Willard Michlin, CPA, CFE, CBB

I have been to several of Willard’s seminars and have found him to be a wealth of knowledge when it comes to doing due diligence on a business. He completed a review of the financials for a small retail business recently that I was contemplating making an offer on. The information he provided allowed me to make a fair and reasonable bid based upon the objective business records that were provided. It proved to be very helpful and gave me additional insights into what to look for as I continue my search to find the right business. Thank you Willard!

I’ve been using Willard’s services for almost a year now. I initially contacted him when looking into a smog shop, and he gave me excellent counselling which ended in me walking away from the deal. Just recently I verified that a lot of his concerns from that deal came true, and the new owner is about to close shop — a huge save for me.
One of the best things about Willard is that instead of just telling you yes or no, he really goes to the trouble to explain why, what his thought process is, and what you should continue to look for when searching for businesses. Because of that, I have become much better at getting straight to the point when reviewing businesses, before I even have to get in touch with him to begin the real due diligence.
My most recent experience with Willard was great. I was investigating a private transportation business for sale. Because of how long he’s been doing this, he has friends and contacts in every industry, and he very quickly gave me a synopsis of the industry and some things to look for — totally saved my butt! A day away from signing the contract I caught the seller in a huge lie that allowed me to walk away from the deal — even the seller’s broker walked away from representing him! If Willard hadn’t suggested I look, I would have been screwed.
Overall, Willard is a great friend to have in your corner. When looking for a business to buy, make sure you remember to ask WWWD? *What Would Willard Do?”

Willard gives amazing seminars about buying a business. A must before you buy.

I recently attended one of Willard Michlin seminars on conducting due diligence when buying and selling a main street business. I was extremely impressed at how knowledgeable he is about the industry and purchasing a small business. Willard breaks down complex information to a level of understanding that resonates with his audience. While he educates his audience on business specifics and how to read financials, he also provides real examples and cases to reiterate his topics and does so with humor and flair. He also provided multiple handouts that can be used when looking at a small business to purchase while fully explaining how to use them and what to look for in the information provided by the Seller. Even though Willard teaches these seminars for free, there is a significant amount of knowledge that I gained and would have paid a few hundred dollars for his seminar. I would highly recommend attending Willard seminars to anyone who is even remotely interested in purchasing a small business. I will be utilizing Willard Michlin services very soon to conduct due diligence and sincerely look forward to working with him in the near future to purchase a small business of my own!

Our relationship with Willard began 6 years ago when he helped me and by business partners acquire a «hidden gem,» a business that was worth little, but was poised to excel with the right ownership. He facilitated a fair transaction.
Just yesterday, I attended a great seminar that Willard held on buying and selling businesses. We can now start making changes to how we run our business to make it more valuable to a potential buyer in the future. We’ll start these changes now, so that when we do decide to sell (if ever), we’ll be in a better position to get the most value. Even if we never sell, some of these tips will make us more successful in the meantime.
Willard’s knowledge of the marketplace is vast, and he has a large network. Even better, he’s legitimately interested in bringing ethics to an industry (buying/​selling businesses) that is notorious for being full of scams and fraud. You want this guy on your side.

I hired Willard to look at a complicated business transaction I was doing to acquire a business. Willard knew everything about it. He is an expert at knowing what is involved when you buy a business. Willard saved me a big headache and lots of money. I recommend him if you are buying a business. He has great intergrity

Williard did a great job in helping us to analyze a business last year. He saved me a great deal of time and helped me avoid the wrong business purchase. He know financials very well and can help you determine true cash flow. I recommend

I’d worked with another business advisor (recommended by my local SCORE chapter) just prior to working with Willard, in retrospect my previous advisor did not have near the experience or concern for me personally that Willard possesses, thus– I made an investment with an unscrupulous person that I now regret.
Lets put it this way Mr. Michlin seems to have the knack for smelling bad deals, it didn’t take him long to educate me on how i could have protected my interests in the afore mentioned investment. I consider Mr. Michlin services a critical part of due diligence into any business purchase or investment.
Very knowledgeable– with a knack for uncovering hard evidence you’ll need to make the right decision. He knows the precise questions to ask business sellers in every instance, then based on the sellers responses to Mr. Michlin’s questions– it becomes self evident weather or not the seller is being truthful or hiding something. Do yourself a favor; if in doubt at all about due diligence I highly recommend you hire him and save your time and capital.
In a nutshell, he’s super bright, fast and friendly, like a wise old uncle, knowledgeable in business as well as people in general. I have found that Wilarrd is even open to a personal call from time to time, I appreciate this personal interest (at no charge) as over time he’s gotten to know my needs personally, it really enhances my confidence his ability to understand my overall needs; because of this Wilard’s been great at integrating both my personal profile and business requirements into our discussions.

Willard helped me with due diligence when I was looking at a business to buy. I would say he is one of the smartest people I’ve met. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience. I decided against buying this particular business because of the seller’s inconsistent statements and the broker who was unprofessional and tried to rush me through due diligence so he can get his commission sooner.
If you are thinking about buying a business, you need to get in touch with Willard. It was the best business decision I ever made. Do it BEFORE making an offer on the business, you will save yourself a lot of hassle and headaches later on.
You think that your college degree or MBA will be enough to make an educated decision? Think again. Buying a business is uncharted territory: it is full of unprofessional brokers, dishonest sellers, overvalued assets and overstated revenues. You may get taken advantage of if you don’t get a pro like Willard on your side.
Willard in not only a CPA, he has the experience buying and selling businesses. You will be glad you have him on your side.