So-called 鈥渂usiness brokers鈥� match buyers and sellers for all kinds of small enterprises, everything from high-end hair salons to septic tank cleaning. For those in the business of selling businesses, 2014 is expected to be a big year across Colorado and the U.S.
When it comes to the recent boom, it鈥檚, well, baby boomers who are mostly behind the uptick.
Take for example Roy Hansen. For almost two decades, aspiring big rig drivers have turned to Hansen鈥檚 Northern Colorado Truck Driving Academy for their training.
Increased construction and clean up from the September 2013 floods have put truck-driving jobs in high demand. Great for Hansen, but with his 69th birthday coming up he鈥檚 starting to focus on retirement and selling his business.
鈥淵ou can only have one broker. It鈥檚 not like a multiple listing where you鈥檙e selling a house. You can鈥檛 do it that way,鈥� said Hansen, who has put his school up for sale. 鈥淪o the broker you choose you better stick with. And you have a year commitment with them.鈥�
The popular online marketplace for 2013 in closed transactions. Many business brokers like Ben Mahrle with Mountain States Business Brokers Group see baby boomers driving this trend.
鈥�2012 was really good, last year was pretty good, this year is starting out even better,鈥� said Mahrle.
A big part of the growth has to do with access to capital. Loans were hard to come by right after the Great Recession. While money may have been available after that, Mahrle says many would-be buyers and sellers couldn鈥檛 close a deal unless the business had three years of profitable books.
鈥淲e now have those bad years behind us,鈥� said Mahrle 鈥淢ost businesses are recovering which is making things a lot better. And we鈥檙e seeing a lot more transactions.鈥�
Ben Mahrle will post Hansen鈥檚 truck driving academy online. It鈥檚 on the unique side, but Mahrle has said he鈥檚 sold other niche businesses from pack-and-ship stores to one Fort Collins laundromat.
"You have more buyers with a lot of cash, you have more baby boomers coming out into the marketplace and financing is getting more aggressive each and every day."
Incidentally, he said he鈥檚 sold that laundromat four times.
According to the , are also in high demand.
鈥淲hat typically happens, these people are not just selling some asset,鈥� said Scott Bushkie, a board member with the International Business Brokers Association and owner of his own brokerage. 鈥淭hese business owners 鈥� especially if they鈥檝e founded the business 鈥� it鈥檚 like giving up one of their kids for adoption.鈥�
Bushkie says he鈥檚 starting to see clients who unsuccessfully put their businesses up for sale around the last recession.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we think 2014 and beyond for the next several years are going to be very good years because a lot of people who shoulda, woulda, coulda sold in 2006, 2007, 2008 are not going to miss this window again,鈥� said Bushkie.
According to a recent survey conducted by IBBA, compared to the previous year. The confidence underscores what Bushkie describes as the 鈥減erfect storm.鈥�
鈥淵ou have more buyers with a lot of cash, you have more baby boomers coming out into the marketplace and financing is getting more aggressive each and every day,鈥� said Bushkie.
One lingering question around the growth trend is whether there will be enough buyers for all of these businesses.
Right now that鈥檚 not a problem for people like Roy Hansen and his truck driving school.
Hansen acknowledges that he鈥檚 in a niche market, but remains hopeful that there will be interest. Even though he鈥檚 looking to retire, Hansen says he鈥檚 prepared to spend however much time it takes to transition a new buyer into this business.
鈥淚鈥檓 going to give them 3-6 months of my expertise,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hoever does buy this will have an idea of what to do and how to do it, and won鈥檛 be in the dark.鈥�
