by Scott Sylvan Bell | Apr 9, 2026 | Uncategorized
The most frequently asked question I get that has nothing to do with exit multiples is about the shirts. Scott, you wear Aloha shirts everywhere — at business meetings, in London, in Tahiti, on stage, in YouTube videos. You have 4,000 videos in Aloha shirts. What are...
by Scott Sylvan Bell | Apr 8, 2026 | Uncategorized
Earn outs are structured as deferred compensation. The reality is they are the most common way mid-market sellers leave money on the table after close — not because the business performed badly, but because the seller no longer controlled the decisions that drove the...
by Scott Sylvan Bell | Apr 8, 2026 | Uncategorized
The LOI is signed. The buyer seemed serious. The process was moving forward. Then something changed — the offer came back lower, the deal structure shifted, or the buyer walked away entirely. A retraded LOI is one of the most frustrating and expensive experiences in a...
by Scott Sylvan Bell | Apr 8, 2026 | Uncategorized
Your EBITDA multiple came in lower than you expected. The business you built, the profit you generated, the years of work — and the number the buyer put in front of you does not reflect what you thought it was worth. This is not random. A lower-than-expected EBITDA...
by Scott Sylvan Bell | Apr 8, 2026 | Uncategorized
When you sell your business you are not just negotiating a price — you are negotiating the structure of the transaction itself. Asset sale versus stock sale is one of the most consequential structural decisions in any business acquisition. Buyers typically prefer...