Michael Goldman's Planning Engagements:

The most critical elements of a plan are its underlying assumptions.  Allow me to choose the assumptions, and I can very easily plan to get to any result that's desired.  The credibility of that plan will be totally dependent on the credibility of the underlying assumptions.  The best way to evaluate assumptions is to compare them to known and existing trends.

Plans for a current business should begin with the analysis and identification of existing historical trends and data.  Once relevant trends are accurately identified, they should be evaluated as to whether they will continue or change somehow.  Factors that could change trends include management action, competitive changes, macroeconomic factors, and gain or loss of momentum.  In the absence of change factors, a trend in motion will tend to continue in the same motion.

The next steps in building a plan or a forecast after trend analysis is to quantify the impacts of any anticipated changes and then develop detailed forecasts for each of the driving forces of the business along with their dependent variables (i.e. the numbers being driven) for each of the relevant time periods.  Every step of the process needs to be logic checked because it is easy to go astray - let the compound growth assumptions stay too large for too long, for example, and you can end up with a projection of a supermarket chain becoming larger than the economy it is operating in.

Once a credible projection is obtained, it is important to circle back to the underlying assumptions and trends that were initially identified, and develop a time and action plan to ensure that what was expected to occur will in fact come to happen.

Engagements:

Michael Goldman's engagements / accomplishments in assisting businesses with planning issues include:

    • Assistance with the preparation of the business plan and other corporate structure matters for a management team negotiating to purchase an under-performing services division from a Fortune 500 company.
    • Assistance with the planning and due diligence review for the acquisition of an $80 million Detroit company by a wholesale distributor.
    • Assistance with the planning and due diligence review for the acquisition of a $100 million Minnesota company by a wholesale distributor.
    • Assistance with the preparation of the business plan and other corporate structure matters for an eight-year old business seeking to enter new markets, take on a new partner, and obtain venture capital funding.
    • Assistance with the preparation of the business and financing plans for a new retail concept seeking $8 million in venture capital funding.
    • Assistance with modifications to the business plan of a start-up retail venture seeking $1 million of additional venture capital funding.
    • Assistance with turn-around planning for a $2 million electrical contractor with severe cash flow problems.
    • Development of business plan skeletons for numerous home-based new business ventures.
    • Assistance with the formation of a joint venture partnership between two existing service businesses.
    • Assistance with the planning and structuring of a four party merger into a new technology company seeking $3 million of venture funding.
    • Development of an equity offering designed to raise $10 million for a rapidly growing 35-unit retail chain.
    • Designed and implemented a full budgeting and forecasting system for a $500 million retail chain.
    • Designed and implemented a labor productivity model that achieved labor savings during a period of increasing sales.
    • Assistance with the preparation of the business and financing plans for a designer and importer of specialty apparel seeking $1 million in debt funding
    • Assistance with the planning and due diligence review for the acquisition of a $6 million manufacturing company by one of its customers.
    • Assistance with the financial portions of the business plan of an internet start-up company.
    • Assistance with the resolution of shareholder issues and formation of a joint venture with new partners.
    • Assisted the Venture Capitalists with cash flow forecasts for a $140 million packaging company to assist in post-bankruptcy planning.
    • Assisted a $10 million service company with planning a work-out of it's debt and preparation of the company for sale.
    • Assisted with the evaluation of a professional services firm for acquisition purposes.
    • Assisted the secured lender with the evaluation of a business plan for an $85 million industrial service company.
    • Assisted the secured lender with the evaluation of a business plan for a $180 million construction company.
    • Assisted the owners of an ice rink in solvency analysis, cash flow planning, and management reporting
    • Identified strategic errors and developed successful turnaround plan for an $80 million retail company
    • Evaluated a $35 million direct import company for development of charting a new strategic direction

 

Need Help Fast?

Need help with your case?  Call Michael Goldman at 847-940-0745 or email to michaelgoldman@mindspring.com

A Leader in the Field:

Michael Goldman has been published in West's Strategic Alternatives for Distressed Businesses, The Value Examiner, and books by Aspen Publishing, The American Bankruptcy Institute, and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.  He has been a frequent speaker on panels and webinars focusing on insolvency, litigation, and entrepreneurial topics.

Michael Goldman has been a member of the Editorial Board of The Value Examiner ® since June, 2008.  In January 2012 he was appointed Chairman of the Editorial Board.

Client List:

Click Engagements to see a more complete list of clients that Michael Goldman has worked with.

Publications:

Michael Goldman has published in the following topic areas:

Click on a subject area above to be taken to the publications page.

 Cases Testified In:

Click here for the listing of cases where Michael Goldman has testified, been deposed, or filed public court documents.

Michael Goldman's CV:

Click here for a copy of Michael Goldman's Curriculum Vitae