Ben Leonard is an ecommerce consultant and the Co-founder of Ecom Brokers, a UK-based ecommerce brokerage that helps companies sell their businesses for an optimal price. Ben has been an entrepreneur since 2016 when he founded Beast Gear, a fitness equipment company that he grew to seven figures. After selling his business in 2019, Ben decided to spread his knowledge about achieving profitable ecommerce exits to other entrepreneurs. That same year, he was named the Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year by Elevator Awards.

In this episode…

Traditionally, in the ecommerce M&A (mergers and acquisitions) landscape, private equity-backed brand aggregators have purchased low-valued businesses at high EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) multiples. But this has led to resource depletion, and brands are struggling to sell for an ideal price. So how can you evaluate today’s buyer culture effectively to position your brand as a top choice?

Ecommerce broker Ben Leonard notes that the most frequent mistake business owners make when exiting is determining a price based on brand goals. Selling depends mainly on a potential buyer’s requirements, so it’s imperative to structure your business accordingly. When positioning your company, you must consider five interrelated factors: brand identity, growth and profitability, risk, transferability, and documentation. Branding influences the other constituents, so developing quality products and understanding your target audience promotes longevity, decreases risk, and facilitates a seamless transfer to a buyer’s existing system.

Tune in to this episode of the eCommerce Profits Podcast as Joshua Chin welcomes the Co-founder of Ecom Brokers, Ben Leonard, back for his third interview to discuss preparing for a business acquisition. Ben explains the five central factors potential buyers consider, the importance of branding and marketing in ecommerce M&A, and advice for evaluating one buyer versus multiple buyers.