How to Buy a Financial Advisor Practice

Buy-a-business

The financial planning industry is booming, with more and more people looking for help planning their finances. This has created an excellent opportunity for entrepreneurs looking to start their own financial advisor practice.

Instead of starting a financial advisor practice from scratch, many entrepreneurs choose to buy an existing financial advisor practice. This can be a great way to become a business owner. But, you should know a few things before buying an existing financial advisor practice.

 

Guide for Buying a Financial Advisor

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to buy an existing financial advisor practice:

1. Ensure You Understand the Market and Niche

The first step to buying an existing financial advisor is doing your research. You should start by gaining a solid understanding of the financial advisor industry, and the niche of the specific business(es) in which you are interested.

2. Find a Business to Purchase

Once you understand the market and niche, you can start looking for businesses to purchase. There are two key sources to find financial advisor practices to purchase:

  1. Business brokers: Find a local or national business broker. They can easily find companies that are looking for buyers. They can also approach businesses you might be interested in that aren’t currently for sale.
  2. Online business marketplaces such as BizBuySell.com: Many companies that want to sell are listed (by the business owner or their business broker) in online business marketplaces.

3. Evaluate the Business

After finding a financial advisor to purchase, it is essential to thoroughly evaluate the business. This includes looking at the financials, the products or services offered, the customer base, and anything else that could impact your decision to buy the business.

Also, be sure to ask why the business is being sold. For example, is it because the owner is retiring (good), or is it because the business is failing (generally bad, but could be an opportunity to acquire at a low cost and do a turnaround).

As part of your evaluation, you should perform a valuation of the business. If a business is listed for sale, it will generally already have a published price, or the owner will have a price in mind. You need to make sure that the price is fair. There are a few different ways to value a business. The most common method is to use a multiple of the financial advisor practice annual earnings or sales. 

For example, suppose the current multiple (you can figure this out by looking at the prices of other financial advisor practices) is 1.5 times revenues. In that case, if the business is generating $500,000 a year in sales, the valuation should be around $750.000.

If the business is being sold at a higher price than the valuation you determine, you can try to negotiate a lower price with the seller.

4. Get Professional Help

As you go through the process of buying a financial advisor practice, it is essential to get professional help from an experienced business broker, lawyer, or CPA. They can all help you with due diligence, negotiation, and other aspects of the purchase process.

A business broker can help you find businesses for sale and help you negotiate the purchase price. A lawyer can help with the legal aspects of the purchase, such as drafting and reviewing the purchase agreement. Finally, a CPA can help with financial due diligence and tax implications of buying a business.

5. Draft an Offer Letter, also known as a Letter of Intent (LOI)

After you have found a financial advisor practice in which you are interested, the next step is to make an offer. The offer should be in the form of a letter and it should include the following:

  • Your name and contact information
  • The name and contact information of the business you are interested in buying
  • The purchase price you are offering
  • A brief description of the terms of the deal (such as how the payment will be made)

6. Perform Due Diligence

Due diligence is the process of investigating a potential business purchase. This includes reviewing financial statements, examining legal documents, and speaking with current and former employees. Due diligence aims to identify any potential risks or problems with the financial advisor practice before you buy it. If you find any red flags, you can use them to negotiate a lower purchase price or get some concessions from the seller.

The process of due diligence can be time-consuming, but it is essential to do it thoroughly. You should review the following items during due diligence:

  • Financial statements: Review the company’s financial statements to understand its overall financial health.
  • Legal documents: Examine any legal documents related to the business, such as contracts and leases.
  • Current and former employees: Speak with current and former employees to better understand the financial advisor practice.

7. Negotiate the Terms of the Deal

Once you have completed due diligence, it is time to negotiate the terms of the deal. This includes the purchase price, the payment schedule, and any other terms that need to be ironed out.

You should have a lawyer or business broker help you with the negotiation process. They will be able to advise you on what is fair and what is not.

If the current owner is unwilling to negotiate, you may need to walk away from the deal.

8. Obtain Financing for the Purchase

If you buy a financial advisor practice, you’ll need to obtain financing. There are a few different ways to finance a financial advisor practice purchase:

  • Use your savings: This is the simplest way to finance a business purchase, but it may not be an option if you don’t have enough saved.
  • Get a loan from a bank: You can get a loan from a bank or other financial institution to finance the purchase. This advantage is that you won’t have to give up any equity in the business. The downside is that you will have to make monthly loan payments, which could be tough if the business isn’t doing well.
  • Find an investor: Another option is to find an investor who is willing to finance the purchase in exchange for a percentage of the business. This can be a good option if you don’t have the cash to buy the business outright, but it has some downside. The main downsides are that the investor will take a percentage of the proceeds if/when you eventually sell the business, and the investor’s strategic thoughts may differ from yours, which could cause problems.

9. Close the Deal

After you have negotiated the terms of the deal, it is time to close it. This involves signing the contract, transferring the business ownership, paying the purchase price, and taking over any leases or contracts.

You will need a lawyer or business broker to help you with this process. They will be able to ensure that all of the paperwork is in order and that the transfer of ownership is done correctly.

Congratulations! You have now bought a financial advisor practice.

10. Write a Business Plan and Get Started Running Your Business

After you’ve closed the deal and taken ownership of the business, it’s time to start running it! This includes everything from hiring employees to marketing the business.

You should also start working on writing a financial advisor practice business plan detailing how you plan to grow the company you’ve acquired. The plan will help you map out your goals for the business and how you plan on achieving them.

 

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can ensure that you buy a financial advisor practice that is right for you and that you are prepared for what comes next. Being a business owner can be a great experience, but doing your homework before taking on this responsibility is essential.