Joan Young, Broker, CBI®, CBB®
I truly can not believe that we closed on the sale of my production company today - only three months after listing the business!! I had listed my business with a smaller broker for over a year and a half with no offers, and you were able to bring two to the table within weeks of listing. Simply amazing!! Your huge network of buyers really paid off. Not only were both offers well qualified, but they were great fits for the business. Perhaps my greatest compliment to you and your team was your tremendous support you provided during the process. Since I live out of state, my ability to respond to questions was limited, and you were able to work around my difficulties and get to a close with incredible efficiency. I was somewhat hesitant to work with a broker representing both parties, but you did a fantastic job supporting the best interests of both sides. This has truly been one of the smoothest business transactions I have ever been a part of, and I attribute its success to your business knowledge and experience as well as your thorough communications and personal dedication to everyone involved. On a closing note, you have done a great job grooming your support staff in your shadow. Their knowledge, attention to detail, communication skills and overall friendliness made the process painless. I have already told three other possible business sellers about you in the past few weeks, and I am sure there will be more referrals coming your way. If you ever want to have a prospect give me a call to discuss my experience with Sunbelt, I would be happy to do so.
Carolyn R. Alexander
President, Infinity Video Productions
We interviewed three brokers before we made a final decision of whom to use. We were very glad that we choose Joan Young, Broker, CBI®, CBB®, of Sunbelt. She presented herself professionally and had a very clear and thorough presentation on the steps to take my business to market. Since we hadn’t sold a business before, she didn’t assume we knew anything and didn’t leave anything to chance.
Since Sunbelt had so many buyers in their database, we had a buyer and offer within two weeks of listing the business. That buyer ended up not getting to the closing table, but we did get two other offers presented, and we chose the best buyer and offer. We closed the sale in less than four months from when we signed up. We appreciate all the hard work Joan did and have referred her to others since our closing.
Joe and Terry Sweeney
Dream Dinners of Los Gatos
I started this business from scratch and am pretty proud of what I have done. Joan had been sending me letters and cards for over a year. The time finally was right to sell, and I knew whom to call. I liked the fact that Sunbelt is the largest Business Brokerage firm, and their web page was impressive, and I knew after I met Joan that we would work well together. She made the process as painless as it can be.
Joan assured me she could sell this business in a short period of time, and she did. Joan brought me two good offers, and I chose the guy that I knew would get the job done. Joan wasn’t kidding… we closed within three months from signing up with Sunbelt. I was able to get what I wanted for the business, and the buyer is doing very well growing the company beyond what I could ever do myself.
Thanks for your help. It is greatly appreciated.
John Carreras
Impact Displays
Sunbelt, Greater Bay Area preserved my confidentiality, managed the transaction professionally, and got my business sold in five months.
When I decided to sell my business, I was concerned that my key employees and customers would hear that it was for sale. I was impressed with Sunbelt’s system for protecting confidentiality of the sale. I also appreciated the accessibility and detailed work Joan Young, Broker, CBI®, CBB®, did for us.
Joe Rechenmacher
Allied Lock & Key
You guys at Sunbelt do the best offering package of any brokerage group that I have seen. It’s complete, well-written, and it gives buyers the full picture of my business. I think it helped to get the price we wanted and to close in such a short period of time.
Joan found the perfect buyer for my company. I couldn’t have asked for a better match.
Gary Root
BLR Sign Systems
Joan Young, Broker, CBI®, CBB®, not only sold my business but was also a joy to work with. The systems, teamwork, and track record are what made me choose Sunbelt. The buyer she found to purchase the company couldn’t have been a better fit and is doing very well.
Joan, keep in touch.
God bless,
Jerrill Rice
Mimi Home Solutions
I wanted to thank not only Joan for helping me find the best business but also her assistant Patrick. They work as a team, and when Joan’s tied up, Patrick always had answers for me. It’s like having two people working to help you find a business. We appreciate it! Thanks for not letting us get into the food business in Santa Cruz.
Russ and Pat Lee
Awards to the Wise
Selling the business I had founded and run for over 20 years was an experience I approached with mixed emotions, and I’d like to thank you, Elyse, for your skillful handling of that transaction. After trying to sell the business myself before listing it with you, I understand the expertise you bring to the business selling process.
You packaged the business to reflect the maximum value to a buyer, and the buyers you brought were well-qualified. Your approach made it easy for me to continue running my business while you took care of the sale. Your negotiating skills, attention to detail, and comprehensive documentation guided me through what could have been a harrowing experience!
The result was that I received three offers, sold for full price, and closed the deal in less than three months. I recommend you to any business owner who is looking for a smooth transaction.
Adrienne Kerwin
Adrienne’s of Los Gatos
Selling our business closes a twenty-year long chapter in our lives. We knew we needed to work with someone we could trust with a task of this importance, and Elyse, you came through with flying colors.
You structured a deal that met all of our goals for the transaction. We had never sold a business before, nor had the buyer ever purchased a business before…so we were both in need of education and guidance. The sale process was very clear from our first meeting. We felt that you understood our business thoroughly and were able to communicate the business’ true value to potential buyers.
You brought us the right buyer for our reputable and established company, and we sold for over our asking price!
Dan and Jan Rodrigues
Evergreen Nursery and Landscaping
Elyse, this is to let you know that we could not be happier in the professional manner in which you conducted all aspects of the sale of this business.
Every task was enthusiastically and happily pursued and accomplished by you down to the minutest detail. You were able to maintain the confidentiality that was so important to the seller from the beginning to the very end. Your help coordinating through the mountain of SBA loan requirements for the buyer was unbelievably thorough and efficient. You were able to keep us constantly updated and were always available when we need something from you. And it was all done with an attitude of fun, joy and humor.
Not only did we achieve our goals, goals of a lifetime, but we also got the bonus of your friendship. We are so very pleased with not only the outcome, but the process leading to it. Thank you, Elyse, for making it such an enjoyable experience.
Michael Ewers, Seller
Stephen Barnes, Buyer
Lakeside Paving
Jim Carr performed beyond all my expectations. I had talked with four or five business brokers before I met Jim. During our early conversation, none of those other brokers helped me understand the process of selling my business as well as Jim did and none them understood the basics of my business or what would drive it market value as well as he did. In just a few weeks after we started the process, he knew almost as much about my business as I did, and there were some aspects of the business he understood even better than me. By understanding my business, he was able to sell it based on its true value and he got me a price that was higher than I expected. He prepared me for every step and for every bump in the road before they happened. He managed the whole process with the highest degree of professionalism imaginable. I recommend Jim without reservation. And I thank him for all that he accomplished for me.
Greg Rajala
Advanced Manufacturing
I give Jim Carr the strongest possible recommendation to anyone looking to sell a business. He was a complete professional, he not only earned my trust, he also earned the trust of the buyer of my business. Several years before I met Jim, I had worked with an expensive, well known M&A firm, and I can tell you that after paying them tens of thousands of dollars and spending countless hours with them the results were very disappointing. With Jim, there were no upfront fees and he quickly learned my manufacturing business inside and out. Without all the prep work he did, I don’t think the business could have ever been sold. While he was definitely working for me, he also gave me honest, useful and necessary feedback, though sometimes it was difficult for me to hear it. Jim is an exceptional individual and deal maker.
John Hench
Hench Control
I wanted to provide some positive feedback on my experiences teaming up with Sunbelt and Amy Cole on the sale of my business recently. I have bought and sold a couple business in the past, and by far working with Amy was the best experience I've had with a business broker. This was not an easy transaction due to a number of hurdles posed by the buyer, the bank and the SBA, but Amy was on top of her game at the critical moments. She always came through in her ability to negotiate a compromise and find solutions to tough problems. Her confidence and attention to detail were instrumental in making this deal a reality. I would (and already have) absolutely recommend her to anyone interested in buying or selling a business.
Thanks again,
Chris Dana
Dream Dinners
Amy brokered the sale of my business, and I could not be happier with the level of service and support I received from her.
Amy put in an incredible amount of time and work in preparing the business for sale, marketing the business, negotiating with prospects and the eventual buyer, managing the actual sale process and facilitating closing. Throughout the process, she developed creative solutions to get around various problems. Amy was great at keeping me updated, even when there was no "new news" to report. She worked tirelessly to keep the deal on track even through multiple occasions where it seemed things would fall apart. She made herself available to me well beyond the normal call of duty. She returned calls quickly and followed-through on action items diligently. Amy remained positive - and kept me optimistic - throughout a long and often difficult and discouraging sales process. At the same time, she was honest, often telling me what I needed to hear and not just what I wanted to hear.
But what may have impressed me the most about Amy was her assistance after the sale was completed. She is not the type of broker who will leave her client once she earns her commission. Conversely, she helped me and the buyer work through a contentious "post-sale" issue as well as provided follow-up on a number of more detailed action items.
Michael Greenberg
Sylvan Learning Center, Fremont