About
Joe Cacopardo is a business broker of the well-known The Firm business brokerage company who helps people sell their business in ID and nearest regions. My first experience with an acquisition was on the client (selling) side. I was the co-founder of an independent consulting firm in the United States specializing in information management. We were acquired by EDS, who at the time was a General Motors’ subsidiary. The biggest lesson I learned is that an effective merger or acquisition requires strong leadership, real-world experience, and a team that knows what they are doing. Since that time, I have directed many project engagements at the CEO/Owner level in numerous client organizations in the public and private sector alike. My responsibilities included start-up and P&L operations for a number of successful businesses across the United States. I have also served in a number of positions in new business development, sales and marketing, general management and as a small business owner. In these roles, I have relied upon my strong strategic planning and team development skills in creating a profitable bottom line. I moved to Boise from Chicago to run Worldwide Express, a shipping business that my brother and I co-own. Several years ago, I decided to apply my practical experience in helping owners by becoming a business broker. I realized that the traditional method of business brokerage was not beneficial to the seller/client. The traditional business broker model was not pro-active and entirely missed the strategic planning process. Traditional brokers treat the sale of a business like selling commercial real estate. However, selling a business is a strategic decision that requires confidentiality, direct council, and effective planning. As such, many Main-street and mid-market businesses rely on their attorneys or accountants to provide them advice on when and how to sell their businesses. While a critical component of the buy/sell process, the actual selling of a business requires sales and marketing experience. Based on the factors above, I decided to take a refreshingly different approach by providing high-level and hands-on merger and acquisition guidance for helping business owners position their companies for sale. To help me in the positioning, I also have aligned myself with other highly qualified advisors. Our team at The Firm consists of a credentialed and nationally known appraiser, a finance professor, an investment banker and, of course, me as the M&A advisor.