General

  1. Who owns and operates Angel Business Advisors?
  2. What is the goal / vision of Angel Business Advisors?
  3. What resources do you currently provide? What resources do you plan to provide in the future?
  4. What services do you provide?
  5. Is the information and documents we provide kept confidential?

Business Plan

  1. What is a Business Plan? Why is it required?
  2. I think I can do this myself. Why should I pay someone to do this for me?
  3. How long do you need to prepare the business plan?
  4. How much do you charge?
  5. What is included in the service?
  6. What documents do I need to provide?
  7. How do you prepare the business plan?

Financial Analysis

  1. What is due diligence?
  2. Why should I spend time and effort in conducting due diligence before buying a business?
  3. I think I can do this myself. Why should I pay someone to do this for me?
  4. How can I use the analysis provided in the report?
  5. How long does the analysis take?
  6. What is included in the service?
  7. What documents do I need to provide for analysis?
  8. How are you different from a CPA? What can you do that a CPA cannot?



General

  1. Who owns and operates Angel Business Advisors?

    2. Angel Business Advisors was founded by Sadhna - "Sally" - Vaishnav in 2009. Sadhna has more than 5 years of hands-on experience owning and operating multi-unit franchise. In the 5 years of experience she has gone through the entire life cycle of small business operation including buying an existing franchise, opening a new franchise business, operating multiple units and selling them. Sadhna is supported by her husband, Haresh, who has more than 15 years of experience working for and advising number of Fortune 500 companies in the areas of business strategy and financial planning. He also has an MBA degree with focus on business strategy and marketing from University of Michigan. Top

  2. What is the goal / vision of Angel Business Advisors?

    3. Our goal is to help small business and franchise owners and hopefuls succeed. We aim to achieve this by providing information, insights, guidance and tools acquired from our own experience as past business owners that you can utilize to make right decisions and improve financial and operational performance of your business. We want to develop a comprehensive web site with resources for the Buyers, Owners and Sellers of small businesses. Top

  3. What resources do you currently provide? What resources do you plan to provide in the future?

    4. We are currently providing number of resources on the web site, including:
    • Our Blog is updated on a daily basis with articles that are informative, thought-provoking and insightful. We cover broad range of topics in the blog such as – financing, marketing, customer service, purchasing, etc.
    • Additional links to other web sites that provide information pertaining to small business and franchises
    • News section provides interesting news stories that you can use in your business

    In addition, we are working on number of additional resources that will be introduced at a later date. Amongst them are tools and templates, assessment questionnaire, discussion forum, etc. If you have suggestions on the topics you would like to see please let us know. Top

  4. What services do you provide?

    5. We currently offer two services for the potential buyers of business:
    • Through our Business Plan service we prepare the business plan for potential buyer of businesses. We can tailor the business plan in terms of size, content based on your needs and the audience.
    • Our Financial Analysis service reviews the financials of the potential business you might be interested in buying using proprietary financial model and prepares a comprehensive report. The report can be used in number of ways including identifying red flags, price negotiations, future improvement plans, etc.

    We also plan to introduce additional services in the future in the areas of marketing and operational improvements. If you have suggestions on the topics you would like to see please let us know. Top

  5. Is the information and documents we provide kept confidential?

    6. It is our policy and pledge to you that we will not share or distribute the information and documents you provide to us. We will never provide your information to anyone else for marketing or any other purpose. You can be rest assured that your documents will be safe and secured with us.Top

Business Plan

  1. What is a Business Plan? Why is it required?

    2. You can think of a Business Plan as roadmap that documents how you plan to achieve your vision. The business plan documents the details in terms of business model, market analysis, financial plan, marketing plan, etc. The document provides enough details that enable the reader to get a better understanding of what you want to achieve and how you will go about it. Typically, a business plan is required for several purposes:
    • The business plan is required when applying for external funding; either in the form of loan or investment; from various sources such as banks, angel investors or venture capital.
    • A business plan can also be used to validate the business model and financial projections with yourself as well as with outsiders by taking a critical view at the assumptions and projections. Top


  2. I think I can do this myself. Why should I pay someone to do this for me?

    3. We fully understand and appreciate that most of the people buying a business are very smart and have already done lot of homework before deciding to go for it. However, it certainly helps to spend few additional dollars to get an outside second opinion. This is like getting a second opinion from a different doctor before deciding to have a heart surgery. An outside advisor brings a different perspective and can uncover certain item you may have overlook yourself. In addition, the advisor provides neutral opinion that is not encumbered by personal bias and emotions of the buyer. Top

  3. How long do you take to prepare the business plan?

    4. Typically, we need 2-4 weeks to complete the analysis and provide you with business plan report that is customized for your business. Actual time required depends on how much detail you want in the business plan and how much research we need to do to prepare it. In some cases, we may be able to do it faster depending on the situation. Top

  4. How much do you charge?

    5. We have two different categories of business plan to satisfy the varying needs of the clients. The basic plan starts at $299 and includes condensed version of business plan that is required when applying for the bank loan. Typically, this business plan is suitable for franchise businesses with the revenue of up to $300,000. The Advanced version of the business plan starts at $599 and includes the in-depth research of the market along with detailed business plan covering the sections mentioned below. This business plan is typically required when applying for funding from angel investor or venture capital investors. This business plan is suitable for start-ups with sales upwards of $300,000.

    The exact cost of the business plan can be provided after consulting with you regarding the business and your needs. However, in most cases we can write the Basic plans for $299 and Advanced plans for $599. Top

  5. What is included in the service?

    6. We will provide you a report that is prepared specifically for your business. The report will have the following details presented in easy to understand language and clear charts and graphs. Click here to see sample report.
    • Executive Summary – Describes vision, goals, business model and key success factors for the business. This section by itself provides enough details to the reader to get a full understanding what your business is.
    • Business Overview – Current state of the business, management team, ownership structure
    • Business Model – Product/services offered, value proposition, revenue model
    • Market Analysis – Market overview, competitive situation
    • Marketing Plan – Target market, SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats), competitive advantage, advertising/PR
    • Financial Plan – Financial projections, breakeven analysis, scenario analysis, use of funds
    • Appendix – Additional details Top


  6. What documents do I need to provide?

    7. We really don’t need any particular documents other than the basic information about your business, current state and future plans. We will do all the legwork of collecting relevant market data and performing analysis to come up with solid business plan. However, if you have already performed research that could contribute towards improving the business plan we will be happy to work with it. Top

  7. How do you prepare the business plan?

    8. We will work collaboratively with you to ensure that we utilize the knowledge you have already garnered in addition to providing our expertise and insight. Before we begin working on the business plan we will conduct an interview to gather basic business information and to understand your expectations and requirements. We will provide you with the draft version before making further revisions to produce the final deliverable that is par excellence and convincing to the potential investor. We pay careful attention to not only the content of the business plan; but also to how it is presented. Top

Financial Analysis

  1. What is due diligence?

    2. Due diligence is the process of evaluating the business by looking at the financial and other information prior to signing the closing documents. The due diligence is performed to ensure that the actual financials match with what the seller mentioned in the earlier discussions. Typically, this is performed by looking at the past 3-4 years of P&L statements, balanced sheets and tax documents from different angles. This is the most important step in the buying process to ensure that you are buying a “lemon”. Top

  2. Why should I spend time and effort in conducting due diligence before buying a business?

    3. Buying a business is one of the most important decisions you will make in your life. Before risking hundreds of thousands of dollars it behooves you to make sure the money you spend is worth it and it will not get you in trouble in the future. We have come across many situations where just spending few hundred dollars upfront would have saved many times over in the future; not to mention the agony and misery of having to deal with the business for a long time. Top

  3. I think I can do this myself. Why should I pay someone to do this for me?

    4. We fully understand and appreciate that most of the people buying a business are very smart and have already done lot of homework before deciding to go for it. However, it certainly helps to spend few additional dollars to get an outside second opinion. This is like getting a second opinion from a different doctor before deciding to have a heart surgery. An outside advisor brings a different perspective and can uncover certain item you may have overlook yourself. In addition, the advisor also provides neutral opinion that is not encumbered by personal bias and emotions of the buyer. Top

  4. How can I use the analysis provided in the report?

    5. There are a number of ways you can use the analysis we provide in the report. Here are some examples; but we are sure you will be able to find unique uses depending on your particular situation:
    • Get additional insight into the positives and negatives to make more informed buying decision.
    • Identify what is working well and what areas need improvement; so that you can make improvement plans upon closing the transaction. Also, understand how making certain improvements will impact your sales and profit in the future.
    • The RED FLAGS will highlight risks that are not quite evident in the financial statements; but can jeopardize the business in the future.
    • Use the insight to make better arguments during negotiation to get better deal on the price.
    • Get better handle on how various sales and expense items vary by month throughout the year – i.e. which months have better or worse sales than others. Top


  5. How long does the analysis take?

    6. Typically, we need one week to complete the analysis and provide you with customized report. In some cases, we may be able to do it faster depending on the situation. Top

  6. What is included in the service?

    7. We will provide you a customized report that is prepared based on the financial data using our proprietary financial model combined with our experience. The report will have the following details presented in easy to understand language and clear charts and graphs. Click here to see sample report.
    • Business Summary – Overall summary of the business
    • Trend Analysis – What are the positive and negative trends from financial perspective
    • Red Flags – What are the “Gotchas” and red flags that can jeopardize the business in the future
    • Improvement Opportunities – What opportunities exist to improve sales, expenses and profit
    • Follow–up Questions – What additional questions you should ask the seller to get better understanding of the business to make more informed buying decision
    • Fair Market Price Analysis – What is the fair market price of this business based on the financials and market conditions
    • Charts – Numerous charts and graphs that show the financials in an easy to understand pictorial format. Top


  7. What documents do I need to provide?

    8. We need the following documents to perform the analysis:
    • Profit and loss statements for last 3 years
    • Balance Sheet statements for last 3 years
    • Cash flow statements for last 3 years
    • Tax documents for last 3 years
    • Monthly sales and expense breakdown for last 3 years
    • Current lease document
    • Employee records including schedule, pay rates, etc.

    We understand that in many situations it may not be possible to obtain all the above mentioned documents from the buyer. In that case we will do our best to provide you with the insights from available information. However, more information you can provide; the better analysis we will be able to perform and more insight you will gain on the business. Top

  8. How are you different from a CPA? What can you do that a CPA cannot?

    9. A CPA can play an important role in analyzing the tax documents and accounting statements. We bring in a different, practical perspective in your decision making process by looking at not only the tax documents; but also the financials and other information from different angle. We have owned and operated business for more than 5 years during which we have gone through the complete life cycle of buying business, starting from ground up, operating and selling them. This gives us the ability to uncover and analyze the nuances of financials and other information. Top