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Archives for September 2015

September 25, 2015 By admin_united

August

Interesting Image
The Home Health Advisor
 
“Dedicated to Delivering Education and Services for Building Value, Exit Planning and Mergers and Acquisitions”
Building Agency Value

2 Sure Fire Solutions to Increase Value

Review your general expenses:

Having a handle on your general expenses is critical to the overall success of your business.  For the majority of agencies operating in home healthcare, general expenses are one of the biggest factors to declining profit margins and overall value.

Just think about it for a moment.  Unless you are a private pay agency, the majority of your payers  (Medicare, Medicaid,  third party insurers, VA) all set their own reimbursement models and as a provider there is little you can do to raise your pricing.  You either grow your census and survive on volume or implement cost cutting strategies to reduce overhead and retain margins in years when rates are cut or stagnant.

Since the majority of your vendors (Landlord, payroll, insurance, etc) can and will increase their prices you have to develop relationships with multiple vendors to create market demand for your business which will provide a platform to lower your cost.

Solution: Find out your 10 largest vendors and establish a price list for the products and services they provide.  Then go to their competitors and request a proposal for the same services and products…and yes it is OK to let the competitors know your current pricing models.  In most cases the competitors will come up with lower pricing…this gives you the opportunity to go to your current vendor to match or beat the price.  If your current vendor cannot match or beat the price, explore the possibilities with the lower priced vendor.

Review cost of labor:

For most agencies labor is the single highest cost. When there is a small percentage increase it can make a big difference.  Tenure can be both a positive and a negative for you and your agency.  The longer a caregiver or administrative support person stay on board, the more they typically are paid…and this is to be expected…but in a time of declining or stagnating reimbursement rates this can end up putting an agency out of business.

Solution: For the administrative staff, you need to review your payroll reports and identify the highest paid group and determine if any cuts can be made.  Review job responsibilities to determine if they can be divided up and taken over by two or three other members.   Then take a portion (maybe 10% to 25%) of the pay from the eliminated position and distribute it among the group taking over the responsibilities.  If you cut one $40K salary that would be $30,000 to $36,000 added to the bottom line.  Tough decisions but the business has to survive and preserve its value.


Curious about the current value of you agency?  Click Here and in less that 24 hours we will deliver a FREE report illustrating the current value of your agency along with comparable sales of agencies just like yours.

Exit Planning Strategies

“Exit strategies may allow you to get out before the bottom falls out of your industry. Well-planned exits allow you to get a better price for your business.”

From: Selling Your Business by Russ Robb, published by Adams Media Corporation

Whether you plan to sell out in one year, five years, or never, you need an exit strategy. As the term suggests, an exit strategy is a plan for leaving your business, and every business should have one, if not two. The first is useful as a guide to a smooth exit from your business. The second is for emergencies that could come about due to poor health or partnership problems. You may never plan to sell, but you never know!

The first step in creating an exit plan is to develop what is basically an exit policy and procedure manual. It may end up being only on a few sheets of paper, but it should outline your thoughts on how to exit the business when the time comes. There are some important questions to wrestle with in creating a basic plan and procedures.

The plan should start with outlining the circumstances under which a sale or merger might occur, other than the obvious financial difficulties or other economic pressures. The reason for selling or merging might then be the obvious one – retirement – or another non-emergency situation. Competition issues might be a reason – or perhaps there is a merger under consideration to grow the company. No matter what the circumstance, an exit plan or procedure is something that should be developed even if a reason is not immediately on the horizon.

Next, any existing agreements with other partners or shareholders that could influence any exit plans should be reviewed. If there are partners or shareholders, there should be buy-sell agreements in place. If not, these should be prepared. Any subsequent acquisition of the company will most likely be for the entire business. Everyone involved in the decision to sell, legally or otherwise, should be involved in the exit procedures. This group can then determine under what circumstances the company might be offered for sale.

The next step to consider is which, if any, of the partners, shareholders or key managers will play an actual part in any exit strategy and who will handle what. A legal advisor can be called upon to answer any of the legal issues, and the company’s financial officer or outside accounting firm can develop and resolve any financial issues. Obviously, no one can predict the future, but basic legal and accounting “what-ifs” can be anticipated and answered in advance.

A similar issue to consider is who will be responsible for representing the company in negotiations. It is generally best if one key manager or owner represents the company in the sale process and is accountable for the execution of the procedures in place in the exit plan. This might also be a good time to talk to an M&A intermediary firm for advice about the process itself. Your M&A advisor can provide samples of the documents that will most likely be executed as part of the sale process; e.g., confidentiality agreements, term sheets, letters of intent, and typical closing documents. The M&A advisor can also answer questions relating to fees and charges.

One of the most important tasks is determining how to value the company. Certainly, an appraisal done today will not reflect the value of the company in the future. However, a plan of how the company will be valued for sale purposes should be outlined. For example, tax implications can be considered: Who should do the valuation? Are any synergistic benefits outlined that might impact the value? How would a potential buyer look at the value of the company?

An integral part of the plan is to address the due diligence issues that will be a critical part of any sale. The time to address the due diligence process and possible contentious issues is before a sale plan is formalized. The best way to address the potential “skeletons in the closet” is to shake them at this point and resolve the problems. What are the key problems or issues that could cause concern to a potential acquirer? Are agreements with large customers and suppliers in writing? Are there contracts with key employees? Are the leases, if any, on equipment and real estate current and long enough to meet an acquirer’s requirements?

The time to address selling the company is now. Creating the basic procedures that will be followed makes good business sense and, although they may not be put into action for a long time, they should be in place and updated periodically.

At United we care about our clients and can provide guidance to help you develop an exit plan.  We even offer an ongoing service to help get you started.  It is by far the best value in the industry and offers ongoing annual updates at no charge…it really is an incredible value.

To learn more about this valuable service click here and provide the requested information.

Latest Merger and Acquisition Trends
The Home Health M & A Market continues to be steady with several small to mid-sized transactions closing over the past eight (8) weeks.  The trend is for continued consolidation in all areas of Home Health including skilled services, non-medical and hospice.  With more rules and regulations on the horizon and stagnating reimbursement rates for state community services waiver programs many agencies are exploring opportunities to exit now while margins are still decent enough to be attractive for acquisition.
If you have been considering an exit and your revenues are in excess of $2 million now would be a good time to explore your options.  CLICK HERE and provide the requested information.  We work with dozens of well qualified  buyers who will act quickly to transactions we represent. We guarantee to deliver an offer to purchase!
The tables below illustrate current demand by Agency type and geographic area:
                        Key
 HIGH 5 or more buyer groups
 MEDIUM  3 to 4 buyer groups
 LOW  1 to 2 buyer groups
Home Health Agencies
State  Demand  State  Demand  State  Demand  State  Demand  State  Demand
AL  HIGH  HI  LOW  MA   HIGH  NM  MEDIUM  SD  LOW
AK  LOW  ID  MEDIUM  MI  MEDIUM  NY  HIGH  TN  HIGH
AZ  HIGH  IL  MEDIUM  MN  MEDIUM  NC  HIGH  TX  HIGH
AR  MEDIUM  IN  MEDIUM  MS  HIGH  ND  LOW  UT  MEDIUM
CA  HIGH  IA  MEDIUM  MO  MEDIUM  OH  MEDIUM  VT  MEDIUM
CO  MEDIUM  KS  MEDIUM  MT  LOW  OK  HIGH  VA  HIGH
CT  HIGH  KY  HIGH  NE  MEDIUM  OR  MEDIUM  WA  MEDIUM
DE  HIGH  LA  MEDIUM  NV MEDIUM  PA  HIGH  WV  HIGH
FL  HIGH  ME  MEDIUM  NH  MEDIUM  RI  MEDIUM WI  MEDIUM
GA HIGH  MD HIGH  NJ HIGH SC HIGH WY LOW
Home Care/Private Duty
State  Demand  State  Demand  State  Demand  State  Demand  State  Demand
AL  HIGH  HI  LOW  MA  MEDIUM  NM  MEDIUM  SD  LOW
AK  LOW  ID  MEDIUM  MI  MEDIUM  NY  HIGH  TN  HIGH
AZ  HIGH  IL  HIGH  MN  MEDIUM  NC  HIGH  TX   HIGH
AR  MEDIUM  IN  MEDIUM  MS  HIGH  ND  LOW  UT  MEDIUM
CA  HIGH  IA  MEDIUM  MO  MEDIUM  OH  HIGH  VT  MEDIUM
CO  HIGH  KS  MEDIUM  MT  LOW  OK   HIGH  VA  HIGH
CT  MEDIUM  KY  HIGH  NE  MEDIUM  OR  MEDIUM  WA  MEDIUM
DE  MEDIUM  LA MEDIUM  NV  HIGH  PA  HIGH  WV  MEDIUM
FL  HIGH  ME  MEDIUM  NH  MEDIUM  RI  MEDIUM WI  MEDIUM
GA HIGH  MD HIGH  NJ HIGH SC HIGH WY LOW
Hospice
State  Demand  State  Demand  State  Demand  State  Demand  State  Demand
AL  HIGH  HI  LOW  MA  HIGH  NM  MEDIUM  SD  LOW
AK LOW  ID  HIGH  MI  MEDIUM  NY  MEDIUM  TN  HIGH
AZ  HIGH  IL  HIGH  MN  MEDIUM  NC  HIGH  TX  HIGH
AR  MEDIUM  IN  MEDIUM  MS  HIGH  ND  LOW  UT  MEDIUM
CA  HIGH  IA  MEDIUM  MO  MEDIUM  OH  MEDIUM  VT  MEDIUM
CO  MEDIUM  KS  MEDIUM  MT  LOW  OK  MEDIUM  VA  HIGH
CT  HIGH  KY  HIGH  NE  MEDIUM  OR  HIGH  WA  HIGH
DE  HIGH  LA  MEDIUM  NV  MEDIUM  PA  HIGH  WV  HIGH
FL  HIGH  ME  HIGH  NH  HIGH  RI  HIGH WI  MEDIUM
GA HIGH  MD HIGH  NJ MEDIUM  SC MEDIUM WY LOW
Interested in discussing the possible sale of your agency?  CLICK HERE and provide the requested information.
Here is a snap shot of all the current home health related businesses listed for sale by price and by region.
Price  # For Sale  Percentage
Undisclosed 87 28%
Under 1 Million 187 61%
1 Million to 2.5 Million  24  8%
2.5 Million to 5 Million  5  2%
5 Million to 7.5 Million  1  .33%
7.5 Million to 10 Million  1  .33%
10 Million to 15 Million  1  .33%
15 million and up  0  0%
Total 306 100%
 Region  # for Sale  Percentage
 Undisclosed  26  8%
 Mid-Atlantic  11  4%
 Mid-South  24  8%
 Mid-West  51  17%
 Mountain  2  1%
 New England  5  2%
 Pacific  65  21%
 Plains  7  2%
 South East  46  15%
 South West 69 23%
Total 306 100%
If you would like for us to contact you to discuss the latest trends and learn more about the sales process please click here and provide the requested information.
United MedCare Capital
12600 Deerfield Pkwy
Atlanta, Georgia 30004
United States
(800) 581-5290

Filed Under: Newsletter

September 25, 2015 By admin_united

July

Interesting Image
The Home Health Advisor
 
“Dedicated to Delivering Education for Building Value, Exit Planning and Mergers and Acquisitions”
Building Agency Value
How can I double the value of my Home Health Agency?  This is a question we are asked often United MedCare Capital.  We have done some research and would like to share what we have discovered.
This is an article written by Mark Wardell on Divestopedia.

Takeaway:A framework for increasing the value of any business by transforming it into a thriving, turn-key operation.

It’s a common adage that every business should be built so that it can be sold. One of the rare certainties in business is that an owner cannot stay at the helm forever. But few owners actually take this to heart. And those that do often leave it to the last minute… an afterthought as they head out the door to retirement.

Of course at this point it’s too late to do anything substantial about it, often causing sellers to leave millions of dollars on the table that should have been in their pocket.

But if this isn’t motivation enough, there are many more reasons why building a sellable business is worth the time and effort it takes up front. After all, a sellable business is also a growing, stable, profitable business that doesn’t rely on the owner for its daily operations. Something every business owner wants, regardless of when they plan on selling.

Simply put, a sellable business is a valuable business. So a daily focus on value creation is key to the achievement of almost any business goal. Whether an owner wants to buy their competitor, franchise their operation, or sell the company to their management team, they need to first build a highly valuable organization.

What is value?

Ultimately, every business draws its value from its intellectual capital, not from the size of its inventory. Products don’t have value, benefits have value, and benefits are intangible. For example, you don’t go to the store to buy a drill bit, you go to the store to buy a solution for making a hole. If someone gave you a better option than a drill bit for making a hole, you’d take it instead, because the product itself holds little value to you. It’s the solution you’re interested in. It’s the solution you’re willing to pay for. The same is true for your business. From a buyer’s perspective, your business is a money machine. And the more effectively it does its job, sitting in the corner pumping out hundred dollar bills, the more it is worth.

If the real value in a business is in its intellectual capital, how do you increase its value? You need to capture and maximize that intellectual capital in a way that is sustainable and sellable. The challenge is, in the majority of businesses, most of this value is stored inside the heads of a few key people. So we need a method for getting it out of those heads and bringing it to life within the business itself.

Maximize Goodwill, Maximize Value

In broad terms, your intellectual capital is reflected in your goodwill value. You can think of this as the “net value” of your business. In other words, it’s the value of your business, over and above its liquidation value (the amount you could sell your tangible assets for). A company’s goodwill value is where most of the opportunity for growth resides.

Because goodwill typically has minimal liquidity (meaning it’s hard to sell in and of itself), it represents a buyer’s greatest risk factor. Therefore, one of the chief concerns of a prospective buyer is how long it will take them to reimburse themselves for the goodwill they purchased, using profits (discretionary earnings) from the company. When all is said and done, the value of a business is usually based on two primary variables. The amount of its discretionary earnings and the length of time those earnings are likely to continue once the business has changed hands. The greater the certainty, the lower the risk. As with all investments, a buyer will typically look for a greater return on their investment when the risk is perceived to be higher. Conversely, all other factors being equal, a buyer will be willing to pay more for a business when the risk is perceived to be lower.

The good news is, given a little time, we can significantly improve these risk factors, increasing the value of nearly any business as a result, often by as much as two or even three times.

The Value Pyramid

The Value Pyramid is a model for increasing the value of any business by transforming it into a thriving, turn-key operation. It visually represents the four stages of operational maturity that a business must move through in order to increase its goodwill value, while simultaneously decreasing its operational dependence on the owner or key management.

Owner-Driven Business

A new business springs to life from the ideas and imagination of an individual, or a group of individuals. So naturally, at its inception, a business is like a young child that is dependent on its parents for absolutely everything. This can be described as an Owner-Driven Business, and it represents the lowest level of the four business maturity stages on the Value Pyramid (see image) because all of the goodwill of the business, that is all of the intangible value over and above the value of the assets, is tied directly to its owner. If you were to remove the owner from the business, it would have no value in and of itself, because the business is unsustainable. It’s ironic that the owner, who is the main reason the company exists in the first place, becomes the biggest limiting factor to its growth.

People-Driven Business

As a business grows and matures, it takes on key people who fill major roles and become part of the driving force of the business. This is called a People-Driven Business. On the Value Pyramid it is assessed a higher value than an Owner-Driven Business because the business is no longer dependent on one person. And yet the goodwill of this business is still tied up in a few key people. It only takes one of these key people to leave, and the business can regress, becoming an owner dependent once again. People-Driven Businesses are also exposed to a certain amount of risk. For example, if a key salesperson leaves, he may take his customer relationships with him, or at least give customers a reason to start looking around for other suppliers.

System-Driven Business

The next maturity stage is a System-Driven Business, wherein operating systems and metrics allow key people, even the business owner, to step away from the business while it continues to function successfully. A System-Driven Business is positioned to grow or sell, and is more attractive to investors because it can run on its own. For example, finding and hiring great people, generating new business leads, and building your products are all tasks that can be measured and maintained through documented systems.

Culture-Driven Business

At the top of the value pyramid is a Culture-Driven Business. A Culture-Driven Business has a strong team of people dedicated to continuous improvement. Not only are systems in place, but employees are encouraged to continuously improve those systems. With a Culture-Driven Business, at the end of each day, the business is better in some way than it was at the beginning of that day.

The outcome of all of this is an “investment grade” business. This is a business that is ready to sell for maximum value when the right buyer comes along, but not under any pressure to do so in the mean time.


Want to find out the current value of you agency and determine if there is a market to sell?  Click Here and we will provide create a report illustrating the current value of your agency and let you know if your agency meets any of the acquisition criteria of the buyer groups  work with.

Exit Planning Strategies
Having an exit plan in place is critical for every business owner.  At United, we work with business owners just like you every day.  Some are prepared and have written plans in place but the majority have nothing in place and we have seen first hand how detrimental this can be to the ongoing success of a business following an unplanned exit.  Even if your plan is to pass it down to children or other family members you must have a written plan in place.

The fact is, most business owners exit their business due to Health, Burn Out, Divorce/Partnership Disputes and Death.  Retirement is seldom the primary reason for an exit.   As you can see, the primary reasons for an exit are often sudden, life changing events.

When one of these events occur, and there is not a plan in place, the business typically suffers and the value can be greatly diminished in a short period of time.  A written exit plan is a necessity for every business owner.

At United we care about our clients and can provide guidance to help you develop an exit plan.  We even offer an ongoing service to help get you started.  It is by far the best value in the industry and offers ongoing annual updates at no charge…it really is an incredible value.

To learn more about this valuable service click here and provide the requested information.

Latest Merger and Acquisition Trends
 If you would like for us to contact you to discuss the latest trends and learn more about the sales process please CLICK HERE and provide the requested information.
The Home Health M & A Market continues to be steady with several small to mid-sized transactions closing last Month.  The trend is for continued consolidation in all areas of Home Health including skilled services, non-medical and hospice.  With more rules and regualations on the horizon and stagnating reimbursement rates for state community services waiver programs many smaller agencies are exploring opportunities to exit now while margins are still decent enough to be attractive for acquisition.
If you have been considering an exit and your revenues are in excess of $2 million now would be a good time to consider moving forward or at least explore your options.  CLICK HERE and provide the requested information.
We work with dozens of well qualified  buyers who will act quickly to transactions we represent.  The tables below illustrate current demand by Agency type and geographic area:
                        Key
 HIGH 5 or more buyer groups
 MEDIUM  3 to 4 buyer groups
 LOW  1 to 2 buyer groups
Home Health Agencies
State  Demand  State  Demand  State  Demand  State  Demand  State  Demand
AL  HIGH  HI  LOW  MA   HIGH  NM  MEDIUM  SD  LOW
AK  LOW  ID  MEDIUM  MI  MEDIUM  NY  HIGH  TN  HIGH
AZ  HIGH  IL  MEDIUM  MN  MEDIUM  NC  HIGH  TX  HIGH
AR  MEDIUM  IN  MEDIUM  MS  HIGH  ND  LOW  UT  MEDIUM
CA  HIGH  IA  MEDIUM  MO  MEDIUM  OH  MEDIUM  VT  MEDIUM
CO  MEDIUM  KS  MEDIUM  MT  LOW  OK  HIGH  VA  HIGH
CT  HIGH  KY  HIGH  NE  MEDIUM  OR  MEDIUM  WA  MEDIUM
DE  HIGH  LA  MEDIUM  NV MEDIUM  PA  HIGH  WV  HIGH
FL  HIGH  ME  MEDIUM  NH  MEDIUM  RI  MEDIUM WI  MEDIUM
GA HIGH  MD HIGH  NJ HIGH SC HIGH WY LOW
Home Care/Private Duty
State  Demand  State  Demand  State  Demand  State  Demand  State  Demand
AL  HIGH  HI  LOW  MA  MEDIUM  NM  MEDIUM  SD  LOW
AK  LOW  ID  MEDIUM  MI  MEDIUM  NY  HIGH  TN  HIGH
AZ  HIGH  IL  HIGH  MN  MEDIUM  NC  HIGH  TX   HIGH
AR  MEDIUM  IN  MEDIUM  MS  HIGH  ND  LOW  UT  MEDIUM
CA  HIGH  IA  MEDIUM  MO  MEDIUM  OH  HIGH  VT  MEDIUM
CO  HIGH  KS  MEDIUM  MT  LOW  OK   HIGH  VA  HIGH
CT  MEDIUM  KY  HIGH  NE  MEDIUM  OR  MEDIUM  WA  MEDIUM
DE  MEDIUM  LA MEDIUM  NV  HIGH  PA  HIGH  WV  MEDIUM
FL  HIGH  ME  MEDIUM  NH  MEDIUM  RI  MEDIUM WI  MEDIUM
GA HIGH  MD HIGH  NJ HIGH SC HIGH WY LOW
Hospice
State  Demand  State  Demand  State  Demand  State  Demand  State  Demand
AL  HIGH  HI  LOW  MA  HIGH  NM  MEDIUM  SD  LOW
AK LOW  ID  HIGH  MI  MEDIUM  NY  MEDIUM  TN  HIGH
AZ  HIGH  IL  HIGH  MN  MEDIUM  NC  HIGH  TX  HIGH
AR  MEDIUM  IN  MEDIUM  MS  HIGH  ND  LOW  UT  MEDIUM
CA  HIGH  IA  MEDIUM  MO  MEDIUM  OH  MEDIUM  VT  MEDIUM
CO  MEDIUM  KS  MEDIUM  MT  LOW  OK  MEDIUM  VA  HIGH
CT  HIGH  KY  HIGH  NE  MEDIUM  OR  HIGH  WA  HIGH
DE  HIGH  LA  MEDIUM  NV  MEDIUM  PA  HIGH  WV  HIGH
FL  HIGH  ME  HIGH  NH  HIGH  RI  HIGH WI  MEDIUM
GA HIGH  MD HIGH  NJ MEDIUM  SC MEDIUM WY LOW
If you would like for us to contact you to discuss the latest trends and learn more about the sales process please click here and provide the requested information.
Here is a snap shot of all the current home health related businesses listed for sale by price and by region.
Price  # For Sale  Percentage
Undisclosed 89 29%
Under 1 Million 184 60%
1 Million to 2.5 Million  27  9%
2.5 Million to 5 Million  4  1%
5 Million to 7.5 Million  1  .5%
7.5 Million to 10 Million  2  1%
10 Million to 15 Million  0  0%
15 million and up  0  0%
Total 307 100%
 Region  # for Sale  Percentage
 Undisclosed  27  9%
 Mid-Atlantic  10  3%
 Mid-South  25  8%
 Mid-West  48  16%
 Mountain  2  1%
 New England  6  2%
 Pacific  68  22%
 Plains  7  2%
 South East  47  15%
 South West 67 22%
Total 307 100%
If you would like for us to contact you to discuss the latest trends and learn more about the sales process please click here and provide the requested information.
United MedCare Capital
12600 Deerfield Pkwy
Atlanta, Georgia 30004
United States
(800) 581-5290

Filed Under: Newsletter

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