businesses in those sectors and franchises also looking to get in on the action.
When’s the Best Time to Sell My Business?
When sellers ask us about timing a sale, in one way they are asking the obvious question: how can I optimize my exit? We have a simple answer to that question: you can’t time the market.
Apex Success Stories #7: Assisting an Inexperienced Buyer
On average, businesses take 6-12 months to sell. Today we’re going to discuss a transaction that took three years from initial contact to closing.
Case Study #93: Tad Fellows’ Eight Figure Exit with iLab
In 2006 most people had no idea what SaaS (Software As a Service) was. iLab had to educate their customers in this new way of buying and building software.
Preparing for a Worst-Case Scenario
The steps you need to take to make your business ready for a long illness are similar to those when you want to take a long vacation.
Case Study #92: Cruise or Double Down?
Ephox was way ahead of its time, and two decades later, the rebranded firm, Tiny would be acquired for 10X its original invested capital.
Navigating the Move from Corporate Life to Business Ownership
We get a lot of corporate refugees here at Apex who want to find out whether the grass of business ownership is really greener.
Apex Success Stories #6: Find the Right Buyer
We wanted to share a deal that highlights patience and perseverance from both the seller and the advisor, resulting in a premium sale price.
What Are the Dangers of Add Backs?
An “add-back” is an expense credited to a business’s reported profit to show a more accurate picture of what a buyer could earn.
Case Study #91: Cool Cash for Confiscated Cars
Stan Markuze was one of three co-founders who built a company valuable enough to yield a 7X multiple on revenues.
Protecting Yourself and Your Team from Post-Sale Disappointment
One of the things we always want to speak more about is what happens after a sale. Is there a happy ending? What’s the sequel?