A Wealth of Learning Opportunities – and Resources – at Your Fingertips
Knowledge is power. Imagine what you could do with 24-hour access to a powerful learning community to help you stay up to date with the latest trends, insights, news, and best practices to share with your valued clients. XPX’s exclusive Knowledge Exchange is the one place where you can exchange knowledge with some of the industry’s most successful professionals with expertise in a wide variety of areas. Here are recent posts from our chapter activities and members:
News & Posts
Our borrowers often ask us, “Is it better to buy an established business or start up a business?” It’s a reasonable question for those looking to exit their current employment or invest in a business for another income stream. While it may make sense in specific industries to start a business, the benefits of purchasing…
Business acquisitions are among the eligible uses for Small Business Administration (SBA) 7(a) loans. In fact, the SBA 7(a) program provides many advantages for acquiring an established business, including its attractive terms, allowing a buyer to finance up to 90% of total project costs. Eligible Project Costs for SBA 7(a) Loans Include The acquisition of…
In their book The Execution Premium, Harvard’s Norton and Kaplan stated that 80% of companies never achieve the full value of their strategy. That is a frightening statistic. In our experience, the greatest reason is that short term needs take precedence over long term strategic choices. So, what can leaders do differently to be among…
Our motto is “Speed is our weapon”. Every day I see this come to life with my clients from day 1 to closing. Here’s how we can help: Pre-qual listings within 24-48 hours upon receipt of your CIM, 3 years taxes and YTD financials Pre-qual buyers with our approving credit manager within 48 hours from…
Uncertainty…Has inflation peaked? Are we in a recession? Will the federal reserve increase rates? Will supply chain challenges be resolved? We have written often about the challenges business leaders face and the impact of uncertainty on strategy management. Two of our most recent articles on the subject were Strategic Thinking in Turbulent Times, May 2022…
Employee stock ownership plans (ESOP) give ownership interest to employees in the form of stock shares. We’re going to break down what this complex deal looks like, including the potential benefits and risks, and why it’s critical to have a strong team in place to successfully guide you through the process and to the finish…
Our small business survey shows that there’s ample opportunity for the next wave of business owners to acquire historically successful and sound businesses. 18% of small business owners said they’ve already taken steps to transition ownership of their business, and 29% said they expect to transition ownership in the next five years. https://info.liveoakbank.com/small-business-survey-results-download
Live Oak specializes in acquisition financing across the nation and in every industry, utilizing the Small Business Administration (SBA) program, in fact, we are the #1 SBA lender in the country by dollar amount for FY 2021*. We also offer combination financing for capital needs above $5 MM for business acquisitions of companies with an…
Make Strategy Happen – Albu Strategy Management (albu-strategymanagement.com) Watching the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews’ Old Course this year was exciting, particularly watching how players were tested on a very challenging golf course. Each player had his strategy going into the tournament, but to win they needed to execute. To win, they needed remained…
Here we go again…supply chain challenges continue to cause shortages driving costs up; tightening labor markets are pushing wages higher; global energy prices are at new highs due to geopolitical disputes; and these external factors threaten to push the economy toward a recession. We are in another challenging business cycle that demands changes to how…
Strategic Thinking in Uncertain Times – Albu Strategy Management (albu-strategymanagement.com) Our businesses are entering new challenging times. Inflation is at a 40-year high, energy prices have almost doubled, material costs are rising, and the federal reserve will be taking steps to slow the hot economy. On the heels of the pandemic, we now face new…
Program produced by XPX Tri-State. The Exit Planning Exchange (“XPX”) Tri-State – covering New York (New York City & Long Island), Connecticut (Fairfield & Hartford), and New Jersey – is holding a regional virtual event from 4-6PM on Wednesday, March 16, 2022 to examine the three main aspects that influence a deal – business environment,…
Mar 21, 2022
Does this sound familiar to you? You’ve held your strategy meeting with your leadership team late last year, identified strategic objectives and initiatives, assigned responsibilities and you were off and running. Everyone was on board, or so it seemed. What’s happening? Why are we not making any progress against these initiatives that are critical to…
Program produced by XPX Fairfield County and XPX Hartford. Our program was a discussion with serial entrepreneur Shea Coakley on building and selling a business. Shea has co-founded and built several companies, which have since been brought to an exit. We invite you to explore his journey and the important lessons learned in exiting a…
Program produced by XPX Fairfield County and XPX Hartford. Owners always want to know what their business is worth, and determining that value depends on a multitude of factors. Join us on Friday, January 21 for a joint meeting between XPX Fairfield and Hartford on what impacts valuation. We will be joined by Nathan Klatt (Managing Director,…
Three Keys to Succession Planning for a Family-Owned Business Written by Live Oak Bank We strongly believe in the power of succession planning for any small business, but it’s especially important if the entity is family-owned. When multiple generations are involved in the business, there is an added layer of emotional stress that can sometimes…
Program produced by XPX Fairfield County and XPX Hartford. Being a CEO or owner can be a lonely role. This is especially true when facing big strategic decisions such as how to take their business to the next level, or when and how to prepare for a future exit. Having access to individuals outside the…
Live Oak Bank is the #1 SBA Lender in the Nation. We provide M&A financing as well as owner occupied commercial real estate loans with attractive terms. Please contact me to discuss specific financing needs. Thanks, Michelle Orr Vice President, Sr. Loan Officer 203-461-5097 sba_general_mergers_acquisition_brochure_orr sba_general_commercial_real_estate_brochure
AlbuonStrategy Newsletter – October 2021 What is Your Organization’s Execution Intelligence? https://albu-strategymanagement.com/2021/10/what-is-your-organizations-execution-intelligence/ There are many different ways to measure one’s intelligence. Emotional intelligence is centered on being smart about feelings. Interpersonal intelligence deals with being smart socially. IQ tests measure smarts as defined by words or math. So, what is “execution intelligence” or XQ? XQ…
A good offense always necessitates a good defense. Core mantra across all sports. So no surprise that in business the same holds true. It has been called many names, The Talent Tsunami, The Great Resignation, the Big Quit, or maybe best, The Great Discontent. Regardless, the war for Talent is very real. And while virtually…
AlbuonStrategy Newsletter – September 2021 Plan to Win in Uncertain Times https://albu-strategymanagement.com/2021/09/plan-to-win-in-uncertain-times/ What does it really take to be successful in today’s fast passed, uncertain and competitive business environment? Two important factors: 1) meticulously managing your day-to-day operations, and 2) strategically planning for the future, both short- and long-term. However, planning often gets shortchanged because…
Live Oak Bank’s Deal of the Week! Recently Closed Business Acquisition: Steel Truss Fabricator $5,000,000 SBA 7(a) Loan + $4,185,000 Pari Passu Loan Call me today; I’m ready to help! 203-461-5097
We can’t wait for you to experience the cleaner, brighter and more user-friendly feel of our new platform! The site is designed to give you and your company greater visibility. Here are three things you should know: Emails from XPX will now come from my.exitplanningexchange.com—please adjust your email settings! Your new profile can have a…
Aug 20, 2021
Country music singer Reba McEntire is quoted as saying, “to succeed in life, you need three things: wishbone, backbone and funny bone.” As in life, in business these three bones can also be guiding principles to developing and executing a successful strategy. A WISHBONE is for a well-defined strategy, providing clear direction to the organization…
We are experiencing a global economic surge due in many ways to the pent-up demand from the pandemic. Most businesses are in “recalibration” mode. The US consumer is driving this economic boom and no matter what business you are in, you need to consider changes to your business model and approach to capitalize on this economic recovery….
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You need a professional to discuss your business ownership exit planning options.



When considering business succession issues, retirement and when a business owner wants to take some chips off the table. When deciding when and how to incentive key employees



Buy or sell-side due diligence is needed. You need a part-time or interim CFO.The CFO needs to improve accounting operationsThe company needs a new accounting system.



Business owners need to prepare their financial, operational and technical systems for a sale and when buyers have identified an acquisition target for diligence.
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A business owner is contemplating a transaction (Financing, Sale or Acquisition), even years in advance of a transaction so we can help the owner maximize shareholder value.