MICHELLE SEILER TUCKER

Michelle is the Founder and CEO of Seiler Tucker Incorporated. Michelle has sold over 500 businesses to date and currently owns and operates several successful businesses. Michelle Seiler Tucker holds the following professional designations and certifications: The Merger & Acquisition Master Intermediary (M&AMI), Certified Senior Business Analyst (CSBA), Best-Selling Author, and Panelist for M&A Source.

Michelle Seiler Tucker is the leading authority on buying, selling, and improving businesses, as well as increasing a business’ revenue streams. Over the past decade Michelle has sold several hundred businesses and franchises. She continues to help buyers from all walks of life buy the American Dream, create financial freedom, be their own boss, and obtain a better quality of life.

What makes Michelle a formidable force in her industry is that she closes nearly 99 percent of all offers she writes and, on average, obtains a 20 to 40 percent higher selling price for her clients! Her remarkable track record proves her dedication and persistence. Michelle makes sure the job gets done the right way and the profitable way. Her numbers are impressive, but it is her ability to create win-win situations for her buyers and sellers that guarantees her continued success. Michelle’s mission is to always deliver more than is expected and to increase the odds of more businesses selling for the seller’s desired sell price. She sees opportunity where many are discouraged or have given up by identifying and correcting the top mistakes business owners make. Michelle will fine tune a business into a “well-oiled machine” with the primary objective to sell it for the ultimate value. Through this process, she empowers her clients to afford the lifestyles they have always dreamed of and most importantly deserve!

In addition, Michelle is the award winning and best-selling author of Sell Your Business for More Than It’s Worth. This book details how to enhance the value of a business in order to obtain its optimal selling price. Michelle has received rave reviews from her esteemed colleagues: Bret Michaels (musician, Celebrity Appetence winner), James M. Lafferty (CEO the Coca Cola Company), Dr. John Gray (New York Times Best Selling Author), Raymond Aaron (New York Times Best Selling Author), and Steven Bradbury (Gold Medal Olympian). In her second bestseller, Think and Grow Rich Today, Michelle details the importance of an entrepreneur’s mindset as it relates to business in order to achieve success.

Michelle is passionate about sharing her considerable knowledge and experience with others through her mentoring, training, and partnering programs. These programs have helped many individuals become successful M&A advisors. Michelle has also spoken alongside other prominent speakers: Eric Trump, Kathy Ireland, Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Stedman Graham and more. She makes regular radio and TV appearances including interviews on Fox Business News, Forbes, CNBC, and is featured in INC and USA Magazines.

Michelle Seiler Tucker is considered by her peers to be the preeminent specialist in buying and selling businesses. Her mission is and will continue to be to serve her clients in such a way as to always deliver more than is expected, and those she has helped will testify to that!

CASE STUDY 4: MANUFACTURING

EVALUATION

• Oil Manufacturing company located in Houston
• Composed of two companies, one thriving the other teetering on failure
• Had a large amount of proprietary (18 patents)
• The thriving company was operating on all 6 P’s.
• Extensive accounts receivables (A/R)
• Appraised value: $8.4 million

BUYERS PAIN POINTS

• Oil Industry was plummeting.
• The second company was upside-down in inventory and accounts payable, and was headed into foreclosure
• The seller’s ex-partner, brother & son were not agreeable to the terms of the letter of intent
• Seller was going through a complicated divorce

SOLUTION & OUTCOME

• Successful marketing efforts lead to over 550 Buyers looking at this business during the oil bust
• Received several letters of intent (LOIs) within weeks of seller engagement
• Was able to get the buyer up to $15 million from an initial bid of $7.5 million + $3,000,000 for seller’s second company for a grand total of $18 million for 80% of the company
• Negotiated a salary plus benefits, plus equity, for the seller

STORY

This oil-manufacturing business in Houston was actually two companies: one offshore, one onshore. The offshore one was quite successful, even during a time when oil prices were plummeting. The onshore business was struggling for a multitude of reasons. The business structure was very complicated. For example, the seller’s ex-partner in the business owned the real estate. Things were made difficult because the ex-partner was not negotiating in good faith.

During the selling process, the owners did not always listen to the advice given by the experts at Seiler Tucker. For example, Seiler Tucker informs all sellers and potential sellers not to tell employees, clients, vendors, etc. that owners are selling their business. Despite this, the seller told their employees, resulting in one key employee demanding more compensation in order to stay. Other potential problems arose.

Nevertheless, many buyers saw the potential in the businesses, and several buyers wanted to bid on it. The deal involved a series of complicated negotiations with the buyers and sellers, uncovering losses, ensuring that payables were paid, and dealing with personnel problems. However, in the end, the business was successfully sold because Michelle Seiler Tucker and her team persevered through it all.

“I have higher standards than anyone else in the industry,” she says. “Most M&A advisors/business brokers don’t show up unless they are needed. In fact, many do not show up at all. I show up for everything. It’s a business broker’s job to create a win-win for both the buyer and the seller.”

CASE STUDY 3: CAR & TRUCK ACCESSORY STORES

EVALUATION

• Car and Truck Accessory Store
• EBITDA: $400k
• Buyer owned real estate but did not want to sell.
• Had $300,000 in inventory
• On paper, business was losing money
• After digging deeper, the Seiler Tucker team found the sellers discretionary earnings to be $400k/year

BUYERS PAIN POINTS

• No bank would provide lending on this business
• Book keeping was poor

SOLUTION & OUTCOME

• Told the seller he would have to agree to seller financing.
• Business was sold within 30 days of engagement for $1.2 million with a 600k down payment
• Seller was able to lease all three of the buildings to the buyer at fair market value (FMV)

STORY

The owner of car-and-truck accessory stores was adamant about selling his business for $1 million, which was unrealistic. Due to the negative cash flows on papers, selling the business for close to the selling price seemed tough. The owner had approximately $300,000 in inventory. He also owned the real estate where his stores were located, but he was not selling the real estate. He had very little in furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E).

In order to maximize his value, Seiler Tucker had to peel back all the layers of his financials to see what his true SDE (seller’s discretionary earnings) really were. At the end of the day, he was not losing money, but profiting close to $400,000 annually and Seiler Tucker could prove it.

Seiler Tucker sold this business for $1.2 million in 30 days. The seller had to agree to hold paper on 50% of the transaction, in order to sell the business. The owner received $600,000 upfront and 7% interest on his money for five years.

On average, Seiler Tucker is able to sell businesses for 20% to 40% (and often 60%) more than owners could ever sell it for on their own.

CASE STUDY 2: BUILD TO SELL

EVALUATION

• Graphics Company located in Texas owned by a husband and wife.
• Not sellable due to lack of employees. The owners had a job, not a business!
• Operating on only 3 out of 6 P’s (No People, No Process, No Proprietary – but they did have Product, Profits and Patrons)
• Selling price would have required husband and wife to get another job after being self-employed for 2.5 years

BUYERS PAIN POINTS

• The owners (husband & wife) were stuck working in the business for 14 hours a day, rather than working on their business
• No people and processes in place for operations (turning down 6,000 clients a year)
• Told the one employee that they did have that they were selling, so he gave his notice of termination
• Sellers initially thought that they did not have the business acumen to grow the company

SOLUTION & OUTCOME

• Michelle Seiler Tucker along with another partner invested their time, money, effort and core competencies to build the business to sell
• Created a step by step blueprint to build to sell for 50 million in 5 years
• Leased a 5000+ square foot building so they would not be working from home
• Hired employees
• Leased new equipment
• Leased new vehicles
• Business has quadrupled in size since the partnership and continues to grow exponentially

STORY

The owners of this Texas graphics company decided to sell because they were frustrated, overwhelmed and felt like they were stuck in their business. As with many small businesses, the owners were trapped working in the business rather than working on the business, preventing substantial growth.

The couple who owned the graphics company worked from home, and usually put in 14 plus hour days. They were frustrated by the amount of work they had coming in, and their inability to get ahead of it. “We’re turning down 6,000 clients a year because we just can’t get to them,” the couple said.

The couple were missing essential parts of the 6 Ps, especially People and Process. They were understaffed, so they had to do everything. The process was non-existent as the couple was busy putting out fires. They were behind on invoicing and collecting receivables.

Michelle Seiler Tucker realized that she had to partner with the couple and create a “Build to Sell” Blueprint before the business could be sold. Since the partnership, the company has quadrupled its business and continues to thrive.

EVALUTATION

• Oil Manufacturing business
• EBITDA: $3 million
• Appraised Value: $9,353,000
• Two partners with differing wishes for outcome and complicated contracts related to existing agreements.

BUYER PAIN POINTS

• MSA was not transferable
• 60% of the revenues were tied up with one client (BP)
• Oil prices were plummeting
• Buyer had health issues

SOLUTION & OUTCOME

• Worked diligently with the buyer’s team
• Received several letters of intent (LOIs) within a few weeks of seller engagement
• Purchase price $14,400,000, for 70% of the business
• Negotiated a salary plus benefits, plus equity, for the seller while he retained 30% of the business
• Had over 700 buyers looking at this business, creating a bidding war
• Transition Service Agreement
• Quick electronic close

STORY

This oil-manufacturing business in South Louisiana had two partners close to retiring who were best friends. Their business was deeply affected by the BP oil spill in 2010. The company has a unique and critical industry niche product.

When Michelle Seiler Tucker and her team put the company on the market, over 700 buyers were interested and a bidding war began for the company. One strategic buyer was particularly interested because he had a similar product and had been trying to get into BP for years. Therefore they were willing to outbid the other buyers.

However, the deal had a lot of problems. During the due diligence, many issues arose regarding the transfer of intellectual property and MSA’s (Master Service Agreements). As with many deals, this deal required a large amount of hand-holding, negotiation, and patience. Nonetheless Michelle and her team were able to complete the transaction in less than a year at a significantly higher selling price than the business was appraised for.

On average, Seiler Tucker is able to sell businesses for 20% to 40% (and often 60%) more than owners could ever sell it for on their own.

ABOVE AND BEYOND
EXPECTATIONS

“At the beginning of the year, I was contemplating selling my Hand Therapy Practice with the anticipation of continuing to work part time in the business as a Hand Therapist versus Business Owner. Initially, my business partner and I attempted to sell the business on our own. After several months, we realized this was a task we were not qualified to handle. Therefore, we met with several other broker companies and interviewed several local and out-of-town brokers. This was a daunting task as we never felt comfortable with any other companies or any other person. In March of 2010, we met with you and immediately knew you were the person we could work with and would sell our practice. We appreciated your honesty, professionalism, knowledge of the industry and desire to help us be successful. We felt you were truly focused on our goals while at the same time trying to find a buyer that would meet their needs as well as ours. In a little less than eight weeks, you sold our business at a rate that was even higher than the listed amount. The process was handled with expertise and ease and covered all the bases such as: valuing the business, completing the listing agreement details, communicating the process, launching to numerous websites, qualifying and finding the right buyer, securing the financial deposits, arranging the attorneys and legal transactions, to finally closing the sale. In addition to your efforts going above and beyond what was expected, your staff was also extremely professional, courteous, and efficient. In closing, I wanted to thank you for all your hard work and effort. I know at times I was difficult to deal with due to my “seller’s remorse” as you would say; however, your encouragement really helped me adjust to the transition. I also appreciate your efforts to continue checking on me and the buyer even though the business has been sold since May 20, 2010. I would recommend Michelle Seiler Tucker and her staff to anyone in the future. My only suggestion to them would be: “Make sure you are ready to sell, because it will happen with Michelle!”

WISDOM IN CLOSING DEALS AND
CREATING WIN-WIN SOLUTIONS

“If you are serious about selling a business or buying one, my personal comments may be of interest to you. In spite of two of my greatest obstacles in selling my business, hurricane Katrina and my health, my business was sold in May of 2006. I received more than I expected, with 93% in cash. Michelle really showed her wisdom in closing deals and creating a win-win scenario! Her tenacity and focus is amazing! Here’s my interpretation on how this business was sold in spite of a difficult situation: Michelle Seiler Tucker is a true professional who controls every detail of the process. She is present at all prospective buyers/owner meetings. She does a great job of evaluating the price of a business, qualifying buyers, and having them sign the confidentiality agreement. You will never meet a non-qualified buyer. Her office staff does a good job administratively, as Michelle is always working with her clients. They do a good job packaging and presenting the business so that it is user friendly for clients. Michelle will do whatever it takes to work for you. She has been to my house four times, and even to my hospital bed! She works when the job demands it without thought to her personal time. You will come first! During the many times I was in the hospital, she kept me positive. She always kept promoting my business with such a positive attitude. I have spent over twenty years as a corporate executive, training leaders to be all they can be. Michelle is the best example of excellence I have seen in action.”

FINANCIAL SECURITY MEANS
FREEDOM TO SPEND TIME WITH FAMILY

“I am writing this letter on the way home from my son’s special-needs school with Carol. The school is 200 miles away from my home. In the past, this trip was difficult to make together, due to the challenges associated with running a business and balancing a family. Usually, only one of us could leave the business and make the lengthy weekend trip to bring our son home every other weekend. This all changed when you sold our business. We want to sincerely thank you for bringing in a buyer. This transaction will positively influence both the buyer and us. It is clear that the buyer benefits with a thriving business and we are enjoying the financial security and freedom to have more time. After all, you should work to live not live to work. In closing, the transition is going very well and you succeeded in finding us someone that blends in well with the business that we worked so hard to create. You and your staff are a blessing to our family.”

ENJOYING A VERY
COMFORTABLE RETIREMENT

I am sending this letter to thank you again for the superb job you and your staff did for me in the recent sale of my business. At the age of 63, I decided to retire after 24 very lucrative years in the publishing industry. During that time, I published a wedding magazine four times a year, in addition to two large bridal shows yearly. You negotiated a very satisfactory price and kept the sale in the forefront of your attention. The result of this effort was a multitude of meetings with prospective buyers in a relatively short period of time and a consequential sale in a very reasonable time frame. Your diligence and attentive efforts have resulted in my retirement proceeding as planned. The efforts of you and your staff have made it possible for me to enjoy a very comfortable retirement. If I had to do it over again, you would be my only choice to handle the promotion, price negotiation, and sale of my business. Thanks again for a fantastic job!

SUCCEEDING
THROUGH ADVERSITY

“Myself and Sam Cashio would like to commend you and your staff for the excellent job that you did on the sale of Mr. Cashio’s business. Even though adversity of location seemed to be ever present, your team persisted. The purchaser even commented that if it were not for your competent presentation, he would not have been interested in pursuing a purchase. Your professionalism was a welcomed change. We sing your praises for a job well done.”

FOCUSED AND
PERSONALIZED SERVICE

“Let me begin by thanking you for successfully selling our Distribution Company. I must admit that when I was approached by your office, I was apprehensive about being listed with a broker. In my experience, brokers seldom offer the focused, personalized service it takes to consummate a deal within the complexities of today’s business environment. After meeting with you the first time, I could see your level of commitment would be different. After months of hard work and dedication on your part, you brought me not one but TWO acceptable offers! Your unbiased advice during the selection process was also commendable. You made sure the client and I felt comfortable moving forward without pressure to sign the deal. The result was total success! In short, you made a very delicate and often invasive process a very tolerable challenge. Your tenacious, organized and professional style is exactly what we needed to sell these product lines at a more than fair profit. I think you have definately found your calling. I would highly recommend anyone who is thinking of buying or selling a business to use Michelle Seiler Tucker above all others. Thanks again for a job well done!”

AN EASY AND
REWARDING EXPERIENCE

“I would like to start off by saying thank you for all of your help and guidance with the sale of my three custom-accessory outlets. I feel that without your support and direction, I could never have received the selling price that you brought to the table. Every step in the sales procedure was overseen by you personally, allowing me to concentrate on running the three businesses, which were still in full operation. From the very first step in the sale process, evaluating what price we should ask for the sale of the three businesses, you carefully and accurately helped make those decisions not only easy, but more importantly, beneficial to me as the seller. You understood all of the intricate details of selling a business and used that knowledge to procure a timely sale of the business, while ensuring the seller received the highest sale price obtainable, with all points being considered. The entire experience from beginning to sale not only happened quicker than anticipated, but it brought more than expected and caused very little intrusion with regard to the ongoing operation of the three businesses. I would strongly suggest to every business owner interested in selling their business to acquire your help in that endeavor. I know that you will make that entire experience not only much easier, but much more rewarding at the closings’ sale table. Your help in this field is invaluable.”

Leah has worked with Seiler Tucker since 2008, as Seiler Tucker’s Creative Director. Leah is a New Orleans native who moved back to the Big Easy after living in Chicago, where she attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Leah works with the Seiler Tucker team in which to oversee projects, ensure quality control and implement new systems & protocols.

Gregory Swistel, is a member of the Seiler Tucker Team and contributes as a transaction coordinator and financial analyst. He specializes in valuations, buy/sell transactions and client relations, drawing on his experience as a US Senate campaign research and data analyst. A graduate of the Lawrenceville School, he holds BAs in both Environmental Studies and Business Management from Tulane University. Greg is dedicated to ensuring that all Seiler Tucker clients enjoy a professional, productive and confidential experience all while achieving the desired outcome.