Survival Guide to Selling Your Business

Selling your business is a rewarding experience. After spending years investing your time, money and energy into building a successful enterprise from the ground up, you can reap the benefits of all your hard work. In the best-case scenario, you can earn money to enjoy your retirement or next venture while leaving your business in the hands of someone who will look after your legacy. But, like most of life's rewarding moments, it can also be stressful. Many business owners go into a sale without thinking about what's ahead or knowing what to expect. Taking the time to prepare mentally can help you survive the sales process and get the best possible outcome.

Plan Ahead

Most experts agree that you should start planning the sale of your business one or two years before you actually sell. This gives you time to prepare the business, untangle personal and company finances and take advantage of favorable opportunities. Unfortunately, this isn't possible for all business owners, especially if you're selling due to illness or a dire family emergency, but try to give yourself as much lead time as possible to have a successful sale.

Prepare Mentally

Take some time to think about the process ahead of you. Do research concerning what's involved with selling a business, including preparation, marketing, finding a buyer, negotiating and the due diligence required before settlement. If you know what's ahead, you're less likely to be surprised, or disappointed, by the process.

Many business owners also have seller's remorse. After the business is gone, they're left wondering what's next. Make sure you have post-sale plans, whether that's a trip to Europe or a new business venture, so you know what your future holds.

Have Realistic Expectations

Managing expectations is one of the best ways for you to decrease stress during the sales process. This starts with an accurate valuation, so you have an idea of what offers you're likely to receive. Asking too much or too little can impact your chances of a quick sale and lead to the business sitting on the market and growing stale. Getting a professional valuation can give you a good idea of what your business is worth.

You should also be realistic about the time it takes to sell a business. The average time to sell in America is 6-11 months. You may be pleasantly surprised by quickly getting a great offer, but be prepared for the process to take some time.

Be Prepared

A lot of paperwork is required when selling a business and it's good to get this prepared early. Financial details are needed to write a memorandum of sale and advertising material. At the end of the process, buyers ask to see profit loss statements, tax returns, lease information and other contracts as part of due diligence. If you prepare all this before you put your business on the market, it can decrease stress during the journey.

Buyers also look for a business that's easy for them to run. A comprehensive book of procedures not only helps you see where there are holes in your business processes, it can also make your business more attractive to prospective buyers.

Hire Some Help

As a business owner, you're likely an expert in your field, but this doesn't make you an expert in selling companies. Even great salespeople can have difficulty taking full responsibility for a business sale because of the negotiations, due diligence and need for confidentiality. A business broker is an expert at evaluating, advertising and negotiating the sale of an establishment and having an expert in your corner can take a lot of stress out of the transition. Having a qualified professional do the heavy lifting frees your time to keep the business growing so it appeals to buyers.

Selling your business allows you to be rewarded for the time and hard work spent to make it grow. Preparing yourself mentally can help you survive the sales process so that you can enjoy the fruits of your labor. To schedule a no obligation, confidential meeting, contact LINK Pennsylvania East at 717-740-5496  or email infopae@linkbusiness.com to speak with a broker or transaction advisor about selling your business.