Michael Platner Joins Investor Kevin O’Leary for Discussion on Strategies for Business Owners During COVID-19

Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (July 8, 2020) - Fort Lauderdale Managing Partner Michael G. Platner recently participated alongside well-known investor and television personality Kevin O’Leary in a video discussion titled “Strategies for Business Owners,” hosted by Jeff Fratarcangeli of Fratarcangeli Wealth Management. During the discussion, Mr. Platner and Mr. O’Leary described strategies that business owners may implement during the COVID-19 pandemic, and explained how they may prepare for future transactions.

In the video, Mr. Platner, who serves as chair of Lewis Brisbois’ Corporate Practice and as co-chair of its Securities & Corporate Finance Practice, told Mr. Fratarcangeli that since the pandemic began, he has seen “a great acceleration of the entire technological improvement and digitization of private businesses.” He provided specific examples of how his clients have taken advantage of online tools to increase their profits and decrease customer acquisition costs.

For his part, Mr. O’Leary described how businesses across America have adopted a “digital pivot” strategy to manage costs and maximize gross margins, and he attributes the market’s buoyancy and optimism to an envisioning of what he calls a “new America 2.0” in the post-COVID-19 world. He noted that this digitization “is an efficiency that was forced on us because of the pandemic,” but is very promising for what it can mean for corporate America just two years out. Mr. O'Leary further predicted that earnings are not only going to solidify, but will also be at a higher margin.

In describing how businesses may prepare for future transactions, Mr. Platner stressed the importance of maintaining current audits, financials, forecasts, EBITDA, and COVID-19-adjusted EBITDA. He explained, “It’s all about tracking and being able to portray the cash flow of your business.”

With respect to recent deal flow, Mr. Platner explained that although deals “stopped in their tracks for a while,” he is now seeing a significant uptick in action, with “more money on the sidelines than ever.” He further noted that the current environment provides “great opportunity for private investors to also do their own acquisitions.”

You may view the full “Strategies for Business Owners” video here.

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Michael Platner
Managing Partner
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Atlanta, GA
New York, NY
Nashville, TN
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