Preparing your business for sale will require you to have access to certain information, or knowledge of professional resources, which is often difficult to find. Many business owners do not know where to begin looking for information needed to successfully sell their business. This is why few business owners successfully sell their business, only two out of ten businesses sell when they enter the market. The process of preparing and selling your business involves a great deal of time, frustration, and money.
Navigating the sale of the business will require the owner to maintain a strong sense of optimism and a keen sense of humor throughout the business preparation and sale process.
As a business owner you desire (and deserve) to be one of the few who are able to reap the rewards of selling a successful business!
Additional Resources
You Should Prepare to Sell your Business
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Selling a business is a major undertaking. The vast majority of all business owners have never sold a business before. Attempting to sell a business without professional assistance often results in serious problems:
- Failure to receive a fair market value for the business
- Loss of confidentiality- important in maintaining employee, customer, and supplier relations
- Failure to reach an agreement
- Failure to close transactions
- Diversion of attention from business operations
Keystone Business Ventures, Inc. has the knowledge, experience, and up-to-date resources needed to negotiate and close transactions that will satisfy the objectives of both buyers and sellers.
The M&A Advisors of Keystone Business Ventures, Inc. has extensive experience in:
- Manufacturing
- Sales and Marketing
- Real estate
- Wholesale and Distribution
- Retail
- Accounting and Finance
This wide range of experience enables our advisors to fully evaluate and present our client's business in a competent and professional manner.
Seller's Due Dilligence
1. Evaluation
The first step to a successful sale of your business is an objective evaluation of its strengths, weaknesses, and market value by a professional specializing in business sales.
The evaluation will analyze factors such as competition, market position, customer base, employees, potential, growth in the economy, industry, and company. Exposed weaknesses can therefore be minimized before the selling process begins.
The price and terms of sale will be developed using all of the data contained in the evaluation.
2. Business Presentation
Business buyers require objective and comprehensive substantiation for their investment; bare financials rarely stimulate a decision to buy.
The business presentation prepared by our advisors is a specialized report for potential buyers and their advisors containing a complete description and analysis of your business.
3. Buyer search - Confidentiality
Confidentiality is of primary concern in searching for buyers. Owners generally cannot search for buyers without revealing their identity.
Through our national network, we provide optimum access to qualified buyers while maintaining strict confidentiality.
4. Buyer Qualification
Separating qualified buyers from prospects requires an experienced specialist. Buyers coming to Keystone Business Ventures, Inc. are thoroughly qualified and screened before any specific information about our client is revealed.
5. Introducing the business
Introducing a prospective buyer to your business involves a great deal more than a review of the business presentation package. Our experience is of utmost importance in this step as we discover a buyer's major concerns and provide answers.
6. Negotiations
Our advisors can greatly enhance the probability of your business being sold because of our experience and understanding of the following major aspects of negotiations:
- Deal Structuring: Technical expertise and creativity are needed to develop an approach that is economically feasible for both parties.
- Issue resolution: Because of our experience and sensitivity to this problem, we anticipate and help resolve these issues before they become insurmountable obstacles.
7. Purchase Agreement
After a tentative agreement has been reached, our advisors will work closely with both parties' attorneys to resolve problems as they arise and to insure an orderly and timely progression to the signing of formal documentation.
8. Closing and Follow-up
Following the execution of the Purchase Agreement, we will oversee the preparation of documentation needed for closing; supervise the closing and follow-up with the post-closing procedures.
9. Determine Next Actions
What will you do now that you've sold your business? We can help you explore options such as purchasing another existing business, starting a new venture, or improving any other existing business operations. Keystone Business Ventures, Inc. has experience in creating business and marketing plans, business valuations, quarterly review and analysis programs as well as bank financing packages.