Tag Archives: Private Equity

Private Equity Trending Toward Longer Term Models Like Greybull Stewardship

March 30th, 2015

Momentum is growing toward private equity structures with longer term time horizons and movement toward more “permanent capital” — structures that are more similar to Berkshire Hathaway and Greybull Stewardship (my private equity fund focused on companies with $1-3 million in profit). Blackstone private equity… Continue reading →

2014 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Letter – Buffett and Munger Observations From 50 Years

February 28th, 2015

Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015, Berkshire Hathaway posted their 2014 Berkshire Hathaway annual letter. As this is the 50th anniversary of Warren Buffett taking control of Berkshire, this letter included two extra sections. Both Buffett and Vice Chairman Charlie Munger wrote about their observations about the first fifty… Continue reading →

Companies and Founders Deserve Better Financing Options

January 12th, 2015

Business financing and capital raising are full of contradictions.  The world is awash in capital, but the availability of capital to businesses is often binary.  For some, too much capital is stalking them.  For others, the switch to turn on capital flow remains hidden.  Size… Continue reading →

Resilient Companies Balance Continuity with Shock Absorption

January 5th, 2015

Time can be an overlooked element in business.  Time can be an enemy, and time can be a friend.  Understanding the impact of time on your business separates the best business minds from the rest.  Time affects the pace of change for components of your business, your… Continue reading →

Investment in Allied Health Education Company

December 15th, 2014

I am excited to announce that my investment fund, Greybull Stewardship, has acquired an education company that helps health professionals maintain their licenses and certifications.  The company, Summit Professional Education (www.summit-education.com), offers seminars each year for over 75,000 physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, K-12… Continue reading →

Lessons From Hyatt Family Decisions on Selling Businesses

October 4th, 2014

For many business owners, selling a business is both about the money and about finding the right home for their life’s work.  This was very true for the Hyatt family as they worked to sell family businesses over the last decade after the patriarch’s death.… Continue reading →

Warren Buffett’s Strategy, Selling Your Business, and Other Topics in Podcast Interview

September 28th, 2014

I was interviewed recently by a very good business broker, Jim Cumbee of the Tennessee Valley Group.  I have gotten to know Jim this year as we worked on a transaction and we had a fun discussion about several topics including: Lessons learned about selling… Continue reading →

9 Lessons Learned About Selling A Business

September 14th, 2014

When selling your business, it pays to learn lessons from others.  Most business owners will not get a second chance to do it well, and it is such an important process for your employees, your customers, and your own bank account that you want to… Continue reading →

My Co-Owners Are Best Part of Investing

July 4th, 2014

The best part of Greybull Stewardship for me is working with the people at the portfolio companies once the investment is done.  The initial discovery process is fun — meeting the management for the first time, understanding what has made the company successful, and exploring… Continue reading →

Quality of Earnings in Due Diligence: What You Need to Know

June 14th, 2014

As many sellers do not sell businesses frequently, I like to write about various parts of the transaction process that may be helpful for sellers to understand.   One of the most important steps is when a buyer performs a “Quality of Earnings” review of… Continue reading →