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.

Guest Articles

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.

Submit Article

Read the Latest Articles

Featured Articles

Most Popular Articles

Sell a Business Articles

Valuation 101 for the Sale or Purchase of a Business (EBITDA Times a Multiple)

Valuation of privately held companies and family businesses whether done on Main Street by business brokers, the Middle Market by M&A intermediaries, or for deals in the nine & ten figure realm by investments bankers at its core involves a simple multiplication equation EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Income Taxes, Depreciation, & Amortization) times a multiple. …

How Business Owners Can Turn a Taxable Business Sale Into a Long-Term, Tax-Free Wealth Strategy with Opportunity Zone Funds

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…

Selling a Science or Medical Business Model Company

The economy of the United States generating over $30 trillion of GDP in 2025 is larger than the next three biggest economies in the world (China, Germany, and Japan) combined (https://www.worldometers.info/gdp/gdp-by-country/).  In Frank Sinatra’s iconic song New York, New York (https://youtu.be/-YNBfIYy3-k?si=e2o7g0eTSpiD1ydv) he sings “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere; its up…

Buy a Business Articles

Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) – A New Name for an Intelligent, Old Business Savvy Action

I am not a big fan of the use of abbreviations in communication.  It has been my experience that depending on the context and the parties involved that their use can result in confusion. The “hot” abbreviation in the mergers & acquisitions world currently is ETA or Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition in its long form.  If…

Why the Portland Metropolitan Area is a Community to Call Home

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…

Why the Seattle Metropolitan Area is a Community to Call Home

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 Benefits of Having Entrepreneurs in Your Community

J. David Bamberger is not a name most people outside of Texas know.  Mr. Bamberger was a visionary entrepreneur who recognized in the mid 1960’s, when he became the head of operations and marketing for a chain of nine walk-up fried chicken restaurants in the San Antonio area called Church’s Fried Chicken in a partnership…

Sam Darnold and Start-Up Entrepreneurship A Similar Pathway to Success

I have been following the Sam Darnold story since he graduated from San Clemente High School in 2015 and enrolled at USC as the #13 ranked quarterback entering college that autumn.  Interestingly, Joe Burrow (#15) and Lamar Jackson (#18) were ranked below him in the same class (https://247sports.com/season/2015-football/recruitrankings/?InstitutionGroup=highschool&PositionGroup=QB).  Three years later in the spring of…

Setting Your Company Up for Success in Replacing Executive Management Positions

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

’Twas the Night Before Closing

Annually at our holiday party, IBA’s President & CEO, Gregory Kovsky, awards a Broker of the Year trophy to a deserving M&A intermediary based on a set of established metrics.  Seven members of IBA’s present business brokerage team, working out of our ten offices in Washington & Oregon have won the award. This year IBA’s…

Thanksgiving Gratitude – It Takes a Village

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays.  I embrace the concept that every one of us can find elements of our lives to be thankful for and express gratitude.   One component of the tapestry of autumn leave colors that is the Thanksgiving holiday I appreciate is that in a world that seeks to…

Autumn 2025 IBA Update

The “Boys of Fall” (https://youtu.be/3LG0KVPh4Ak?si=x3HLpPun4C6-YN9U) have returned to the gridiron in the Pacific Northwest from West Linn, Oregon to Anacortes, Washington at the high school level, in Autzen Stadium and Husky Stadium in Eugene, Oregon and Seattle, Washington at the college level, and with the annual reformation of the 12th Man army in support of…

Information Resources

Why IT School and Information Technology School Acquisitions Are Attracting Buyers Seeking Scalable IT Degree and IT Program Models

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 Local Businesses Can Adapt to Economic Shifts Without Burning Out

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…

Demographics & Dynamics of Transaction Facilitation Below $5 Million

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…

Best of Last Year

IBA Broker Awards