IBA (International Business Associates), commonly recognized in the business community as a market leader for knowledge & experience, maintains a blog featuring content from our professional team and industry colleagues as a library resource.   Information published in the venue is focused on selling and buying privately held companies and family businesses, plus topics relevant to successful entrepreneurship in the Pacific Northwest. The president of IBA, Gregory Kovsky, frequently provides content for the blog.  Mr. Kovsky has over 30 years of experience in mergers & acquisitions, business brokerage, and commercial real estate. He has personally completed over 300 transactions involving manufacturing, distribution, industrial, marine, education, retail, service, and technology companies.

IBA, the Pacific Northwest’s premier business brokerage firm since 1975, is available as an information resource to the media, business brokerage, mergers & acquisitions, and real estate communities on subjects relevant to the purchase & sale of privately held companies and family businesses.  Video and audio content from IBA is available on the video page of this website: Videos – IBA Business Brokers.  IBA is recognized as one of the best business brokerage firms in the nation in terms of successfully negotiating transactions that are “win-win” in an environment of full disclosure while employing “best practices” between the parties.

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Blog article submissions are welcome from the accounting, legal, banking, financial planning, and other industries affiliated with the sale or purchase of businesses and real estate.

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Sell a Business Articles

How to Negotiate a Commercial Lease

IBA, as the premier business brokerage firm in the Pacific Northwest, is firmly established as a respected professional service firm in the legal, accounting, banking, mergers & acquisitions, real estate, and financial planning communities.  Periodically, we will post guest blogs from professionals with knowledge to share for the good of owners of privately held companies…

The Importance of Document Management in Facilitating Business Sales

IBA, as the premier business brokerage firm in the Pacific Northwest, is firmly established as a respected professional service firm in the legal, accounting, banking, mergers & acquisitions, real estate, and financial planning communities.  Periodically, we will post guest blogs from professionals with knowledge to share for the good of owners of privately held companies…

How Business Exit Bookkeeping Can Make Or Break Your Business Exit

IBA, as the premier business brokerage firm in the Pacific Northwest, is firmly established as a respected professional service firm in the legal, accounting, banking, mergers & acquisitions, real estate, and financial planning communities.  Periodically, we will post guest blogs from professionals with knowledge to share for the good of owners of privately held companies…

Buy a Business Articles

Why 2025 is an Excellent Year to Sell or Buy a Manufacturing Company

“Opportunities are like sunrises.  If you wait too long, you miss them.” William Arthur Ward A philosophical change in the approach to managing the United States economy will arrive in Washington DC in January 2025. New leadership is focused on enhancing the role of the American manufacturing sector in the world economy. Domestic manufacturing creates…

Acquisition Advantages of Buying a Specialty Retail Business

IBA, as the premier business brokerage firm in the Pacific Northwest, is firmly established as a respected professional service firm in the legal, accounting, banking, mergers & acquisitions, real estate, and financial planning communities.  Periodically, we will post guest blogs from professionals with knowledge to share for the good of owners of privately held companies…

Entrepreneurship Articles

The Need to Level the Playing Field for United States Direct to Consumer (DTC) Manufacturers to Effectively Compete with International Companies

One of my favorite 21st century business models as a mergers & acquisitions intermediary with an over thirty year focus on facilitating transactions in the manufacturing sector is manufacturing with a direct to consumer sales channel. I have seen this business model employed very effectively at companies that I have sold like Tom Bihn (https://www.tombihn.com/)…

Multiple Generation Family Entrepreneurship

On average, the self-employed in the United States are wealthier than the non-self employed and are significantly wealthier than workers and retirees (https://advocacy.sba.gov/2021/08/17/small-business-facts-the-importance- -business-ownership-to-wealth/).  This reality, often without documented research, is frequently conveyed around America by parents & grandparents sharing wisdom with younger generations at family kitchen tables serving pot roasts, lasagna, carne asada, sushi, chelo kabab…

Life Insurance: Important Safety Net or Unnecessary Expense for an Entrepreneur

IBA, as the premier business brokerage firm in the Pacific Northwest, is firmly established as a respected professional service firm in the legal, accounting, banking, mergers & acquisitions, real estate, and financial planning communities.  Periodically, we will post guest blogs from professionals with knowledge to share for the good of owners of privately held companies…

Business Brokerage Articles

Attributes of a Successful Business Broker

Successfully solving a Rubik’s Cube requires an individual to match the color of nine separate components on each of the six sides of the cube.  If one of the sides is not uniform in color the puzzle has not been triumphantly completed.  Successfully facilitating the sale of a privately held company or family business similarly…

Why IBA is Celebrating 50 Years of Quality Representation of Business Owners in 2025

In 1975, a group of senior, successful business brokers led by G. William Ososke, created IBA in an effort to offer the state of Oregon superior representation in the sale of privately held companies and family businesses than was currently being offered in the marketplace. From that humble beginning, the company has grown to represent…

Buddha’s Business Brokerage Wisdom

On a December 2024 family trip to Thailand & Cambodia, I read Karen Armstrong’s book, Buddha (https://www.amazon.sg/Buddha-Karen-Armstrong/dp/0143034367), to better understand the dominant religion in that part of the world.  Over 93% of the population of Thailand observes the Buddhist faith. The percentage exceeds 97% in Cambodia.  Three elements of Buddha’s teachings resonated with me as…

Information Resources

The Vital Role of Restrictive Covenants in Protecting Employer Interests

IBA, as the premier business brokerage firm in the Pacific Northwest, is firmly established as a respected professional service firm in the legal, accounting, banking, mergers & acquisitions, real estate, and financial planning communities.  Periodically, we will post guest blogs from professionals with knowledge to share for the good of owners of privately held companies…

Understanding Business Valuation Multiples and Bank Financing Ratios

IBA, as the premier business brokerage firm in the Pacific Northwest, is firmly established as a respected professional service firm in the legal, accounting, banking, mergers & acquisitions, real estate, and financial planning communities.  Periodically, we will post guest blogs from professionals with knowledge to share for the good of owners of privately held companies…

Does Private Equity Deserve a Bad Rep?

IBA, as the premier business brokerage firm in the Pacific Northwest, is firmly established as a respected professional service firm in the legal, accounting, banking, mergers & acquisitions, real estate, and financial planning communities.  Periodically, we will post guest blogs from professionals with knowledge to share for the good of owners of privately held companies…

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