Flow Diagram of Selling Process

Selling a business Explained

You’ve put a lot of effort, sweat, and blood to make your business successful. That’s why you deserve to be well compensated, now that it’s time of selling a Business.

Goodwill evaluation is complex to asses because it is intangible, but it’s still the motor generating your income it allows also your business to proceed. Goodwill is your reputation on the market, your account receivable, client database, your unique competitive niche.

 

Selling Process of a Business: step by step

Entrepreneurs need to take specific steps when Selling a business. While every businessmen journey is different. The process of selling will go typically through: Get your paperwork in order, organize your financials, determine what professional expertise you need, set your sale price, put your business on the market, Negotiate the sale, Finalize the sale.

How to sell a Business:

 

  1. Be committed to the journey of selling process

Selling a Business takes 6 to 12 Month of average. It takes also a lot of energy and be aware that being too much caught up in the process of selling has the potential to undermine your business performance. So When you prepare your business for sale, it should keep running smoothly as possible

  1. Determine what professional expertise you need

Specific competence like accounting, tax, law are required when selling your Business, so professional like an attorney or an accountant maybe of great help for the sale. In the other hand, it’s up to you as business owner to find out what other help you may need from for business evaluation, brokerage services, or consultants.

 

Financials preparation and other steps

 

  1. Financials preparation

Buyers if interested on your business and when it comes to financials, they want as much transparency as possible. They will require as general market practice at least three years of financial statements to present for putting an offer. Make sure that all income is accounted for.

 

  1. Determine what your business is worth

Get the most realistic valuation of your business from an appraiser or broker. Also, if your company rely on proprietary secret or registered patents it’s an important base for correct evaluation. Calculating the Seller Discretionary Earning SDE is the pillar when it come to selling a business and setting a reasonable selling price.

The SDE is composed of all these elements:

 

Business’ annual net income before taxes

Depreciation and amortization

Money made from investments

Owner compensation and benefits

One Time expenses.

 

  1. Organise your paperwork

The document contain draws of your financial records, lease if it applies, supplier contracts and responsibility of former owner. Manly setting-up a transfer period of time for training and consultation with the new owner. It’s clear that this task is a time-consuming, that’s why it’s advised to hire a business broker.

 

  1. Selling summary

Selling summary for selling a business is file to explain for prospective buyer the information they need to know about your business so they can put an offer on the table for buying your business.

 

Your selling summary will include:

A description of your company

Location of the Business

Strengths of your operation

Competitors positioning

Business broker, can prepare your selling summary for you.

 

  1. Advertise your business on the market

Confidentiality is a mean challenge you to keep in main when marketing your business for sale. Competitors could use this information to take advantage of as they will perceive it as a sign of weakness. Your clientele or employees may get very nervous and look for other suppler or employer.

It’s wise to work with a broker for this reason. Besides from their larger buyers network, they have the knowledge to discreetly approach buyers who can match with your activity sector.

 

  1. Negotiate offer

Serious buyer will submit a purchase offer. It is non-binding document; the buyer or you can back out from the article of the offer. It’s also the time to discuss the article where the parties disagree and find how to correct it.

Buyer back out rarely because significant time was spent in finding a matching business and putting together an offer.

 

  1. Closing the sale

Selling a business is closed when owner and the buyer sign purchase contact prepared earlier by your attorney, with all supporting documentation applying to the specify of your business.

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