Journal logo

4 Things to Know Before You Sell Your Business

Selling a business is something that can change your life negatively or positively. Therefore, you need to prepare well for the process.

By Stephanie SnyderPublished 3 years ago 3 min read
Like
IMAGE SOURCE: PEXELS

There are many questions that you must ask yourself before going ahead with the deal. Suppose you are looking to sell your business; here are the four things you must have in mind.

1. Buyers are Looking for Profits, not Revenue

The first mistake many business sellers make is to believe that buyers are more interested in figures than profits. Understandably, the revenue figures might sound impressive, but at the end of the day, profit is the only thing that matters the most. For instance, a business might generate up to $30,000 in terms of monthly revenue and incur monthly expenses of $25,000. This implies that in a single month, it shall have generated a profit of $5,000, which translates to $60,000 worth of annual profits.

Wheel Stop Installation Dallas TX, on the other hand, might be generating monthly revenue of $10,000 but incurs monthly expenses of $1,000. Such a business would generate a monthly profit of $9,000 and an annual profit of $108,000. Now you can see the reason why buyers are more interested in profits compared to revenue. Unless they can make profits with the business, the buyers will be loath to purchase it.

2. Understand Your Potential Buyers

It is easy to believe that you know what potential buyers are looking for, but you might as well need to gather the opinions of other people. These should be individuals who have made successful business sales before.

Before you start selling the business, you must understand that your potential buyers will be looking for different things. For instance, you will realize that some value a business’s location, while some feel that the business’s size matters the most.

If you know what your ideal buyers are looking for, it becomes easier to approach them. Thus, take your time and learn from people who have done similar transactions before, and you will be guided.

3. Be Honest at All Times

The truth will always surface; thus, you want to be upfront with everything from the start. As long as you are dealing with seasoned investors, they will know that each business has positives and negatives, so there is no need to feed them with lies.

Don't sell your firm as a perfect business because there will never be such a thing. Try as much as possible to be transparent from the beginning, and you will do great.

By being honest, there is a good chance that you will get a great deal. This is because you have explained everything to your buyer, so they don’t have to expect any surprise amid or after the purchase.

If you say something inaccurate, you will not be able to sell your business because your potential buyers will find the truth sooner or later. Therefore, honesty is one policy that you must always embrace.

4. Be Ready for Lots of Questions

Today, many businesses have gained a strong online presence. This is because many individuals are looking to get independent and possibly quit their nine-to-five jobs. However, the problem is that this kind of shift has led to quite many inexperienced buyers looking for businesses for sale.

Unless you have someone who will take care of the many questions, you will have to do the work alone. As long as you have made it evident that you are selling your business, you will be bombarded with many critical questions that you must answer.

You must never try to judge a buyer because the chances are that you won't know the person you are dealing with. Someone might ask simple questions but are potential buyers who might end up purchasing your business. Therefore, if a client is looking to learn more about the industry, you should be ready to provide them with the right information.

Maybe you are in a situation that you can only handle by giving up your business. However, before finalizing the sale, be sure to ascertain that you are done with your company. If this is a decision that you might regret in the future, there is no need to go ahead. However, the pointers above will help you sell your business successfully.

business
Like

About the Creator

Stephanie Snyder

Stephanie Caroline Snyder graduated from The University of Florida in 2018; she majored in Communications with a minor in mass media. Currently, she is an Author, a Freelance Internet Writer, and a Blogger.

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.