Putting your strengths first will help you sell your business.  While this may seem obvious, a surprising number of business owners will either improperly index the strengths of their business or fail to emphasize those strengths adequately.  In this article, we will examine five key business strengths that you should focus on when it comes time to sell.

Understand Your Buyer

You know your business, but you don’t necessarily know what buyer is best for it in the long run.  If you’ve never sold a business before (and most business owners haven’t), then you may not know how to best position and present your business for sale.

A business broker is immensely valuable in this regard.  These professionals are very good at determining which prospective buyers are serious and which ones are not.  Additionally, a business broker will use their own databases of prospective and vetted buyers and try to match your business up with the prospective buyers that are most likely to be a good fit.  When dealing with a buyer, a seasoned business broker will put emphasis on your strengths whenever possible.

Be Sure to Maintain Normal Operations

Selling a business can be very demanding and underscores, once again, the value of working with a business broker.  A business broker will focus on selling your business so that you have more time to focus on the day-to-day of running your business.

The last thing you want is to waste your time on buyers who are not serious.  Remember, if your business suffers as a result of the time you spend away from your business in the sale process, then the value of your business to prospective buyers could suffer.

Determining the Best Price

If you incorrectly price your business, you could dramatically reduce the interest.  Business brokers are experts at pricing businesses and can help you determine the best possible price.  Many business owners have unrealistic valuations and others may even undervalue their businesses or they fail to incorporate all aspects of their business.  Working with a professional business broker can help you quickly achieve the best price.  The best price possible will work to maximize the strengths of your business.

Getting Your Business Ready for Sale

There is a lot that goes into getting your business ready to sell.  The simple fact is that getting your business ready to sell isn’t a one-dimensional process, but instead involves every aspect of your business.  Getting your business ready to sell isn’t about making it look presentable and putting a “new coat of paint” on things, although this is a factor.

Instead it is necessary to have every aspect of your business in order.  From paperwork such as tax returns, contracts and forms to a business plan and more, it is important to consider every aspect of your business.  You should consider what you would want to see if you were the one looking to buy the business.  Be sure to do everything possible to build up your strengths.

Confidentiality

If word gets out that your business is up for sale, there could be a range of problems.  Employees, including key management, could begin looking for other jobs and suppliers and key buyers could begin to look elsewhere.  In short, a breach of confidentiality could lead to chaos.

Getting your business ready for sale means factoring in the strengths and weakness of your business then fixing weaknesses whenever possible and building upon your strengths.  Working with a business broker can help you address every point covered in this article and more.

Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.

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There are a myriad of reasons why the sale of a business doesn’t close successfully; these multiple causes can, however, be broken down into four categories: those caused by the seller, those caused by the buyer, those that just happen (“acts of fate”), and those caused by third parties.  The following examines the part each of these components can play in contributing to the wrecked deal:

The Seller

1. In some instances, the seller doesn’t have a valid reason for entering into the sale process.  Without a strong reason for selling, he or she has neither the willingness to negotiate nor the flexibility to see the sale to a conclusion.  Without such a commitment, the desire to sell is not powerful enough to overcome the many complexities necessary to finalize the sales process.

2. Some sellers are merely testing the waters.  As detailed above, they are not at that “hungry” stage that provides the push toward a successful transaction.  These sellers merely want to see if anyone wants to buy their business at the price they would like to receive.

3. Many sellers are unrealistic about the price they want for their business.  They may be sincere about wanting to sell, but they are unable to be realistic about how the marketplace will value the business.  The demand for their business may not be there.

4. Some sellers fail to be honest about their business or its situation.  They may be hiding the fact that new competition is entering the market, that the business has serious problems or some other reason the business is not salable under existing circumstances.  Even worse, some sellers do not disclose that there is more than one owner and that they are not all in agreement about selling the business.

5. A seller may decide to wait until a buyer is found and then check with their outside advisors about the tax and/or legal consequences.  At this point, the terms of the deal have to be altered, and the buyer won’t agree.  Sellers should deal with these complications ahead of time.  Nobody likes changes–especially buyers!

The Buyer

1. The buyer may not have an urgent need or a strong desire to go into business.  In many cases the buyer may begin with positive intentions, but then doesn’t have the courage to make “the leap of faith” necessary to go through with the sale.

2 Some buyers, like sellers, have very unrealistic expectations regarding the price of businesses.  They are also uneducated about the nature of small business in general.

3. Many buyers are not willing to put in the hours or do the type of work necessary to operate a business successfully.

4. Buyers can be influenced by others who are opposed to the purchase of a business.  Many people don’t or can’t understand the need to be “your own boss.”

Acts of Fate

These are the situations that “just happen,” causing deals to fall through.  Even considering the strong hand of fate, many of these situations could have been prevented.

1. A buyer’s investigation reveals some unmentioned or unknown problem, such as an environmental situation.  Or, perhaps there are financial deficiencies discovered by the buyer.  Unfortunately, these should have been on the table from the beginning of the selling process.

2. The seller may not be able to substantiate, at least to the buyer’s satisfaction, the earnings of the business.

3. Problems may arise, unknown to both the seller and the buyer, with federal, state, or local governmental agencies.

Third Parties

1. Landlords may become difficult about transferring the lease or granting a new one.

2. Buyers and/or sellers may receive overly-aggressive advice from outside advisors, usually attorneys.  Attorneys, in their zeal to represent their clients, forget that the goal is to put the deal together.  In some cases, they erect so many roadblocks that the deal can only fall apart.

Most of the problems outlined here could have been resolved before the selling process was too far advanced.  There are also some problems that could not have been avoided–people do sometimes enter situations with the best of intentions only to find out that this is not the right answer for them after all.  These are the exceptions, however.  Most business sales can have happy endings if potential difficulties are handled at the appropriate time.

Business brokers are aware of the various ways a deal may fall through.  They are experienced in resolving issues before the business goes onto the market or before a buyer is introduced to the business.  To buy or sell a business successfully, sellers should resolve any potential deal-wreckers, following the advice of a professional business broker.

Although business brokers cannot provide legal advice, they are familiar with the intricacies of the business sale.  They are also familiar with local attorneys who specialize in the details of these transactions.  These attorneys will usually be more efficient, and therefore more cost-effective, than the attorney who handles a general practice.

Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.

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When the complicating variable of family is added to the equation of selling a business, the situation can get rather messy.  Family usually complicates everything and businesses are, of course, no exception.  Ken McCracken’s recent article “Family business: to sell or not to sell?” 6 questions to help you make the right decision,” seeks to decode the complexities so often associated with family businesses. 

Consider the Market 

The foundation of determining whether or not now is the right time to sell must begin with market forces.  Determining how much your business is worth is a key variable in any decision to sell. 

The best way to determine the worth of your business is to have an outside party, such as a business broker, evaluate your business.  What you believe your business to be worth and what the market dictates could be very different.  You may discover that your business does not have the value that you hoped for.  If this is the situation, then selling simply may not be an option.

What is Next for You?

Tied to knowing your market value is understanding what you will do next after you sell your business.  For example, do you have a family member who can run the business without you?  What will you and any family members who work for the business do after the sale goes through?  You may discover that the sale could be very disruptive for you personally.  All too often, people fail to recognize the emotional and mental stress that comes along with selling a business.  Many owners begin the selling process only to discover that they are not emotionally ready to do so.  While everyone wants to be unemotional in making their business decisions, this is not always the case.

Due Diligence 

You will also need to deal with the issue of due diligence.  Working with a business broker is an excellent way to handle the due diligence process.  Business brokers usually vet prospective buyers ahead of time, which can save you a great deal of aggravation and wasted time. 

McCracken believes business owners should investigate how the prospective buyer handled previous acquisitions.  Specifically, McCracken believes that business owners should look to how well the prospective buyer honored previous commitments, as doing so is an indicator of how trustworthy a buyer may be. 

Planning for Negotiations

Finally, McCraken believes it is essential to know who will oversee negotiations.  It is key to note that many deals that could have otherwise been successful, fall apart due to poor negotiations.  A business broker can be invaluable in negotiations.  After all, who wouldn’t want someone with dozens, or even hundreds, of successful transactions advising them?

Selling a family business can be emotionally charged and can cause significant life changes for not just you, but for members of your family as well.  Often, family businesses were built up over a lifetime or even over generations, which can make the decision to sell quite emotionally charged.

Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.

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If you are like many business owners, you are primarily focusing on building your business.  Yet, as we’ve covered here many times before, you should start thinking about what you’ll need to do to sell your business before you even officially launch.  Many businesses can take years to sell or even fail to sell all together.  For this and many other reasons, it is important to invest some time and energy into thinking about proper exit planning and strategies. 

Walker Deibel’s recent Forbes article, “How Proper Exit Planning Benefits the Buyer and Seller,” Deibel discusses his interview with Exit Planning: The Definitive Guide, author John H. Brown. Brown and Deibel both agreed that, when properly handled, exit planning can help both the seller and the buyer. 

Exit planning can make a business more transferable.  As Deibel points out, when buyers are evaluating businesses, transferability is a key factor.  A buyer must feel that he or she can walk into a business, take it over, keep it running effectively and even grow the business in the future. 

A key aspect of being able to buy a business and having that business be successful is that all relationships from vendors to customers are transferable.  A good management team, one that can step in and help a new owner thrive, is a must.  Building that team in advance is a savvy move for any business owner looking to sell his or her business.  Concerns on any of these fronts can spell doom for a seller.  If a buyer doesn’t feel that they can operate a business, then they probably shouldn’t be buying it.

Great exit planning most definitely benefits the seller as well.  As Deibel notes, when sellers engage in exit planning, they realize how much money they need in order to exit.  In turn, this forces sellers to become very focused and goal-oriented.  Sellers will take proactive steps to ensure that their business is as appealing to a potential buyer as possible.

Ultimately, proper exit planning is a win-win, one that benefits both buyer and seller.  Exit planning can provide sellers with much-needed clarity while simultaneously lowering the overall risk that sellers face.

Buying or selling a business is a multifaceted, and often quite complex, process.  The sooner you begin working with a professional, like a business broker, the better off you’ll be in finding the right business for you and your particular needs.  For most people, buying or selling a business is the financial decision of a lifetime.  Having a proven trusted partner, one that knows the lay of the land, is simply invaluable.

Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.

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It takes preparation and focus to sell most businesses.  The reality of the situation is that it can take years to achieve this goal.  Partnering with a business broker or M&A Advisor is a smart step towards selling any business, as these pros know the very best tips.  In that spirit, let’s take a look at some great tips for selling your business.

Getting your business ready to sell means carefully evaluating the foundation.  Any significant problem can send buyers “running for the hills,” so be sure that you work out any problems well before placing your business on the market.  If you have any litigation or environmental issues, you most definitely want to address those issues before it is time to sell.  Nothing will scare away prospective buyers quicker than pending litigation or the specter of a potentially costly environmental clean-up.

A second key issue you’ll want to address is determining who exactly has the legal authority to sell the business.  If a board of directors or majority stockholder situation is in place, then selling a business can become more complex than it would be if you were dealing with a sole proprietorship or partnership.  Again, the last thing you want is for “legal surprises” to occur when you get ready to sell a business.

If you have non-negotiable items, be certain that those items are discussed upfront.  Revealing your non-negotiable items at the very beginning of negotiations will save everyone involved a great deal of trouble.

Tip three involves maintaining a flexible mindset.  In most circumstances, you simply can’t have everything that you want.  Both buyers and sellers need to be flexible.  Sellers will want to be flexible about any real estate.  Buyers may not want real estate associated with a given business, and you need to be prepared for this.  Sellers should also be prepared to accept valuation multiples for lack of management depth and other factors, such as reliance on a small number of customers.

At the end of the day, sellers should partner with experienced professionals such as attorneys and business brokers.  You’ve put a lot of time, energy and resources into building your business.  When it comes time to sell, it is only prudent to put together the best team in order to achieve optimal results.

Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc. 

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