In 2007, you hired me, wanting to understand how channels fit together.
In 2010, you hired me because you wanted to reduce ad cost in order to maintain profitability.
And in 2012, the theme of the first five months of the year is "buying" and "selling".
One side of the table is looking at businesses that are "distressed", trying to "steal" a business in a strategic play.
The other side of the table spent a career growing and maintaining a catalog business. It is time to be compensated for a lifetime of dedication to the craft of cataloging.
Over the next several posts, we're going to study a business that the owner is ready to sell. Or, at least he thinks he's ready to sell it. We'll review issues that may cause the health of the business to vary. The healthier the business, the more you can sell the business for, right?