We value your company (bizval)

John Sweeney is focused on helping business owners achieve a successful business exit. In this episode of the bizval podcast, he joined host The Finance Ghost to not just define what this actually means, but also to unpack some of the key considerations for business owners: Readiness for an exit - personally and otherwise The sweet spot for buyers Strategic vs. financial buyers Private equity buyers and why they shouldn't be a concern in most cases The roll-ups in the UK market and why these deals take place Key take-outs for business owners looking to built towards an exit You can visit The Business Exit Academy's website here and you can connect with John on LinkedIn here.

John Driscoll is a consultant, speaker and growth hacker. He has vast experience in building start-ups and solving problems for clients, currently serving as Founder and CEO of Naked Development, a creative development agency in California. His passions come through clearly in this conversation with The Finance Ghost, including: How his love of golf led to an opportunity with the PGA of America, along with a deep understanding of how to engage with a broader base of people and appreciate how the top of a funnel makes all the difference. Building out value ladders in organisations that have products ranging from free to premium. The importance of not trying to appeal to everyone and thus being invisible, but rather building a brand that is appealing to enough people to be successful and loved. Creating culture in an organisation and how important this is. Recognising when you are selling a service that people really want vs. something that is a grudge purchase. The funding ecosystem in California and how failure is treated vs. elsewhere in the world. A strong belief that a global start-up can be built from just about anywhere, with John welcoming approaches and ideas from global founders. John’s insights are invaluable for global founders looking to build more valuable companies. To engage with him, find him on LinkedIn here.

From freelancer to freedompreneur: Lien de Pau strongly believes that you’ll live the life you build. Why can’t your passion project also be a successful, valuable business that allows you to have the money you want and balance in your life? Her claim to fame is that she wakes up every morning without an alarm clock, despite being a successful serial entrepreneur. It’s easy to talk yourself into the trap of “things will never get better” and “my life will always be this unbalanced” – but it doesn’t have to be that way. You can build a valuable business that is independent from you as the owner, allowing you to experience all that life as to offer. You can read Lien’s work on Forbes at this link and you can engage with her blog and courses on her website, The Big Exit.

Search funds are well-understood in regions like the US and Europe, yet the concept is almost unheard of in South Africa. Sibusiso Mbonambi plans to change that, with a strong belief that search funds offer great exit opportunities for founders who have struggled to achieve the succession planning that is usually a prerequisite for a successful exit. In this episode, he explains the concept of a "BOB" (Boring Old Business) and why it is a perfect candidate for acquisition by a search fund. You can learn more about Cosworth Capital at this link and you can connect directly with Sibusiso on LinkedIn here.

Renier Lombard believes that just one relationship can change your life. This has certainly been his experience in building a business. Through the work he does in FLANCE Creative Directors, Renier helps founders, executives and people of influence in unlocking the same experience through their online engagements, specifically on LinkedIn. With absolutely no effort made at sugar coating the journey, Renier explains how FLANCE has been built and why he always knew that he would be an entrepreneur. To connect with Renier on LinkedIn, find him here. Learn more about FLANCE by visiting the website here.

Ted Leverette calls himself The Business Buyer Advocate. He has spent more than 30 years helping people find and buy the right businesses in the right ways. Having advised clients across the world, Ted has deep insights into the similarities and differences across various jurisdictions. With hard-hitting views on the realities of buying and selling private companies (“If you don’t have an exit plan, you’ll sell on the buyer’s terms”), Ted is well worth the investment of your time in listening to this podcast hosted by bizval co-founder The Finance Ghost. Topics discussed include: What makes businesses difficult to sell and what are some of the biggest mistakes made by founders is trying to build a sellable operation? The importance of preparation of a business for sale – including preparation of the owners themselves! The distinction of self-employment vs. having a sellable business. Strategic vs. financial buyers and the core differences, not least of all in terms of offer price, handover periods and more. The types of businesses that Ted is familiar with and how bankable they are. Advice to sellers to help make them more attractive to buyers. Controlling vs. minority stakes and why Ted's clients generally want to own 100% of what they buy - with rare exceptions. Why buyers should invest in sectors they are familiar with and how this improves credibility in the market and reduces risk. The myth of being a silent partner and how dangerous that type of thinking is for buyers. The podcast ends with a strong checklist for buyers on what they absolutely have to be thinking about when embarking on this journey. To connect with Ted, you can find him here on LinkedIn. You can also read his how-to books for buyers on Amazon.

Chay Stockdale started as a trainee at Iridium Business Solutions and worked his way up to being a shareholder and director in the company. Today, he is Head of Advisory and plays a key role in the engine room of the business. In this podcast, bizval co-founder The Finance Ghost spoke with Chay about topics like: The importance of the operational side of any business and how it filters into other areas. The ways in which founders become unstuck when moving into new territories. The meaning of the word “scale” in the Iridium context. Areas of activity in South Africa, like renewable energy and business process outsourcing. The need for automation in businesses. You can connect with Chay on LinkedIn here.

Jeff Erickson may currently be with Forecastr, but he has done many things leading up to this point. After a few minutes of talking about the overlap of sport and business (Jeff’s two great passions), host The Finance Ghost and Jeff discussed how a hobby business became a substantial consumer-facing operation that was eventually sold to a private equity firm. As is sadly so often the case, the acquirer subsequently drove the company into the ground. Nevertheless, Jeff moved on to work and invest in startups. With so much experience behind him, there’s much to learn from Jeff and the path he has travelled in his life. For those looking to sell or buy businesses, or just get insight into the world of venture capital and startups, this is a great podcast. You can connect with Jeff on LinkedIn here.

Life after exit. This is what you’re working towards, isn’t it? The ability to not work around the clock and stress in ways that only other founders will ever understand. To talk about this exciting potential phase of your life, Attila Kadikoy joined The Finance Ghost on this podcast. Attila was born in Turkey and grew up in the UK before settling in Cape Town just over a decade ago. He co-founded Levantine & Co. to manage portfolios for high net-worth individuals, focusing on an offshore strategy. Important concepts covered in this podcast include: The risk of tunnel vision and how entrepreneurs need to lift their heads from being hyper-focused on one particular asset to being exposed to a diversified portfolio. The mindset shift from growing a business to achieving a risk-adjusted rate of return that is acceptable in global markets. Thoughts around investing a portion of the exit money in another opportunity and how correctly identifying the reasons for your desired exit can help with that decision. Whether everything in the long term becomes a toaster (no, really!) and what this means for longevity of wealth. The importance of saving and investing from the time when a business is successful, not just when it is sold. How a portfolio evolves over time and some key considerations around equity, fixed income and ongoing dividends from businesses that form the underpin of family wealth. To connect with Attila, find him on LinkedIn here or visit the Levantine & Co website.

John Barnes was locked out of his office and his earphones refused to work. Luckily, we didn’t let this get in the way of a great podcast! Thanks to his work with founders in the United States in terms of exit planning and other services as part of his business Pendleton Street Advisors, John has plenty of knowledge to share. In this bizval podcast hosted by The Finance Ghost, topics covered included: The various stages of businesses and how Pendleton thinks about business needs at different points in that journey. How long it takes to create a valuable business – with limited exceptions. Capital raising environments across different markets (and even regions within the United States) and how this differs based on stage of business and risk tolerance. Required rate of return and why it is so important that more founders and investors understand this concept. The importance of looking at your company in the same way that an investor would, recognising the essential metrics and the right way to explain them.   To connect with John, you can visit the Pendleton website here or connect with him on LinkedIn here.

Eitan Stern of Legalese joined bizval podcast host The Finance Ghost to talk about how the firm works with entrepreneurs and founders. Disruption is a topic close to the heart of any founder and that culture is core to how Legalese operates. In this podcast, some of the talking points included: What is a “creative” these days and how has the general understanding of this term evolved? Why is business strategy all about understanding your personal Venn diagram of skills? The benefits of starting a business under tricky circumstances, either personally or economically (or both!) Eitan’s excellent take on businesses that raise capital vs. businesses that are profitable. The considerations in protecting intellectual property and how this works across different countries and categories. This is a punchy podcast that is a worthwhile listen for any founder. You can connect with Eitan on LinkedIN here.  

Great advertising is about making the strange, familiar, or the familiar, strange! In Mike Abel’s world, it’s all about the customer and recognising that every interaction that a customer has with a business is part of building the brand. Mike works with some of the biggest brands in South Africa. On top of this, he has experience in leaving the safety net of corporate to start something new. This gives Mike a unique viewpoint on the world that resonates with founders. In this podcast with The Finance Ghost, some of the topics covered included: How did Mike enter the advertising industry and how did the deal with M&C Saatchi come about? Mike has been on the receiving end of the same hard lesson that many others have learnt when leaving corporate, but he was well prepared for it. What was that lesson? Clue: it relates to having sufficient runway for a startup. How do large clients think about their advertising budgets? How do B2B and B2C strategies differ, particularly in terms of the sales cycle? What is the danger of clients regularly changing their advertising agency? Why is it so important to obsess about the customer, not the brand? What is the value of sports-related marketing and is it always a winner, or is there a more scientific approach to figuring out how to reach the right audience? Which campaign or project is Mike proudest of? What are his views on the Twitter / X rebranding? Mike ends off with a frank discussion about what it takes to get the desired result with campaigns. He’s passionate about what he does and it comes through in everything discussed on this podcast. You can connect with Mike on LinkedIn here.

Eli Michal started his career as a Flow Cytometry Engineer, so a passion for analytics has been part of his career from the very beginning. After working in corporate roles in banking and insurance, he left to form Payabill in 2017. In Eli’s view, banks aren’t great at lending to small businesses. The process is clumsy and takes far too long, particularly as small business owners generally need access to working capital on short notice. This pushes entrepreneurs into taking unsecured loans, which isn’t an efficient way to service this market. Any entrepreneur knows how tough it is to manage working capital and access funding. In this podcast, Eli speaks to his passion for entrepreneurs and how Payabill services this market. You can connect with Eli on LinkedIn here.

Some of the best projects happen almost by accident. And if you’re really lucky, you’ll enjoy what you do at least every second day. The restaurant industry will keep you humble. In case you don’t believe us, just listen to Neil Swart talk about the journey of building two excellent fine dining restaurants in Cape Town. To turn this into a full-circle discussion, Serge Raemaekers also joined Neil and The Finance Ghost on this podcast that was recorded at the Galjoen restaurant with the sounds of dinner preparation in the background. Serge is the founder of ABALOBI, a platform that seeks to create a sustainable way for the public to enjoy interesting seafood. This is an insightful podcast for anyone interested in the restaurant and fishing industries, as well as social enterprise. Galjoen, Belly of the Beast and the restaurant industry: What is it really like to own a fine dining restaurant and is it anything like the movies / TV series? Do restaurants work better with partners? How important is it to do something you genuinely love doing? The back-story to Galjoen and how the name is intertwined with everything that the restaurant is about. How does a fine dining restaurant differ from a “normal” restaurant? Why is the restaurant industry so difficult for commercial success? The challenges of operating a business that is constantly getting judged by the public and one review away from a potential crisis. ABALOBI The delicate balance in the oceans and what sustainable fishing really means, with ABALOBI’s role as a platform business that brings authenticity to the market. The thinking behind a non-profit structure like the one used at ABALOBI and how it has attracted attention from many international participants in the sustainable fishing industry. The danger of “go green or go home” and the damage this unrealistic approach does to the broader ecosystem and the people who need to make a small-scale living from it. You can learn more about how ABALOBI elevates small-scale fisheries through data and technology by visiting the website here. If you are in Cape Town or planning a trip and you fancy a trip to one of Neil’s restaurants, find out more about Galjoen here or Belly of the Beast here.

For the past two decades, Cliff Spolander has been building businesses in the UK and working with other founders on a journey of scaling their businesses. It's tough to grow beyond £1 million in his experience, but it can be done with the right people, processes and procedures. In this podcast hosted by The Finance Ghost, Cliff shares his views on what scale really means, the importance of business by design, techniques to free up time and the importance of being ready for an exit at any time given the unpredictability of life. Cliff can be found on LinkedIn here.

Johnny Kipps is a beekeeper. He also happens to live on the Isle of Man, having relocated from Cape Town in the 1990s. To add to the international intrigue, he is now the CEO of Forecast 5’s UK business, managing software that was born in New Zealand. We can now pack the atlas away and focus on what this means for accountants. Although Excel is the language of business, it opens everyone up to errors. This is a passion point for Johnny. With integrations into major accounting packages, Forecast 5 offers feature-laden forecasting and budgeting software. To find out more about why this is important and what Forecast 5 tries to solve, listen to this podcast with Johnny Kipps. You can connect with him on LinkedIn here.

In this episode of the bizval podcast, we bring more international insights to our community of entrepreneurs. Hugh Stafford-Smith has been in the sales game for longer than podcast host The Finance Ghost has been alive, so there’s no shortage of experience on this show! Having spent a lot of time in Africa, Hugh is also very familiar with emerging markets and their intricacies. His career has led him to his current work in Vuka Innovation, where the Vuka Works business design tool helps entrepreneurs put together thinking frameworks in their businesses that design, assess, validate and activate business ideas. To understand the thinking behind this process and concepts like start-ups vs. stay-ups, listen to this episode of the bizval podcast. You can connect with Hugh on LinkedIn here.

“When you’re 90, you might want to sell it.” When that's how you think about your businesses, you know you’re having fun. This has always been the key for Huenu Solsona in her business interests. After figuring out early in life that she wanted to start her own businesses, there was no going back to a traditional job after tasting this lifestyle and excitement. With various well-known South African businesses under her belt including the Galileo Open Air Cinema and Adventure Bootcamp, Huenu attributes much of her success to extensive travel and the related benefits in identifying business opportunities. Importantly, she is a particularly rare breed of entrepreneur in that she has successfully sold businesses before. In fact, one of her businesses is for sale right now! Topics discussed with host The Finance Ghost included: How to figure out whether it is time to sell a business and the approach taken to this process; The absolute importance of building businesses that are fun; Whether entrepreneurs tend to make better personal financial decisions; The use of business plans in practice – or not, as the case may be; Whether business is being taught by the right people in the education system; The importance of differentiation; and Heunu’s latest fascinating projects. Serial entrepreneurs are a rare breed. With seemingly endless energy, Huenu’s passion for business is contagious. Listen to this show and find out for yourself.

Johan Taljaard is a director at Aurik Business Accelerator. With well over a decade of experience in mergers and acquisitions in the SME space, Johan now spends his time helping entrepreneurs design and engineer their businesses for growth and potentially an eventual sale. In his experience, roughly 4 out of 5 businesses cannot be sold. This is a tragedy in a country where employment is such a problem, as many of these businesses close down when the entrepreneur decides to move on. If things were different, these businesses could become legacy businesses that provide sustainable employment opportunities. It is an economic imperative that more entrepreneurs build businesses that can be sold, even if the eventual plan is to put professional management in place and collect the dividends. In this episode of the bizval podcast, Johan spoke to The Finance Ghost about his passion in this space and the important lessons for entrepreneurs. Aurik has helped over 3,000 companies achieve average annual increases in revenue of 28.9% and profit of 32.4%. Visit the Aurik website at this link for more information.

Mike Finger was 10 years into building a business that had 50 employees. He then discovered that the business was “unsellable” – an awful realisation for any founder, especially at that size. There wasn’t enough cash flow. It was too dependent on the owner. In Mike’s words, he was building a list of what not to do when trying to build a business that could be sold. Five years later, he had done enough to successfully sell the business. Mike has been on a journey of incredible relevance to every founder and entrepreneur. Today, Mike owns an advisory business called Exit Oasis where he works with small business owners in the US. With approximately 80% of businesses listed in the US failing to sell, helping entrepreneurs sell their businesses and create legacy wealth is an economic imperative. On this bizval podcast, Mike joins The Finance Ghost to talk about the journey of building a business that can actually be sold. This is a must-listen for every single entrepreneur. Mike is active on LinkedIn and loves connecting with entrepreneurs and founders. You'll find him here.