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Why Equity Works?

Why Should I Use Equity Works?

Equity Works was developed out of our own experiences with buying, selling, and growing businesses, and the process of achieving positive results. From fielding multiple offers, letters of intent, and the constant struggle of keeping up with paperwork, details, emails, and still trying to run our businesses – to digging and processing documentation for diligence, for often months at a time – we knew there had to be a better way.

Equity Works provides detailed analytic information about businesses for sale & investment – and we do all of the work for both the business owner, and prospective buyers & investors.

We have developed one of the most comprehensive business analysis solutions in the market today, and show information that is normally not available until after the sale is completed. We allow for informed decision making instantly through our Equity Works Software Hub, and our solutions cut the time process of buying, selling, & investing in half, while also allowing for further opportunities of business improvements.

Most business owners today do not have the information available that buyers want to see, and are focused on running their day to day operations. Equity Works steps in by getting all of the information, analyzing it, and presenting it in an easy to understand manner – including business valuations.

What Makes Equity Works Different From Business Appraisers?

While Equity Works wasn’t meant to replace traditional business appraisers, we do provide business valuations on 4 different aspects using the same methods that many business appraisers use.

Most traditional business appraisals and valuations come in the form of examining a combination of business tax returns, income statements, and balance sheets for three to five years, and include stacks and stacks of pages that often aren’t relevant to the business for sale.

Equity works doesn’t just use financial statements, we utilize our own technology, coupled with service communication to get more information about businesses for sale than ever before.

We analyze and present only information relevant to the business for sale, and for a new owner, or investor, moving forward. This data includes information about financial performance, costs, income, customers, employees, processes, technology, income, social media, websites, e-commerce, search engine optimization/visibility, industry data, market saturations, city/regional data & saturations, and much more.

Business appraisals stop at financial information gained from statements provided by the business owner. We utilize much, MUCH more than just financial statements, and then we present it to all to interested parties utilizing our own custom, informative online dashboards with unique user logins.

No other appraisal firm does what Equity Works does, and the information presented by Equity Works shows the ENTIRE business operations, pro-forma analysis, and real-time updates on the fly.

Does Equity Works Work With Brokers?

Absolutely! In fact, we love brokers!

Our Equity Broker program gets you your very own custom Equity Works Hub that allows you to have dashboards and portals for every client you have that is selling a business.

You can give permissions to each client to view their own dashboard, as well as prospective buyers to view only the businesses AND information they are interested/allowed to view.

For example: Before a buyer signs a Non-Disclosure Agreement, you can give them access to JUST the Power dashboard of a business to get their attention, then, when they sign the NDA, you can allow them access to the rest of the business information.

You can communicate privately with business owners, and with buyers via our communications hub, as well as securely store documents such as financial statements, contracts, LOI’s, and more.

And that’s not all! – You also get big partner commissions for using Equity Works services, allowing you to sell business faster with more accurate information – AND earn more money while you’re at it!

Does Equity Works Replace Due Diligence?

In short – YES!

Equity Works’s professional analytics team dives deeper than any business valuation firm will go & our analysis often times completely replaces the need for due diligence during the LOI period of the acquisition.

In the case that our analysis doesn’t get all of the info a buyer requires (which is rare) – buyers can request our team to dig deeper with specific diligence requests (SDR’s) to get the information they need so that the business owner, and the buyer, aren’t taking time to do so.

Do You Provide Negotiation Services?

While we don’t formally offer negotiation services between buyers and sellers, our communication hub allows for secure, private negotiations between parties.

In the event that third party negotiations are needed, we refer out to our broker network, or assign one of our professional business consultants to help out as much as possible.

What Are The 5 Top Reasons I Should Use Equity Works?

Glad you asked! We’ll keep it brief:

  1. SELL BUSINESSES FASTER – Our research shows that 95% of all businesses for sale do not have the required documentation on hand that buyers are wanting to see. This documentation often takes months of time to prepare even before the business is listed for sale. Equity Works does it in 2-3 weeks.
  2. SAVE MONEY – Traditional business valuations can cost upwards of $50,000! – and that’s just for the valuation… Equity Works provides detailed business analytic intelligence on 6 different points that every business has, includes pro-forma forecasts, & offers improvement stats for every business we analyze. Then, we put all of the information into our Equity Works Online Hub that has KPI dashboards, access restrictions, & secure documentation. Our services are priced based on the size of the business, are flat-rate, and typically cost between $5,000 – $15,000 depending upon options & goals.
  3. SECURE ORGANIZATION – We’ve bought and sold businesses, and can completely relate to the struggle of keeping up with information, emails, offers, communications, & requests. Our Solutions include organization for all parties involved – centralized communications, private document sharing, email tracking, and more!
  4. INFORMED DECISION MAKING – In our experience, many times a Letter Of Intent is presented based upon limited information, increasing the chances of the sale being lost due to missing, or in-accurate, data. Our Analytics changes that through presenting information from a PRE-DILIGENCE perspective. In other words – a letter of intent can be presented based upon accurate, up to date, detailed information about the business – cutting down due diligence time by up to 90%!
  5. BUSINESS IMPROVEMENTS – Many times business owners do not realize that their business may work great for them, but not so much for a new owner or absentee investor. Included in every analysis are Upgrade Business Improvement Opportunities that can increase the performance, profitability, and value of the business being sold. Our network of professional providers can automate businesses, cut costs, implement marketing strategies, improve process efficiencies, and more – and we offer these all to either the seller (before the sale), or the buyer (after the sale) – at HUGE discounts over industry rates. For brokers who have clients who aren’t ready to sell – Upgrades are a no brainer!

Who Is Equity Works?

Who Is The Team Behind Equity Works?

Equity Works’s team consists of individuals who are well-versed & experienced in all aspects of business. Including ownership, venture capital, acquisitions, growth, technology, finance, sales, & design. Equity Works is owned by Integrity Ventures, LLC – who holds stakes in various entities covering multiple industries. We are able to use our network of companies & partnerships to further increase the value of what we offer.

Collectively, Equity Works’s team has over 25 years of experience in business entrepreneurship, growth, technology, ventures, finance, sales, acquisitions, & design.

How Experienced Are You In Business Valuations?

We don’t take business valuations lightly. In many cases, valuation companies will simply put unverified financial data into an excel spreadsheet, and use a common business industry multiple calculator to determine the asking price of a particular business.

We do it differently. Why do we do it differently?

REAL STORY: Years ago when one of our team members sold their first business, a broker convinced them to hire a professional business valuation company. Through the cost of over $15,000 – it was proven that company took tax return data coupled with some income statements to determine a completely false determination of value coupled with literally 57 pages of information that had nothing to do with the business.

Most valuation companies do not take into account the fact that a new owner will take the reigns, or industry statistics, market data, geographic analysis, replacement costs, marketing perspectives, and our team favorite – When it comes down to it, past all of the financial details – A BUSINESS IS ONLY WORTH WHAT SOMEONE ELSE IS WILLING TO PAY FOR IT, Period.

You could have the most profitable, streamlined business in your zip code that only takes 2 hours per week to operate. BUT – is a new owner willing to move? Can your business be re-located with minimal loss to output?

There are so many other factors at play in business valuations, which is why we value on 4 points:

  1. Asset valuations – Assets minus debt, we use fair market values of what assets would ACTUALLY generate in the open market.
  2. Market Valuations – Reflections of true earnings of a business within industry specific multiples of income variations, discretionaries, & pro-forma potentials.
  3. Equity Valuations – ROI on investment as if the business is producing income moving forward. We use percentages to earnings, as well as assets, costs, replaceable factors, owner requirements, & more.
  4. UPGRADE Valuations – Our own exclusive valuation algorithm, which take into account 100’s of other factors as if we were a buyer wanting to purchase the business, not just financial details. 

Have You Really Bought And Sold Businesses?

YES! 

Not only that, but we have successfully launched 16 different businesses in 11 years with all of them achieving profitability within 12 months of starting.

What If I Have Questions About My Equity Works Service?

Fantastic! We are available nearly 24/7 for support, questions, advice, insight, perspectives, and more.

Our emails are normally answered within thirty minutes, while our phone hours are M-F 9AM-5PM CST.

Requests made through your Equity Works Hub are answered in the same timeline as emails.

We also have live chat available.

We aren’t a sales team pushing an over-gloated product – we are here for all parties – buyers, sellers, and brokers – with the goal of creating win-win-win scenarios on all sides of the table.

Who Does Equity Works Work With?

Who Is Equity Works For?

Glad you asked!

Initially, Equity Works was meant as a platform specifically for business owners.

However, through further development and market feedback, we have implemented solutions for nearly every party involved in the pre and post acquisitional process of businesses.

For Business Owners – you are able to get a true, detailed, entire-business analytic suite to show off to potential business buyers in less time, and for less money.

For Business Buyers / Investors – you are able to order Equity Works Services for any business you are interested in getting a further look into. Or, you are able to gain access to existing business Equity Works Dashboards through one of our Broker Partners, or through our Business Marketplace.

For Brokers – you gain your own, custom Equity Works Hub that includes dashboards & portals for each business you have for sale that include detailed 6 point analytics, business improvement options, communications, secure document storage, and more. You also gain a value-added service for your business, and partner commissions along the way.

How Is My Business Data Secured?

We utilize, and stay on top of, the latest in digital encryption and restricted access technology.

All of our data is housed via secure, up to date, servers in various locations using the latest in digital security and SSL certificate programming.

Who Can Access My Business's Data?

Your business data is initially only accessible by the Equity Works team (through a Non-Disclosure Agreement), and You (the business owner).

You tell us who you want to be able to access your information, whether it be brokers, buyers, or members of your team.

We recommend Non-Disclosure Agreements (we can provide them for you) for anyone you are giving access, to curb the possibility of vital business data being shared to parties who don’t need it (such as client lists).

All of your data in our system is privately held, and your customers are listed as “1, 2, 3, etc” to prevent any identifying information being shared.

Do You Work Directly With Business Owners?

Yes, every time an Analysis is ordered, whether it be through the business owner themselves, or through a third party – we contact the business directly to get all of the data and releases we need to build our analysis.

Our staff is extremely friendly, helpful, and informative because we’ve been in your shoes and understand that your time is very valuable.

Do You Work Directly With Other Parties Too?

Yes we do!

While we aren’t brokers, we provide solutions to answer questions from all sides, and provide secure support to anyone interested in a business at Equity Works. In the case that NDA’s are needed, or questions can’t be answered, we will work with all parties to get the relevant information presented in the way it needs to be shown.

We highly recommend the services of our verified Equity Brokers due to professionalism, and their ability to source & vet interested potential buyers far faster than business owners can on their own.

How Much Does It Cost?

How Much Does Equity Works Cost?

Glad you asked!

We don’t publicly list our pricing due to one factor alone – Every Business Is Different.

Our pricing is simple, flat-rate, and based upon the size of the business we are analyzing, and we do not charge by the hour.

For example – Businesses who have less than $500k per year in revenue take less time for our team to analyze than businesses who have Millions of dollars per year in revenue.

Our pricing is typically within $5,000 – $15,000 – and our services are typically completed within 14 business days.

What Payment Options Do You Have?

We have very flexible payment arrangements for our services:

  1. Discounted Up-Front Rates – we discount our services if paid in full up front
  2. 3 Level Payouts – Payments are broken into thirds. Initial, Mid-Term, and Post-Service-Launch
  3. Monthly Payments – Financed in-house – you are able to make monthly payments for our services auto-charged from a bank account or debit/credit card.
  4. Pro-Forma Payments – A small setup fee is paid up front, with a negotiated percentage of the sale of your business upon completion of your business being sold (*subject to approval)

We accept all major credit cards, checks, & bank drafts.

Can I Afford Equity Works?

A bigger question is – Why are you asking?

Our service provides three-fold benefits:

  1. Cost savings – You need to have a professional business valuation on your business, not just what you think it’s worth. We provide that, and so much more. Typical valuations from other companies can cost tens of thousands of dollars just for the valuation – our services cost a fraction of theirs, and we provide 6 point, detailed analytics presented in an industry leading technological platform.
  2. Time Savings – The average time for a business to be sold, once listed, is 6 months to one year. The majority of this time is not spent marketing your business – it is spent getting all of the information needed for potential buyers to see, and for due diligence. Our services cut that time down drastically as all of the information is available up front so marketing can happen faster.
  3. Business Improvements – Through Equity Works, you gain insights into your business that you never thought possible, including improvement points for every aspect. You can Upgrade your business on the fly using our network of professional solutions providers at BIG discounts over market rates. For example – if your business insurance costs are out of market averages, we provide competing quotes to save you thousands – which instantly improve your businesses profitability and value. If your website, or marketing efforts are underperforming – we provide solutions to get them profitable and gain the most ROI for you.

In other words, the cost of our solutions are an investment into the future of your business.

We also offer 100% satisfaction guarantees, and top level customer service & expert support.

Who Pays For Equity Works?

Great Question!

Typically, our services are paid for by the business owner, or business being analyzed.

However, our services can also be paid for by a prospective business buyer wanting to see the complete analytics of a business they are interested in.

Our services can also be paid for by financial professionals such as banks, insurance companies, risk assessors, venture capital organizations, and private equity firms.

Our Upgrade Improvement options can be ordered by any party involved.

What Data Do You Get From Businesses?

What Information Do You Need From Me?

While we do 95% of the work involved in our analysis, we do need some level of work and cooperation from the business we are analyzing.

This typically includes either: providing the documents we request, or, letting us know how to access them and getting us permission to do so.

We can source data from nearly anywhere, any database, or any document.

We start by issuing an Equity Works Informational Assessment that business owners complete, with our assistance.

It may sound like a lot, but we really only need a few hours of your time.

Do You Get Access To Our Software?

Yes, in fact, our solutions work faster and easier that way!

Our team is well-versed in today’s technology and security. By giving us access to your software, we are able to connect data points and source information instantly – far faster than waiting on reports to be generated, or requesting documents from CPA’s.

How Do I Send You My Information?

Glad you asked!

Once you sign up, we set-up your very own Equity Works Portal – this is our collaboration tool to work directly with you in getting all of the information, questions, and support you need for your analysis.

It’s simple, fast, and easy to use – and far more secure than traditional email.

With click-and-drop functionality – you can simply drag your documents into our portal, or submit required information to us instantly.

What Are Business Upgrades And Improvements?

What Are Business Upgrades?

Business Upgrades and Improvements are our version of taking a car to a hot-rod shop and asking them to make it perform better for the use required.

For example – Ferrari’s, though well-engineered and very fast, do not perform well at all on off-road ventures better suited for a 4X4 with upgraded suspension, tires, & differentials.

We view businesses the same way.

Through our analysis, we are able to uncover areas of your business that can be improved upon – whether they are under-performing or not.

These include improvements in marketing, design, sales, technology, costs, revenue generation, margins, HR, processes, production, and more.

In the same way you wouldn’t take a sports car off-road – you wouldn’t want to hire a bookkeeper full-time to do a job that only takes 30 minutes per week with automation.

Our solutions are fast, efficient, PROVEN, and work for all of our other businesses.

Don’t take our word for it though – Ask one of our businesses, or one of our Upgrade Clients for their testimonials.

For example – We worked with a promotional products company who was producing everything themselves, in-house. When we were finished, we had cut their costs by 65%, boosted their revenue by 93%, and the business sold 6 months after the upgrade for 3x more than it was initially valued for.

Upgrade Offers are provided FREE with every analysis.

We can even Upgrade your sales team with training, resources, custom plans, and more.

Who Performs The Upgrades?

Our Business Upgrades are provided by our network of partners.

These partners include businesses that are either:

A. Owned or staked by our parent company – Integrity Ventures, LLC

B. Vetted, proven, & successful contractors who are a part of our partner program.

C. By Equity Works’s own team who can often provide quick improvements to you at little or no cost.

Who Pays For The Upgrades?

Upgrades can be ordered by either the business owner, prospective business buyers, or new owners of the business.

Business owners can order Upgrades to increase the value of their business, or, in the case that their business doesn’t sell, or they choose to not sell their business – Owners can see what Upgrades are available and get a new, streamlined, profitable business that works better for them without selling it.

Business buyers can order Upgrades to improve the efficiency, profitability, and value of the business either before, or after the sale.

Often times potential buyers will see the Upgrades provided, and order them at discounted rates after the sale of the business to completely improve and modernize the business for future gains.

Ready To Sell Your Business Faster?

Get Started Easily Today And See The Difference Equity Works Provides.