Articles &
Resources
Carol Frank has been a columnist for many pet industry publications over the years including APPA, Pet Business, Pet Age, and Pet Product News. This page contains many of the articles she has written in date order as well as articles from guest contributors.
The Feeding Frenzy to Acquire Pet Durable/Hard Goods Companies
The last six months has seen a big surge in the sale of pet durables (aka hard goods) companies at very solid valuations.
The Top Considerations When Acquiring a Pet Company
by Carol Frank and Craig Lawson Growth through acquisitions has become more prevalent in recent years as business owners view this tactic, among other things, as a way to increase revenue without a significant increase to overhead. In investment bank speak, this is known as creating “synergies.” ...
The Top Five Most Important Considerations When Selling Your Company
By Carol Frank and Craig Lawson Are you a thriving pet company that is considering raising growth capital or exiting your business in the next few years? If so, navigating the twisting channels of M&A can be costly and tricky if you aren’t prepared well in advance of implementing the...
Private Equity’s Love Story with the Pet Industry – Part II
As I continue to unlock the mystery of private equity for my readers, a few key questions come to mind. What are the advantages of selling to private equity? When selling your company, there are two types of buyers. One is a strategic buyer, or a buyer already in your industry – in our case, a pet...
Private Equity’s Love Story with the Pet Industry – Part I
Since I last wrote about this subject in early 2012, the interest from private equity firms in pet has not waned. On the contrary, interest is as robust as ever and I have no doubt that you, as a pet company owner, get multiple calls per month from private equity groups interested in discussing a...
The Entrepreneurial Dog – Part VII
This is the seventh article of a seven-part series where each installment has taken a look at an innate ability of dogs and what business people can learn from our four-legged companions. This article talks about the genuine empathy of dogs. The Importance of Empathy By Randy Culver My dog Oliver...
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The Entrepreneurial Dog Series
This is the first of a seven-part series where each installment takes a look at an innate ability of dogs and what business people can learn from our four-legged companions. Dear Readers: Recently I have had the pleasure of meeting Randy Culver, a highly successful entrepreneur in the satellite telecommunications industry and major dog lover. […]
Interested in Acquiring a Pet Company? The Top Five Things You Need to Know
Growing through acquisitions is becoming increasingly popular as business owners see the value in increasing revenue without having to significantly increase overhead. In investment bank speak, this is known as creating “synergies.” In other words, if you buy a pet company whose products would sell into your existing customers and sales channels, you are effectively buying their gross margin and...
DRIVING UP THE VALUE OF YOUR COMPANY: The Top Five Value Drivers
Do you want to find ways to ensure your pet company is more valuable 12, 24, or 36 months from now then it is today? This is done through “Value Drivers” that increase the transferable value a buyer will eventually pay for your company. Generally, these value drivers increase cash flow both during and after the original owner’s tenure. Determining how to increase transferable value is the...
Cat GPS Tracking: The Wave of the Future or a Passing Fad?
I recently had the pleasure of meeting a pet industry entrepreneur who has a passion for ensuring cat owners never experience the emotional pain of permanently losing their cat. Lisa Tamayo is the CEO of a new pet technology company, SCollar. Lisa and her husband built and sold a technology company several years ago, so they are no strangers to either starting a new business or how to...
Looking to Raise Growth Capital?
Top 10 Questions Asked by Investors Growing your pet products business takes money, and unless you have a rich uncle, significant cash flow, or a very progressive bank, chances are you may need to raise capital of some form or fashion over the life of your business. As an investment banker, I’ve heard potential investors ask just about every kind of question imaginable to entrepreneurs in order...
Exit Strategies for Baby Boomer’ Owned Business – Part II
An Interview with Dr. Pamela Dennis, author of “Exit Signs” I ended my last column with these three burning questions: If you are a Boomer who owns a pet company, what can you do to increase your chance of selling your business for optimum value? Should you get a jump on the plethora of Boomer businesses that are likely to hit the market in the next 10 years? And where would you even begin to...
Exit Strategies for Baby Boomer’ Owned Businesses: Part I
You’ve been hearing the rumors for years about the huge bubble of people born after WWII through the mid 60’s quickly approaching retirement. The Baby Boomers. You’ve probably heard the numbers: Over 78 million people closing in on retirement in the next 10 to 15 years. Boomers own over 65% of businesses with employees, totaling nearly 4 million companies. Retiring business owners selling or...
Pet Industry Outlook 2016: The News Just Keeps Getting Better!
The economy may be so-so; the stock market may be shaky; retail sales may be sluggish, at best. The $60 billion-plus pet industry, however, is expected to continue its long, strong, growth streak this year. Brian Beaulieu, an economist, recently told the Pet Industry Leadership Conference that growth in pet expenditures started significantly outpacing all retail sales in 2004 and is currently...
A “Frank” discussion with Cat Expert Jackson Galaxy
The Journey from Passionate Cat Lover to TV Star and Celebrity Licensor Jackson Galaxy is the Host & Executive Director of Animal Planet's hit show My Cat From Hell, New York Times best-selling author, and has over 20 years of experience as “The Cat Daddy”. He first found his calling while spending the better part of a decade on staff at an animal shelter. Jackson has come a long way since...
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