When it comes to buying or selling a business, there is a lot of trust involved. Trust in the buyer to be able to produce the funds to buy the business; trust in the seller to accurately show his business financials, assets, and intellectual properties. When there’s hundreds of thousands of dollars on the table both sides can become worried about what the other side is doing (or not doing). This is when the experience of third party intermediaries and their escrow accounts help build trust between buyers and sellers.

Restaurants are big business and the biggest slice of the retail and service sector that holds so much of U.S. jobs and business owners. Restaurants also represent one of the largest sections of privately owned, independently operated main street businesses. Restaurants are small business owners and family run businesses with their lifetime’s work and often their retirement nest egg in that business. However for buyers and sellers of restaurants alike, new data shows hurdles owners will have to overcome to show their business is worth buying in many parts of the United States.

For those familiar with M&A, finding and acquiring new assets for your company is a vital part of its success. From a full on merger with a rival to a bolt-on acquisition of a specialized company, mergers and acquisitions bring new options and profitability to a business. However, the un-investment – the divestment – of these assets can be just as vital, as they stop being useful segments of your business. Figure out your divestiture strategy to help cut the fat from your company.