Southard Financial

Selling a Business? Let Southard Financial Help You Get the Best Deal

selling-a-business

We have the people already in place.

It’s not something you do every day, so the idea of selling a privately held business or divesting a corporate division or subsidiary might be a bit mind-boggling. How does it work? What is the business worth? How do you know which buyers are legitimate and which offers to consider? At Southard Financial, we work with sellers and buyers every day — and maintain relationships with an extensive network of investors, private equity firms, banks, and finance companies — so you can bet we have the resources to assist you.


And a process that can’t be beat.

To protect your interests and ensure that you get the best deal possible, Southard Financial follows a proven three-part process. We are with you every step of the way, providing solid, actionable analysis and advice, and weeding out ineligible buyers and weak offers. Our aim is to make you aware of the realities of the marketplace, help you negotiate the final agreement and close the sale, and ensure that you and the buyer are both happy with the end result.


Here’s how it works:

Phase 1: Benchmark Analysis

We know you want to make as much money as you can from the sale. We also know it’s critical to price the offering appropriately. By conducting a valuation benchmark analysis, we determine what a business is truly worth so you can align your expectations with the realities of the marketplace. It’s important to understand that we may not be able to go to the next stage if a client insists on setting an unrealistically high sales price that could result in a failed process.

Phase 2: Descriptive Memorandum

During this phase, we create a memorandum — commonly called a “book” — that documents specifics about the business that are of interest to potential buyers. The objective is to provide enough detail on the front end to answer questions potential buyers commonly ask. The aim is to weed out unlikely prospects and attract eligible, interested parties to the table.

Phase 3: Marketing/Negotiating/Closing

Once you have approved the book, Southard Financial reaches out on your behalf to all of the financial and strategic investors we can identify as candidates. Interested parties sign confidentiality agreements and receive the book, and we arrange introductory calls between you and eligible buyers. Those who wish to proceed submit indications of interest — which includes the price and the structure of the deal — and the field is narrowed to the few best offers. As negotiations progress, we assist you in working out the most favorable deal and closing it successfully. Our ultimate objective is to ensure that both sides are happy with the transaction, especially our clients.


Southard Financial is here for you.

Finalizing the sale of a business can easily take several months and may seem a bit daunting if you have not been through it before. Our firm, however, has managed this process time and again, and you can rely on us for the necessary resources, expertise, and support.

Get in touch, today.

When you’re ready to deal, call Southard Financial at (901) 761-7500, use the form on our contact page, or reach out to us on social media. We look forward to hearing from you!

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Recent Activities

  • Southard Financial was proud to be a Bonze Sponsor of The ESOP Association Annual Conference in 2021, 2022, and 2023

  • Southard Financial was proud to be a Platinum Sponsor of the New South Chapter of The ESOP Association in 2020 and 2021

  • Southard Financial was proud to be a Member Bank Sponsor of the Ole Miss Banking & Finance Symposium in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023

  • Southard Financial was proud to be a Co-Sponsor of the National Center for Employee Ownership ESOP Nuts & Bolts Event in 2018

  • Southard Financial was proud to be a Corporate Sponsor of the Mid-South Minority Business Council in 2017 and 2018

  • Dave Harris attended The ESOP Association Annual Conference in 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023

  • Dave Harris attended The ESOP Association Professionals’ Forum in 2019, 2020, 2021 (virtual), and 2024

  • Dave Harris attended the National Center for Employee Ownership Annual Conference in 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019

  • Mark Orndorff and Matthew Jakes attended the National Center for Employee Ownership Annual Conference in 2017

  • Southard Financial attended the National Center for Employee Ownership Annual Conference in 2020 (virtual) and 2021 (virtual)

  • Mark Orndorff attended The ESOP Association Professionals’ Forum in 2023

  • Southard Financial facilitated the sale of Flint Hydraulics to Hydraquip, Inc.

    Southard Financial facilitated the sale of Flint Hydraulics to Hydraquip, Inc.
  • Southard Financial facilitated the sale of Memphis' own Cooper Glass Company

    Southard Financial facilitated the sale of Memphis' own Cooper Glass Company
  • David A. Harris and Mark A. Orndorff spoke at the 2019 Annual Fall Conference of the New South Chapter of The ESOP Association

    David A. Harris and Mark A. Orndorff spoke at the 2019 Annual Fall Conference of the New South Chapter of The ESOP Association held in Orlando, Florida on October 16-17. They gave a presentation titled “Can Employees Really Impact Company Value?”

  • Southard Financial facilitated the sale of Memphis' own TOPS Bar-B-Q chain

    Southard Financial facilitated the sale of Memphis' own TOPS Bar-B-Q chain
  • David A. Harris and Matthew L. Jakes spoke at the 2019 Spring Workshop of the New South Chapter of The ESOP Association

    David A. Harris and Matthew L. Jakes spoke at the 2019 Spring Workshop of the New South Chapter of The ESOP Association held in Atlanta, Georgia in February, 2019 on the topic of “Valuation Appraisal Checklist – 10 Things Your ESOP Appraiser Should be Doing”

  • David A. Harris spoke at The Fall ESOP Forum of the NCEO

    David A. Harris spoke at The Fall ESOP Forum of the NCEO (National Center for Employee Ownership) held in Albuquerque, New Mexico in October, 2018 on the topic, “Communicating Valuation: Tools, Tips, and Examples”.

  • Southard Financial negotiated the sale of and was the exclusive financial advisor to Southern Systems, Inc.

    Southard Financial negotiated the sale of and was the exclusive financial advisor to Southern Systems, Inc.
  • David A. Harris spoke at the 2018 Annual Fall Conference of the New South Chapter of The ESOP Association

    David A. Harris spoke at the 2018 Annual Fall Conference of the New South Chapter of The ESOP Association held in Birmingham, Alabama in September, 2018. He led a workshop called “The People’s Roundtable Interactive Workshop – A series of ‘Build to Last’ activities that focus on developing successful communication and team building programs for employee owners of all generations.” Speakers included Dolores Lawrence, Blue Ridge ESOP Associates; Lindsay Baublitz, SCandH Capital; David Harris, Southard Financial LLC

  • Mark A. Orndorff spoke at the ESOP Nuts & Bolts Seminar of the NCEO

    Mark A. Orndorff spoke at the ESOP Nuts and Bolts Seminar of the NCEO (National Center for Employee Ownership) held in Indianapolis, Indiana in August, 2018 on the topic of “What’s Your Company Worth? – ESOP Valuation.”

  • Southard Financial helps Transnetyx expand with growth capital

    Southard Financial helps Transnetyx expand with growth capital
  • Mark A. Orndorff spoke at the American Booksellers Association Winter Institute

    Mark A. Orndorff spoke at the American Booksellers Association Winter Institute 2018 held in Memphis, TN in January, 2018 on the topic of Succession Planning titled “What is Your ‘End Goal’?”

    iBank Tower, Suite 708 - 5050 Poplar Avenue - Memphis, TN 38157

    Phone: (901) 761-7500   Fax: (901) 761-6045