Podcasts Other Built to Sell Radio Ep. 74 Would You Have the Audacity to Turn Down $40MM for a $9MM Company?

Ep. 74 Would You Have the Audacity to Turn Down $40MM for a $9MM Company?

Published: Dec. 21, 2016, 9 a.m.

In 1992 Stephanie Breedlove started a payroll company to make it easier for parents to pay their nannies. It began small and she self-funded their growth, which averaged 20% per year.

By 2012 they had hit $9 million in annual sales when she got a call from Sheila Marcelo, the CEO of venture-backed Care.com. Marcelo wanted to buy Breedlove’s company and offered her almost $40 million—more than four times Breedlove’s revenue, an astronomical multiple that only serves to underscore Breedlove’s audacity when she turned it down.

Breedlove wanted more and ultimately settled on a price of $55 million for her $9 million business. In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • how to strategically walk away from an offer.
  • what to do when you reach a negotiation impasse.
  • three criteria every owner should consider when selling.
  • the pros and cons of accepting stock as compensation.