In the proverbial “perfect world,” business owners would plan three to five years ahead to sell their companies.  But, as one industry expert has suggested, business owners very seldom plan to sell; rather, selling is “event driven.”  Partner disputes, divorce, burn-out, health, and new competition are examples of events that can force the sale of a business.…

If you are an independent business owner, you are most likely also an independent business seller–if not now, you will be somewhere down the road.  The Small Business Administration reports that three to five years is a long enough stretch for many business owners and that one in every three plans to sell, many of them right…

Placing a price on a privately-held company is usually more complex than placing a value, or a price, on a publicly-held company.  There are many reasons for this fact, but one of the top reasons is that privately-held companies don’t have audited financial statements. Why are Audited Financial Statements Lacking in Privately-Held Companies? Preparing an audited financial…

There are two key ingredients when it comes to selling a business: professionalism and confidentiality.  If either of these two ingredients are lacking, then you’ll most likely run into problems.  Sadly, many sellers see their deals fall apart due to a breach of confidentiality.  You certainly don’t want to be among their ranks. The simple fact is…

No one works forever.  Regardless of how much you love your business, sooner or later you will have to step away.  Owning a business can be very demanding.  This fact can be doubly true for owner-operators of businesses.  The simple fact is that you’ll have to embrace retirement at some point. Most business owners have never sold…

Many experts agree that the best time to prepare to sell your business is when you start your business.  That may sound extreme. However, few business owners reach that level of preparedness.  A simple fact of life and owning a business is that most sales are event-driven.  Factors such as problems with a partnership, health issues, burnout or even divorce…

Buying or selling a business is one of the most important decisions that most people ever make.  Before jumping in, there are several points that should be taken into consideration.  Let’s take a moment to examine some of the key points involved in buying or selling a business. Factor #1 – What are You Selling? Whether buying…

Are You Suffering from Burnout? If you’ve been running your business for many years, it is quite possible that you are suffering from burnout.  This issue is remarkably common with business owners and it is also very dangerous.  Owners suffering from burnout don’t invest as much of themselves and their creative energy into their businesses, and that…

LinkedIn is a powerful tool for business professionals in a variety of industries, including business brokerage. Business brokers can utilize LinkedIn to keep their current network of contacts abreast of their latest activities and business for sale opportunities, strategically grow their network, gain new insights and knowledge, and ultimately close more deals. The following tips will give…

Business owners considering selling should realize that they have many different types of prospective buyers.  Today’s prospective business buyers are more sophisticated and diverse than ever before.  Let’s take a closer look at the different types of prospective buyers and what you should know about each of them. 1.  Family Members Family members often buy businesses from…