June 6, 2019 at the Showbox SODO the Puget Sound Business Journal, in partnership with the GSBA (www.thegsba.org), will be holding its annual Business of Pride event. In addition to recognizing outstanding voices in the LGBTQ community, the top 25 largest LGBTQ-owned companies will be recognized. This list contains many Puget Sound favorite companies including Cupcake Royale, Force 10 Hoops, Herban Feast, Marination, Naccarato Restaurant Group, Nyhus Communications, Olympic Hot Tub, Precision Door Service, Stellar Travel, and Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria.
IBA has a long history as the oldest business brokerage firm in the region of serving entrepreneurs from the LGBTQ community in the sale or acquisition of privately held companies and family businesses. Many of our past clients from this community started businesses with the standard entrepreneurial goals of executing as business owners on a vision and taking advantage of the limitless ladder of economic opportunity offered in the United States to its citizens regardless of gender, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. A smaller group of individuals combined these goals with the objective of creating a work environment and corporate culture that was more conducive to success & empowerment of employees from the LGBTQ community. No one should work in a business environment where they do not feel welcome & supported.
The beauty of entrepreneurship as a career path is that in general America’s free market economy is blind and judges people strictly on their vision, execution, and ability as business owners. IBA’s role in the entrepreneurial world is to help parties convert their business assets into liquid assets (traditionally cash), that can be used to facilitate a comfortable retirement, investment in a future entrepreneurial project, or be disbursed to family members, friends, and charities as part of an estate legacy. Our representation starts with a complimentary professional opinion of the market value of the business and ends with a successful transaction. 100% of our fees are paid on performance at completion of the transaction. Attorneys, accountants, and wealth advisors are welcome by IBA as members of a transaction team.
The following testimonials were provided of IBA by members of the LGBTQ community:
“Working with IBA during a business acquisition (Remedy Teas) made a rather complex process feel incredibly easy given their extensive knowledge & experience”
Christopher Glenn & Rich Irish, Owners of Modern Steep
“When I purchased Fiori Floral Design from IBA, Gregory expertly guided me every step of the way. He has been a trusted advisor to me in the 15 years since acquisition of the business. To him, it is about more than making a sale; he establishes a relationship with his client that is built on trust.”
Miles Johnson, Owner of Fiori Floral Design
IBA has been a trusted resource for entrepreneurs in the Pacific Northwest regardless of sexual orientation since 1975. If you are a business owner interested in selling a business, we would welcome the opportunity to provide an overview of our client services. If you are interested in supporting the entrepreneurs in the Puget Sound LGBTQ community, we encourage you to attend the PSBJ’s Business of Pride event on June 6, 2019. (https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/event/163794/2019/the-business-of-pride-outstanding-voices-and-lgbtq-businesses)
IBA, the Pacific Northwest’s premier business brokerage firm since 1975, is available as an information resource to the media, business brokerage, and mergers & acquisitions community on subjects relevant to the purchase & sale of privately held companies and family owned businesses. IBA is recognized as one of the best business brokerage firms in the nation based on its long track record of successfully negotiating “win-win” business sale transactions in environments of full disclosure employing “best practices”.