Selling a Business

A recent survey asked leading business brokers and intermediaries: What is the seller’s biggest obstacle to selling the business? In other words, why do business owners who are considering selling fail to follow through? Seller’s Biggest Obstacle to Selling The answers to this question were revealing, fascinating and important for prospective sellers to understand and […]

You’re considering selling your business.  Your accountant or financial advisor has reviewed your profit and loss statement, and told you what he or she thinks your business is worth. Is this a valid figure? Do the numbers reflect the real value of your business? Below are some other factors to consider regarding the true value

An old saying in negotiating the sale of a business goes like this: The buyer says to the seller, “You name the price, and I get to name the terms.” Another saying used to explain the actual value of the term full price: “If we could find you a business that nets you $250,000 a

Thinking About Selling? Here are some tasks business owners should consider completing before going to market to help their businesses sell. Remove any items not included in the sale. That family heirloom portrait behind the counter of Grandfather William, founder of the business, should be removed. Remove or repair any non-functioning equipment. Prepare an operations

Many business owners probably have asked themselves this question. There are many unique and different types of business. Some fill very small niches while others have carved out a unique product or service while still others require a unique or very specialized talent, knowledge or experience. An owner of a “unique” or at least unusual

This is often a prospective buyer’s first response when given the price of a seller’s business. This is especially true today when many excellent and profitable businesses have few hard or physical assets. For years, buyers, and even business appraisers, have called the difference between the actual physical assets and the asking price as “blue

How does someone else, for example, a potential buyer, rate your business on the issues listed below?   Rate your business and yourself on the time-honored “A” to “F” scale.  You can even use a plus or minus.  What’s your average? Too many business owners operate on gut feel or “from the heart.”  Nothing wrong with

One of the major advantages of small and mid-sized businesses is that it is much easier to make changes with this category of business than it is with the larger kind. The larger company can become so  mired in bureaucracy that it can’t turn on a dollar much less on a dime.  Changes can be

When the time comes to sell your business, what makes up the selling price. What is it that you are selling and the buyer is buying? It is important that the selling price be defined in such a way to avoid any confusion. Below you will find some sample wording used by business intermediaries to

If you are even thinking about selling your business, it’s important to know the questions that buyers generally want answers to. For example, the first question almost always asked by buyers is: If this is such a good business why is it for sale? How you answer this question can make or break a sale.