Australia’s Business Brokers

April , 01 Feb 2017 I heard about the salon being on the market and got in touch with Benchmark. From the start, they helped me get through the maze of purchasing a salon as I was new to the Industry. They took care of everything from landlord approval, form filling, business plan and finance and finally, I am in my very own salon. They even assisted me after settlement with some maintenance issues and so I cannot express enough how happy I am to have had Benchmark in my corner! Thanks

CJ Morello- , 01 Jan 2018 After looking at many salons with many brokers – we have finally bought a fantastic salon. Thank you for all your dedication and patience throughout. You understood our brief and worked together with us until you found us the perfect salon. I will be back in touch for the next one soon!

From the beginning Ian Haggerty was very professional and in every conversation he demonstrated his industry knowledge and expertise as a broker. Des Pawelski , 12 Aug 2020 I have been in business for 51 years as cladding contractor with up to 100 employees who work in a factory and on larger commercial building sites. Two years ago I reached the stage where I felt that I should look to sell the business and started meeting with business brokers who advertised in the newspaper’s classified and on Google. None of the brokers seemed to genuinely understand my business or how to find a buyer. Late last year a competitor from another state phoned and said that he was interested in selling his business. He mentioned talking with a broker who was putting together a number of similar contracting businesses to sell to an investment group. Soon after, I was in contact with Ian Haggerty of Benchmark Corporate based in Queensland. From the beginning Ian was very professional and in every conversation he demonstrated his industry knowledge and expertise as a broker. Ian took the time to understand my position and then pointed out the advantages and pitfalls in selling my business. We discussed a marketing plan along with an Information Memorandum showing what the business had done in the past, the future potential and the asset/liability position. Things were looking promising. An advantage of the Benchmark organisation is that they have over 65 brokers operating throughout Australia and a huge buyer data base of potential buyers who have looked at businesses they had for sale in the past. From this pool we soon had prospective purchasers looking over the business, some expressed interest, others thought that the type of business was too hands on for them as every contract we perform is a bit different. In February the COVID virus struck causing major delays on a number of our larger projects, which caused significant cash flow issues. Things were looking grim and my hopes of a sale started to diminish. I consulted with a liquidator over insolvency concerns and administration was recommended (my cashflow had halved). Selling my business now appeared impossible - the employee accruals from long serving workers was a significant problem. I informed Ian that I had sought the advice of a liquidator and was intending on placing the company into administration. Ian strongly advised against taking such drastic action and recommended an immediate consultation with ReGroup Solutions, a firm of Turnaround Practitioners. Ian had worked with the ReGroup team previously and gotten excellent results. ReGroup Solutions provided excellent financial advice and guidance and I was able to regain control of trading operations. I then contacted some local businesses (who Ian had contacted previously) and was able to inform them that the crisis situation had been resolved and I was now able to continue trading whilst exploring offers for a sale of the business. Out of the multiple enquiries Ian received, we were left with two companies with serious offers on the table (despite this being around the time of the COVID virus outbreak). Ian collaborated with ReGroup Solutions and set about negotiating with the interested parties. Due to Ian’s involvement and assistance from ReGroup Solutions, we finally agreed a fair market sale of the business and the majority of employees jobs were saved. Ian went beyond the call of duty and negotiated a very reasonable two year consultancy position with the purchaser.   With the pandemic, these are very turbulent times. If you are concerned about succession or looking to sell your business, then I highly recommend Ian Haggerty from Benchmark. Ian is extremely adept at strategically managing the negotiations, assessing the genuineness of prospective buyers and then closing the best deal for his client. Ian’s approach was professional and he maintains strict confidentiality throughout. Ian understood the opportunity and potential for my business and then presented this to prospective buyers in the best light. Thanks Ian and Benchmark. Ian Haggerty receives another Benchmark Business Sales Review. Before joining the team at Benchmark (as a senior business broker), Ian was QLD State manager for Flow Systems (part of the Brookfield group) where he created dynamic growth opportunities for developers within the residential and commercial property markets. Prior to Flow, Ian was also at Trility, (part of Mitsubishi) Australia’s third largest water company, and was Head of Strategic Growth. Ian developed strategies for the company’s growth from 120 employees to over 400 employees today, including sourcing joint venture arrangements and value added acquisitions. Get to know more about Ian Haggerty and his accomplishments by clicking the "View Profile" button below. Additionally, you can read other Benchmark Business Sales Testimonials from the "Broker" section above. Ian Haggerty is a business broker at Benchmark Business Sales & Valuations.

"We have built a solid business relationship with John and Benchmark over the last few years and have complete confidence in him as a broker. We regard our company as one of the best in the business and we wouldn’t consider using any other broker other than John, he holds the same values as us towards our business and it’s as if he is part of our company, he always has our best interests at the forefront. During this transaction John sold one of our flagship stores and from the very beginning John was impressively professional which allowed us the time to continue running the other 200 stores we have. John’s number one attribute is his determination to get the result that is best for all parties, his knowledge of the industry is second to none and I wish I had his contact list!!! He has endless qualified buyers and that’s all we needed to know, that if one buyer doesn’t work out he has another person waiting in the wings. Great work John thanks once again." - Tony Lattouf, Joseph Lattouf, Emad Nayef and Romina Fiore | 01 Feb 2018 John Kasapi receives another Benchmark Business Sales Review. John really prides himself on offering his clients exceptional customer service, combined with his wealth of sales and industry knowledge. He has “been there and done that”, as he has owned his own business, and he has worked in many top salons around the world – and has experienced everything this industry has to offer. Get to know more about John Kasapi and his accomplishments by clicking the "View Profile" button below. Additionally, you can read other Benchmark Business Sales Testimonials from the "Broker" section above. John Kasapi is a business broker at Benchmark Business Sales & Valuations.

Gino , 05 Feb 2020 Bought the salon through Nikki a year or so ago and decided that I would go back to my old career, so contacted Nikki for her help in selling it. She helped with all the negotiations with the buyer and made the whole thing go smoothly. She sold the salon in a matter of weeks! Benchmark Salon Sales

J. Hoppe , 13 Dec 2018 ” I first met Michael from Benchmark Business after I made a phone call to enquire about Benchmark Business, systems and ended up making an appointment to meet with Michael, that was in August 2013. Michael travelled from Brisbane to Toowoomba to meet with me and I was able to find out what he thought he could to sell our business and he found out all he could about our business, my husband, myself and why we wanted to sell. I was quite impressed with what Michael thought he could do to sell our business but I had to convince my husband to go with him as after having a couple of not so good experiences with other big name brokers and feeling ripped off he was very hesitant. Michael was persistent and rang me on average every two months for a chat and to see how we were going and did not pressure me at all. I got so used to his calls if he missed ringing I would ring him and touch base as I did not want to lose contact with him as I felt I could trust him to do the right thing when we were ready to list our business. Early in 2015 we were ready to list the business and property for sale so Michael came and met with my husband Graham and myself and everything went from there, there was only a small fee for the putting together of the business information memorandum for prospective buyers to view, this I felt he had done a great job putting together, the information in it was spot on. There were a few interesting enquiries and many discussions with Michael and I always felt comfortable with him and knew he understood where I was coming from so trust was growing for both of us then in the end of March and early April thing started to get interesting with lots of information going back and forth for several interested parties and by June we thought we had a buyer but then they backed away just before settlement in July, what a disappointment for us and Michael as we had worked so hard. Michael followed up with another party that had shown quite good interest and with lots more to-ing and throwing of information and much patience from both Michael and ourselves we finally got an offer we were happy with and accepted and things progressed from there and Contracts were signed and our business was sold on the 4th of December 2015. During 2015, our eldest daughter was seriously ill and I had to spend many months in Cairns caring for her, which made it very hard at times, but Michael always asked how she was and how I was coping and offered great support, this I greatly appreciated. During the time spent working with Michael over two years to achieve a successful sale, I felt we had built a bond of respect, trust and honest with each other and a friend ship had formed between us which I hope continues for many years. I am thankful I went with my gut feelings and put my trust in Michael of Benchmark Business. ” Yours sincerely J. Hoppe

"Benchmark were extremely helpful in finding my ideal salon. It was great to have an industry person to deal with throughout the transaction and I could call them anytime to bounce off ideas.  I will be in touch for my next one. Thank you for making the dream a reality" - Kathleen Sibley | 18 Mar 2019 John Kasapi receives another Benchmark Business Sales Review. John really prides himself on offering his clients exceptional customer service, combined with his wealth of sales and industry knowledge. He has “been there and done that”, as he has owned his own business, and he has worked in many top salons around the world – and has experienced everything this industry has to offer. Get to know more about John Kasapi and his accomplishments by clicking the "View Profile" button below. Additionally, you can read other Benchmark Business Sales Testimonials from the "Broker" section above. John Kasapi is a business broker at Benchmark Business Sales & Valuations.

Stephanie Bergamaschi , 13 Dec 2018 “Nikki was approached by a person interested in my salon I wasn’t even on the market within a few short months Nikki had negotiated the deal and the sale was done it was far less stressful than in the past.If you want your business sold not just for sale Nikki is the one. She anticipates what is needed and gets it done.Thanks so much x” Stephanie Bergamaschi – Seller

"This is the second time buying a business through Benchmark and I returned to them because John is an experienced broker that knows the buying process and has delivered for me in the past. This time we hit quite a few difficulties but John was able to assist in getting the job done. Good to have you on board again." - Nilay Bhagat | 06 Feb 2020 John Kasapi receives another Benchmark Business Sales Review. John really prides himself on offering his clients exceptional customer service, combined with his wealth of sales and industry knowledge. He has “been there and done that”, as he has owned his own business, and he has worked in many top salons around the world – and has experienced everything this industry has to offer. Get to know more about John Kasapi and his accomplishments by clicking the "View Profile" button below. Additionally, you can read other Benchmark Business Sales Testimonials from the "Broker" section above. John Kasapi is a business broker at Benchmark Business Sales & Valuations.

"We have worked with Ian Haggerty in the sale of Greenwheat Freekeh Pty Ltd. From the outset Ian exhibited genuine professionalism, patience, integrity and knowledge associated with all aspects relating to a sale of a complex business.  He was always proactive and resilient. It is my view that Ian represents a great value when engaging a broker to sell a business. He is excellent in negotiations and presentations and have the competence to attract the right buyers from the appropriate industry.  On a personal level Ian has a great sense of humour and easy to work with.  All of which help in making a stressful time easier. We wish Ian Haggerty and Benchmark all the best for the future." - Tony Lutfi | 23 Sep 2021 Ian Haggerty receives another Benchmark Business Sales Review. Ian Haggerty has almost 30 years business experience working throughout Europe, the Middle East, North America, Australia and New Zealand. Ian is a dedicated business professional who’s approach towards business includes private business owners as well as corporate business owners, and participates at all levels of business interactions. With significant business experience gained from owning his own businesses and time spent in the corporate world; his strengths are identifying short and long term growth opportunities as well as understanding the diversity of exit strategies and succession planning available to business owners. Get to know more about Ian Haggerty and his accomplishments by clicking the "View Profile" button below. Additionally, you can read other Benchmark Business Sales Testimonials from the "Broker" section above. Ian Haggerty is a business broker at Benchmark Business Sales & Valuations.