JoAnn Lombardi, President & Chairman

Important Elements a Buyer Needs to Consider in a Business Sale

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Experienced entrepreneurs who have bought a business before will have an advantage over a business owner who is experiencing selling their business for the first time. That being said, most buyers have a very difficult task because of the due diligence portion of the transaction is typically an area that the Read More>>

Changing the Approach

JoAnn Lombardi VR President How Unlimited Choices Have Given Way to New Marketing Since the beginning of the 20th century, advertising drove our economy in the form of a pre-packaged, one-way story. Today, it's a different story. We've gone from three channels to 500 and from no web pages to a billion web pages. The choices tha Read More>>

Selling Your Business?

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Learn to Think Like a Buyer You’ve built a great business with love and care. It has grown larger than you’d ever imagined, and generates a nice profit that has allowed you and your family to live comfortably. Now you’re ready to sell. You assume there’s a buyer out there who w Read More>>

Facing the Marketspace

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Since the beginning of the 20th century, advertising drove our economy in the form of a pre-packaged, one-way story. Today, it's a different story. We've gone from three channels to 500, from no web pages to a billion web pages. The choices that consumers have today are astronomical. There are more than Read More>>

Normalized Earnings Tell You How Profitable a Company Really Is

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Normalizing earnings can provide insight into a company’s history and future. Performing this step is key in valuing a business, but it’s also difficult work that involves more than merely reading the company’s financial statements. Normalizing earnings require detailed analysis as well Read More>>

Follow the Necessary Steps to a Successful Business Sale

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Most business owners, who are looking to sell, make the mistake of not preparing early enough. This can result in not receiving the maximum dollar amount for your business transaction. The selling process should start when you buy your business. You should know the return that you are receiving on your i Read More>>

Selling Your Business? Learn to Think Like a Buyer

JoAnn Lombardi VR President You’ve built a great business with love and care. It has grown larger than you’d ever imagined. It generates a nice profit. As a result, this has allowed you and your family to live comfortably. Now, you’re ready to sell. You assume there’s a buyer out there. You want someone Read More>>

Facing the Marketspace

Walking the Road to the American Dream

JoAnn Lombardi VR President People want to be their own boss. By far, this is the biggest reason people want to go into business ownership. Some may be frustrated in their current job or position. Others may not enjoy their current boss or employer, while others feel that their abilities are not being used properly or efficiently. Read More>>

4th Quarter 2016 VR Business Broker Awards

Click on each image to view and print. Centurion Award Gold Omar Garcia - San Antonio, TX Silver William Park/Paul Lin - Artesia, CA Tim Bullard - Waukesha, WI Bronze Ray Melcher - Wyomissing, PA Stephen Fitzgerald - Savannah, GA Tim Bellon - Apollo Beach, FL Top Producers #1 Omar Garcia - San Antonio, TX #2 Bill Patterson - Savannah, GA #3 Chris Gutierrez - Apollo Beach, FL Read More>>

VR Business Brokers Featured In Franchising Today

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Recently, VR Business Brokers / Mergers and Acquisitions was featured in "Franchising Today - The leading source for today's franchising executives, owners, investors, and entrepreneurs." Below are some excerpts from the article. VR doesn’t believe in expanding just to expand; it prides itself a Read More>>

VR 3rd Quarter Awards

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Below are the winners of the 3rd Quarter Awards. We commend all of our Business Brokers, Office Owners and support staff on an outstanding quarter. We are so fortunate to have a team with the desire and dedication for achieving success. We would like to congratulate you all on a job well done and we wish Read More>>

2015 VR Business Brokers Awards

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Read More>>

VR Welcomes Our New Office Opening in Kansas City, MO

Michael Becker, pictured to the left with his wife Carmen Becker, graduated from Wichita State University in 1990 with a Bachelor of Business Administration with an Emphasis in Marketing. He worked as a Credit Manager with Norwest Financial Corporation(now Wells Fargo) for 2 years. In 1992, Michael started is his own exclusive insurance agency with a Fortune 500 Insurance Company. He was the state agent of the year and won numerous national awards for being in the Top 100 Agents out of 4000 win Read More>>

VR Awards - 2nd Quarter 2015

It's awards time! VR's award winners are the champions of our profession. They create a dream and then overcome all barriers to succeed. We are so very proud to announce our red carpet worthy award winners!The VR Awards for the 2nd Quarter of 2015 include Top Producers , Centurion and the Victory Awards. The VR Offices associated with each winner should be very honored to have such hard working and dedicated Intermediaries representing them in the industry! Read More>>

Beginners Guide: 4 Ideas on How to Market Your Business for Success

JoAnn Lombardi VR President A business with a plan to succeed is a business that will be geared for longevity and growth. In order for that to come to fruition, a business must first establish a marketing plan and execute accordingly by implementing the targeted strategies. Here are 4 ideas to implement when preparing your business f Read More>>

9 Point Checklist: How to Attract the Right Buyer

JoAnn Lombardi VR President When considering selling your business, every buyer expects a business of great value as an investment. Depending upon the qualified candidate, it could be an entrepreneur with a specific set of needs that motivates them to invest in an established business or it could be a private equity group that sees t Read More>>

VR Business Brokers | Mergers & Acquisitions Announces Top Ten Year End Award Winners for 2014

JoAnn Lombardi VR President VR Business Brokers Mergers & Acquisitions, a leader in the sale of privately held companies, is pleased to announce the Top Ten Year End Award Winners for 2014. For 35 years, VR has recognized its award winners from around the globe in the following three categories: Offices, Owners and Associat Read More>>

VR Business Brokers | Mergers & Acquisitions Inducts Alfredo Gonzalez Amare of VR in Coral Gables, FL to Hall of Fame for 2014

JoAnn Lombardi VR President VR Business Brokers Mergers & Acquisitions, a leader in the sale of privately held companies, is pleased to add Alfredo Gonzalez Amare of VR in Coral Gables, FL to the Hall of Fame as 2014 Inductee. Alfredo Gonzalez Amare holds degrees from the University of the Pacific (California), Vanderbilt Read More>>

7 Steps On How To Write An Eye Catching Selling Memorandum

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Prepare a Selling Memorandum when marketing a business to sell. The selling memorandum is a written summary which outlines the selling features of the business, highlighting those points which would be of interest to a prospective purchaser. The package acts very much like a brochure on the business. It pr Read More>>

The Art Of Selling.....A Business

JoAnn Lombardi VR President As with any profession that involves making important decisions, selling skills are key elements to success in Business Sales. Before examining the technical side of the Business Sales industry, it is important to understand a few elements of the psychology of selling to gain an appreciation of the skills Read More>>

2014 Fourth Quarter Awards

On behalf of the VR Corporate Office, we would like to congratulate all our Offices on another successful year of business sales, mergers, and acquisitions. Well done! Read More>>

Preparing An Offer Presentation Between The Buyer And The Seller

JoAnn Lombardi VR President While writing an offer may seem like the final or ultimate step to the buyer, it is really just the first step in the process. It starts the negotiations process and sets the ground work to determine how flexible a seller might be. If a buyer, writing an offer should be relatively straight forward. The key Read More>>

6 Key Methods In Prospect Building To Gain Business Leads

JoAnn Lombardi VR President A Business Intermediary will come in contact with the business sellers and build a listing portfolio by using six key methods of prospecting: · Personal Networking · Telephone Call · Direct Mail · For Sale By Owner (FSBO) · Referral · Centers of Influence (attorneys, Read More>>

10 Key Methods To Follow For Proper Business Etiquette Over The Phone

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Canvassing by telephone offers a secondary method of reaching business owners. Although nothing replaces the impact and rapport of a face to face meeting, a phone call does have a number of advantages. The primary advantage is efficiency for your time management. Obviously, you can reach more people by cal Read More>>

5 Ways VR Business Brokers Educate Sellers

JoAnn Lombardi VR President As a professional business broker, it is important to insert yourself as the expert on how to sell or buy a business among other needs based on the potential client. Before a seller lists their business for sale there are a few things you can do to educate your client and keep them satisfied with your serv Read More>>

Getting The Deal Done....Ways To Develop a Closing Strategy

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Once all of the papers have been submitted to escrow for preparation, you should receive back a total amount the buyer will need to bring to closing in certified funds. This figure is based on prorating each applicable item to a certain day of closing. If you’re closing day changes or a new prorated Read More>>

The Importance Of Effective Communication In Business Sales

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Just as listening and observing skills are important, so are careful, well thought out communication skills. With important decisions such as buying or selling a business, it is critical to convey each point carefully. Equally important is that the recipient interprets a point in the way it was intended. O Read More>>

5 Tips for Selling Your Business

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Businessowners own life-long dreams, not businesses. When the time comes to pass on that dream, care should be taken to get the best price. The followingtipscan helpbusinessowners successfullyselltheir businesses. 1. Position yourbusinessforsale. This process should begin the day you purchase or start th Read More>>

Business Books & Records….Who Cares? Your Buyers Do!

JoAnn Lombardi VR President You likely didn't go into business for yourself because you relished the idea of creating, organizing and maintaining financial documents. Financial records are part of your ongoing operations, but if you're like most business owners, you likely don't focus on them often or think about them regularly; howe Read More>>

Knowing the Right Time to Sell Your Business

JoAnn Lombardi VR President It can be a tricky endeavor, figuring out the best time to sell your business in a market that is constantly fluctuating. Using a VR Business Broker can help you identify important signs to look for in determining the best time to conduct business valuations and see your company sold on the market. Sell Y Read More>>

Getting the Most Out of Your Business Before Selling

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Selling a business isn’t simple as most people would think leaving the entrepreneur with more options than they can think of. Taking the wrong approach could have a negative impact financially both for the seller and company, so knowing the advantages and disadvantages from a professional intermediar Read More>>

10 Tips on How to Spread your Wings and Become an Entrepreneur

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Have you thought about starting your own business? Are you ready to be your own boss? The time has come that you have realized that you are ready to spread your wings and go a different route but you’re unsure of which path or direction to take. Being an entrepreneur is not as scary as you may think Read More>>

Seven Ways to Sell - It Depends on Your Objective

JoAnn Lombardi VR President 1. Top price at all costs The objective is clear, just like the submarine commander who said, “Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead.” Whether it is a public company divesting a subsidiary or a private owner, regardless if the plant is moved and the employees are dismissed, the top price is pa Read More>>

Why Naming Your Business Matters

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Coming up with a business name that is compelling, memorable, not already taken, has an available web address, and makes sense is not an easy task. Though it involves a lot of work, picking a name for your business is critical so it pays to invest the time and effort into making sure you have a name you wi Read More>>

How to Conduct Truly Effective Business Meetings

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Meetings can be either extremely effective or a big waste of time. The difference in the outcome depends on the planning that takes place beforehand. 1. Establish a Meeting Objective and Stick to it Effective meetings serve a useful purpose. This is because an objective is outlined and all conversation i Read More>>

How to Become a Better Business Leader

JoAnn Lombardi VR President In order to be both a successful entrepreneur—and a successful business person—you first need to become a successful leader. The ability to keep your staff and service providers motivated and on track can be the single most important aspect of your everyday life. Great leadership is a quali Read More>>

Why an “Under New Ownership” Sign Isn’t Enough To Market Your New Business

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Congratulations! You have just taken over an existing business and have hung out your “under new ownership” banner! Now what? How do you really connect with your community and let them understand your new value proposition? This is the time to be a “politician.” Shake hands. Show up at events. Get yo Read More>>

Improve Your Turnaround's Forecast

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Today's business climate poses many challenges - from increased global competition to a tight capital environment - that can hinder or even destroy a business. Companies struggling with poor cash flow, inadequate capital and weak leadership are especially vulnerable. Such companies can provide significant Read More>>

Selling a Family Business Isn't Business as Usual

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Family businesses may resemble their non-family counterparts in most ways, but there's one crucial difference. Whenever close relatives work together, deep emotions invariably become involved - emotions that can further complicate the already difficult decision whether to sell a family enterprise. If you' Read More>>

What Buyers Look For In A Business Opportunity

JoAnn Lombardi VR President You have built a great business with love and care. It has grown larger than you’dever imagined, and generates a nice profit that has allowed you and your family to livecomfortably. Now you’re ready to sell. You assume there’s a buyer out there who willpay you a fair price and then nurtur Read More>>

Keys to Negotiating a Successful M&A Deal

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Whether you'rebuyingorselling a business, a few guidelines can help you negotiate a deal more effectively and improve your chances for an advantageous outcome. While you're probably already familiar with basic negotiation strategies, most parties to an M&A transaction can use a refresher course when it Read More>>

Creative Deal Structuring

JoAnn Lombardi VR President CREATIVE DEAL STRUCTURING: EARNOUT AGREEMENTS Acquisition talks are proceeding smoothly. Then the subject of price comes up. Thebuyer thinks the seller’s asking price is based on overly optimistic financialprojections. The seller believes the buyer’s valuation of his company is far too low. Is Read More>>

Business Sales vs. Selling Real Estate

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Consider The Advantages Of Selling Businesses and Mergers & Acquisitions through VR Business Sales. Before Buying a Franchise to be an M&A Advisor, or becoming a broker to sell real estate, there are several factors to consider in this economy. Privately-held businesses drive the United States ec Read More>>

MAC 101: A Primer on Material Adverse Change Clauses

JoAnn Lombardi VR President If your planned acquisition encounters turbulence because your target's finances have suddenly taken a nosedive, you might want to consider one of a buyer's last-ditch remedies - the material adverse change (MAC) clause. Buyers should never claim a MAC without careful consideration, and they must understan Read More>>

The VR Transaction Process: 20 steps For A Successful Sale - Pt II

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Last week our CEO Peter King took a look at the first 10 steps in the VR Transaction Process. This week we will continue with the remaining 10. This proven methodology is time tested and will guide you down the path to a successful transaction. Without further ado: 11. Offer Acceptance or Counter Of Read More>>

Oklahoma City and Texas Cities Named Most Friendly Toward Small Business

JoAnn Lombardi VR President In a recent survey by Thumbtack.com, cities such as Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, San Antonio, Texas and Austin, Texas, were given the highest marks for business-friendly regulations. As reported by the Wall Street Journal, approximately 6,000small businesses owners took part in the Read More>>

Educating Yourself to the Workings of an M&A Transaction

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Acquisitions will always be utilized by businesses to accomplish a variety of strategic objectives with sales being the most common means to monetize an investment. Currently, the market is ripe for M&A activity as: Public companies with deflated stock prices become more susceptible Read More>>

Applying Lessons from Past Experiences of Other Business Owners

JoAnn Lombardi VR President The basic rules of business strategy remain the same in the age of the Internet. Like selling gum in a store, selling products on a computer screen isn’t about technology. It’s about what you’re selling and if there is a demand in the marketplace and marketspace. For example, a tech Read More>>

Understanding Transaction Costs for Your Business

JoAnn Lombardi VR President To understand transaction costs for your business, you must first ask yourself why your business exists. Why doesn’t market pricing regulate all economic activity? Why isn’t each person at every step of production and delivery an independent profit center? In 1937, Nobel laureate Ronald Read More>>

Calculating the Working Capital that You Have Available

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Working capital describes capital (usually cash) as it moves through a business. It first flows from a company to pay for supplies, materials, finished goods inventory and wages to workers who produce goods and services. It then flows into a company as goods and services sold as well as through new investm Read More>>

Following the Strategy when Building Your Business' Value

JoAnn Lombardi VR President It’s funny how the strategic plans for most direct competitors of businesses are identical in most cases. Everyone determines correctly which client sectors are growing, services rising in demand and which dimensions of competition clients and customers demand – client service or innovation. B Read More>>

Elements Needed to Become a Successful Business Owner

JoAnn Lombardi VR President With any profession, there are certain characteristics that allow some people to excel over others that do not possess such traits. The business world is no different. There are key characteristics that allow business owners to make their businesses profitable, earn the respect of their employees and maint Read More>>

Identity’s Omnipotent Scope in Business

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Every business has a unique identity that can be used as a valuable asset. Regardless of the size, all businesses currently face challenges to their identity from a myriad of areas. There are three problem areas regarding identity management. Ever-Similar Products and Services This has led to customer Read More>>

Subjective versus Objective Problem Solving in Business

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Unless you hate sweets, most people think chocolate is delicious. If you have a chocolate bar sitting on the kitchen counter, while you’re in the living room; it’s going to attract your attention, where ultimately you’re going to get up and grab it. It hasn’t moved, it can’t p Read More>>

The Strategy of Actively Waiting

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Any business gains a vital advantage when they seize a golden opportunity that can elevate them to not only the next level but the top of their industry - which will only help when the time comes to sell to a buyer. However, there is one small catch. Business owners neither can predict nor control the prec Read More>>

Implement a Strategic Plan to Help Make Your Business a Success

JoAnn Lombardi VR President As we move further into the 21st Century, business owners have had to deal with an ever-changing economic climate that brought a barrage of new challenges with increasing sales. As a result, they have had to focus more intensively on strategic planning. This is the aspect of management that allows yo Read More>>

Striving to Make a Difference as a Business Owner

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Consider this synopsis: You’re an owner of a $30-million-a-year fee-based professional service business that grew 20 percent last year; but you’re frustrated with the results. The issue isn’t a monetary or revenue issue, but a performance one, where your staff isn’t performing Read More>>

Creating More Profitability for Your Business

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Every business is always finding ways to increase their profit. Generally, there are a few ways that this can be done: Conducting a Market Analysis; Increase sales volume; Reducing and/or ensuring that costs are fully recovered; Improving the product mix R Read More>>

Dealing Effectively With Computer Viruses in Your Business

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Computer viruses are always a threat on the Internet; therefore, they will be a threat to your business. Whether you’re building, about to buy or sell one; today, you can get one as easy as visiting a web site or opening an email. Types of Viruses What a computer virus does is attach itself Read More>>

Due Diligence in Knowing Internet Laws and Regulations for Your Business

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Regardless of the business that you are in, you must know and understand the various laws and regulations that apply to the Internet. Not only do you want to pay attention to any copyrighted and trademarked material that you may have on your web site without proper consent, you want to give due diligen Read More>>

Why Behaving Ethically is Important for Business

JoAnn Lombardi VR President It’s not unusual to look in the newspaper or on the Internet any day of the week to find at least one business scandal that has taken place. It’s not shocking for people to read about how a corporation such as Enron violated the rules of engagement that’s accepted by society. Whether Read More>>

Dealing with the Ethical Saga in Business

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Given the increasing social impact of business, ethics has emerged as a discrete subject over the last 20 years. Business ethics is concerned with exploring the moral principles by that we can evaluate business organizations in relation to their impact on people and the environment. There are fo Read More>>

Mistakes to Avoid When Approaching E-Commerce Law

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Many small business owners will make some serious errors in regards to paying attention to e-commerce law. Knowing the key legal issues such as copyright and libel to restrictions regarding product sales is imperative for you to know that will keep you from having to enter a courthouse. From thinking Read More>>

VR Welcomes New Owners

JoAnn Lombardi VR President It is an exciting time for our company as we welcome several new owners that have joined VR domestically and internationally. These new additions to VR will help elevate us to the next level of business sales. Jay Cremer - North Fort Lauderdale, FL; Brad Elliott - New Jersey; Read More>>

Enhancing Your Mailing List Increases Your Campaign Effectiveness

JoAnn Lombardi VR President Getting the mailing list right is vital. Basic mailing lists simply include names, addresses, job titles, and telephone numbers of customers and prospects. The basic list can be refined by adding information about buying patterns, lifestyle, and many other factors. This will provide a comprehensive p Read More>>

Showing Due Diligence with Intellectual Property

JoAnn Lombardi VR President With ever increasing frequency, intellectual property has become a bigger part of M&A transactions. Intangible assets such as patents and proprietary industrial designs have grown quite significant. In some cases, they’ve become more important than physical assets when determining a value o Read More>>

A Business Plan for Growth in Sluggish Times

JoAnn Lombardi VR President “I don’t want to put any money into my business until the economy improves.” How many times have you heard a small business owner say something like that? It kind of gives me a chill every time I hear it. Imagine deciding not to spend any more money on transportation until traffic imp Read More>>

2008 VR Annual Awards Winners

JoAnn Lombardi VR President We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2008 Annual Awards for their great success in business sales. We take great pride and consideration in choosing these select business intermediaries that have moved ahead of the pack, and continue to have our company be the leader in business sales and mergers Read More>>

VR Opens Its Premier Office in Panama City

JoAnn Lombardi VR President In late January of this year,VR opened a new office in Panama City, officially giving us a presence in Central America for the first time in our 30-year history. Owners Carlos Dias, Alfonso and Ruben Bustamante established the franchise in a new 6-story building that they built with theVR logo – loca Read More>>

VR Advantage - Buying with VR

JoAnn Lombardi VR President VR's International Network of Professional Business Intermediary's offers over thirty years of successful experience to the buyer of a small or mid-size business around the world. Our tradition of bringing qualified buyers and committed sellers together is the cornerstone of the VR organization. VR boasts Read More>>

Has Sold More Businesses In The World Than Anyone.®

JoAnn Lombardi, President & Chairman

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