Seth is a seasoned executive with an impressive track record of success, having held Vice President and Director positions across diverse industries. He has a wealth of experience in sales and understands the importance of building strong relationships and working collaboratively to achieve outstanding results. Seth is a skilled consultant, having helped companies of all sizes boost sales, streamline processes, and improve their bottom line. Notably, he played a crucial role in the mergers and acquisitions strategies for one of the nation's largest medical retailers.
Graduating from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management, Seth has gone on to become a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®) and holds a real estate license in Texas. Throughout his 20-year career, he has consistently been recognized for his achievements, receiving the highest rankings for his exceptional work.
Seth is a devoted family man and lives with his wife and two daughters in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. When he's not at work, he's active in his local church, where he volunteers his time and serves as the executive committee chair for finance.
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John is a successful cross-functional executive with experience in leading and strengthening finance, accounting, and operations organizations. He has held various executive roles, including CFO, VP of Supply Chain and Planning, and EVP of Finance and Operations, during his 17-year career. In these roles, John was an integral part of the leadership team that scaled a medical device company and sold it to a private equity firm for $161 million. He led integration efforts and participated in due diligence for all the company's acquisitions.
John began his career with the accounting firm Ernst and Young in Atlanta, GA, and has worked with both startups and a large, private equity-owned medical device manufacturer. He leverages his extensive mergers and acquisitions experience to help entrepreneurs successfully transition business ownership.
John graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and holds a Master of Business Administration from Kennesaw State University. He currently lives in Marietta with his wife and two daughters.
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/65ea0985692d72da7d382b80/6603382931da7cf6b8a2c113_John-Marsh.jpg)
Carl is an entrepreneur at heart. He was the third-generation owner of a wedding services provider with 14 locations and 200 employees. Carl led the effort to sell the 50 year-old business in a private equity roll-up of the industry, and his first-hand experience gives him an unparalleled understanding of what it’s like for a business owner to bring their company to market and negotiate a successful exit.
Carl is also an Adjunct Professor in the Executive MBA program at the University of Georgia and serves on the Board of the Shore Entrepreneurship Center at Kennesaw State University. He is the Founder of Brio Business Academy, dedicated to guiding business owners as they launch and grow their business. He is passionate about education because he believes that business owners make better decisions when they know how and why things work (or don’t!).
Carl graduated from the University of Notre Dame, and holds an MA from the University of Chicago, an MBA from the University of Georgia, and an M.Ed from the University of Loyola. He and his wife live in Dunwoody and have two sons that attend the Georgia Institute of Technology.
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/65ea0985692d72da7d382b80/66033871f41ef6bfd8c6b604_Carl-Nicpon.png)
![5 Secrets for Selling a Business](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/65ea0985692d72da7d382b80/661ff63e03bf4d4f411c2ae3_workplace-1920.jpg)
The Bristol Group has been selling businesses since 2005. With all the businesses sold there are common factors that stand out. We have narrowed that list down to the five most important secrets for selling a business.
1. Clean Books and Record
Having an accurate and complete accounting of all income and expenses related to the business is requirement number one. Management should be using this data to operate the business, make improvements, and stay in compliance for tax purposes. With the help of computers and software, general accounting functions are easier than ever.
2. Strong Earnings and Profits
There are very few business buyers that are looking for distressed financial situations. Most business buyers are investors seeking a return on their investment. Therefore, a company must be profitable and show through historical performance that the company can make money for the owners.
3. Product or Service that is in Demand
The best way to know if you have a product or service is in demand is by looking at the trends. If your revenue and profits and trending up, then there is a good chance the demand is increasing. The opposite is true as well. Said another way, your business must have room for growth and be scalable.
4. Owner Has a Good Reason to Sell
We can bring offers to the table all day long and never complete a deal if the business owner doesn’t have a genuine reason for selling the business. In order to have a sellable business you must be a motivated seller. In addition to that, every business owner should have a plan for the next phase of their life after they sell the business.
5. Owner is Flexible on Selling Price and Terms
We tend to focus much of our attention on the Selling Price of the business. But we should not ignore the other terms and conditions associated with selling a business. Business owners need to approach this process with an open mind. They need be flexible – even creative and times – to make a deal work.