Maintaining confidentiality should be placed at the top of your “to-do” list when selling a business. The tremendous importance of maintaining confidentiality is difficult to overstate and stands as one of the key reasons that any seller should opt to work with a business broker or M&A advisor. Every seller should remember that a breach in confidentiality can quickly kill a deal, and for many different reasons.

To be blunt, a breach in confidentiality is dangerous for your business. Such a breach can cause suppliers, vendors, key customers or clients, as well as employees and management, to become concerned or even alarmed. A change in the ownership of a business can translate into major changes in how it operates. 

Vendors and suppliers can worry about disruptions, and employees and management may become concerned for their jobs or positions. In turn, disruptions may take place, such as key team members finding new positions, which could make a prospective buyer nervous. These disruptions could make it more challenging to successfully sell your business.

While a breach of confidentiality may lead to a loss of confidence or concern among vendors, suppliers, employees, and management, that is only the beginning of the problems that a breach may cause. A breach in confidentiality could mean that your competition learns that your business is going to be sold. Your competitors may seize on this opportunity and try to steal your clients or customers. The end result is that your business could experience a sudden and sharp decrease in revenue as key customers go elsewhere. The loss of revenue and customers will make your business less attractive to any potential buyer. In this way, a breach of confidentiality could dramatically help your competitors grab market share and do so at your expense.

Even if all of your employees and management stay and all of your vendors, suppliers, and key customers move forward with business as usual, there is still another issue. Prospective buyers who learn that there was a breach of confidentiality may simply walk away from the deal as they are worried about potential negative outcomes due to the breach in the future.

It can be challenging to maintain confidentiality, and yet, it is remarkably important. Brokerage professionals are experts in maintaining confidentiality. Any owner looking to sell their business will be well-served by taking advantage of all that a business broker has to offer.

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Negotiations can often be both perplexing and delicate. A simple misstep can jeopardize what could have been a great deal. One key but often overlooked tool in any negotiation is to pause and consider the wants, needs, and desires of the other party. Contemplating the ideal outcome for them can work wonders.

Understanding what motivates a buyer is crucial for a successful outcome. At the beginning of the sales process, it’s unlikely that you’ll know what your buyer really wants. This lack of knowledge about their desires, values, and standards presents a challenge, especially in the initial stages. Essentially, you’re operating with limited key information at the negotiation’s onset, necessitating caution.

One effective approach is to emphasize the strong financials of the business. Emphasizing a business’s sound financial footing is generally well-received. Whether a buyer is a former corporate executive or from another background, highlighting a strong return on investment (ROI) is prudent. Additionally, most buyers prefer a business that won’t disrupt their current lifestyle.

Understanding what a buyer expects from you post-sale is crucial. Some may want the previous owner available to assist during the transition period, while others, particularly those familiar with your industry, may require less post-sale involvement. Knowing their expectations can help you adapt your approach accordingly. Some buyers may seek your expertise, while others have their own ideas for running the business. Understanding their direction can aid negotiations.

Emotions play a significant role in business transactions. Buyers are often excited about the prospect of purchasing a business, especially in the initial stages. However, it’s essential to maintain a realistic and grounded presentation and approach. Overselling the business can backfire, as it can lead to later disillusionment from the buyer.

Sellers should consistently consider what buyers want. While all buyers seek a successful business, their motivations and perspectives can vary widely. Tailoring your approach to each buyer and understanding their motivations can lead to positive outcomes. With their extensive experience, business brokers and M&A advisors can provide valuable insights into buyer motivation.

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Many sellers are surprised to learn that seller financing is very common. In fact, sellers should realize that there is a good chance that in order to sell their business, they will have to consider offering seller financing. 

What is Seller Financing?

Seller financing essentially occurs when the seller provides a loan to cover some part of the purchase price. It is common for the rest of the purchase price to be covered by a combination of a down payment and additional financing sources. 

Benefits of This Approach

At the end of the day, seller financing means that the seller serves as sort of a bank for the buyer. While many sellers may not like this prospect, seller financing can offer many benefits. Two key benefits are that potential difficulties of working with a real bank are bypassed, and sellers often enjoy a higher final sale price.

Most business brokers strongly encourage sellers to consider seller financing. One reason brokerage professionals favor the seller financing option is that it helps stimulate buyer interest. A seller who believes in their business enough to offer seller financing can expect buyers to take notice and respond. Sellers with confidence in their business can expect buyers to be eager to learn more.

Due Diligence is Essential

Sellers who choose to offer seller financing will still have to perform all necessary due diligence. Working with a bank does have its benefits; for example, a bank will check a potential buyer’s financial statements as well as their credit reports and more. 

Without the involvement of a bank, the seller is responsible for performing due diligence and checking that the buyer has a low risk of default. While seller financing opens up many possibilities for sellers, it is important that sellers also realize that this route comes with additional responsibilities.

Safeguards to Utilize

There are a variety of safeguards that sellers can use to help protect themselves when offering seller financing, and once again, brokerage professionals can be invaluable guides in this regard. Contracts often allow for the seller to take back the business within a 30-to-60-day window if financing fails. Another helpful clause for businesses centered on inventory is that the new owners are required to maintain a predetermined level of inventory during the payment period.

Thanks to seller financing, both buyers and sellers can benefit in a range of ways. Sellers who opt for seller financing usually discover that they receive a good deal of attention from buyers. Buyers enjoy greater financing flexibility and have a very clear indicator that the seller has confidence in the business. While seller financing does come with a good deal of paperwork, it is an option that buyers and sellers alike should consider.

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Everyone loves recurring revenue and for good reason. When buyers see recurring revenue, they instantly know that a business is stable, has positive cash flow, and, importantly, has room for potential future growth.

There is no way around the fact that buyers want a business to be predictable. In short, buyers want to see consistency and stability at every level. Recurring revenue means that a prospective buyer can be confident that they will see income from the first day they take over the business. There is a powerful psychological aspect to recurring revenue that sellers should keep in mind, as they put themselves in the buyer’s shoes. 

When a buyer sees that there is recurring revenue, they know that even if they are unable to develop the business as soon as they take over, there will be positive cash flow. Buying a business is a big decision, and recurring revenue can take some of the fear out of the equation.

Recurring revenue also serves to strongly indicate to buyers that your business offers goods and services that are consistently in demand. Any seller that wants to convince a buyer that their business is worth the asking price should focus on cultivating recurring revenue opportunities. There is nothing quite like recurring revenue to calm nerves and convince buyers that a business is worth a serious look.

Sellers should strive to have a business that has strong annual recurring revenue (ARR). ARR is a metric that measures the money coming in annually.  Once your business has a strong ARR, don’t be shy about emphasizing that fact to buyers. A healthy number serves as a truly powerful indicator of your company’s current and future health and potential. 

When your business displays strong recurring revenue, it points to the fact that your business is doing many things correctly. It shows that your business is able to consistently serve its customers well enough that they return again and again. This fact indicates that both your goods and services and your management and team members are performing optimally.

Summed up another way, recurring revenue is a quick and easy way for potential buyers to gain insight into the value of your company. Any seller looking to optimally showcase their ARR, or looking for ways to boost their recurring revenue, should consider working with a business broker or M&A advisor. Brokerage professionals understand all the different variables involved in helping prepare a business to be sold.

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At some point, you will need to sell your business. When the time comes to put your business on the market, it is in your best interest if your business has a dominant position in the market. Potential buyers will be far less excited about your business if you are playing catch-up to one or more competitors. In the end, maintaining a dominant market position will help you receive both maximum interest and top dollar for your business.

Take Steps in Advance

Preparing your business to be sold isn’t something that you do overnight. Instead, preparing your business for sale is a process that can take years of meticulous planning. Operating your business as though you will need to sell it soon is always a smart strategy.

Boost Your Customer Base

A key part of maintaining a dominant position in your market is to have a large number of customers. The logic is simple: if you have a large number of customers, then it only makes sense that your competitors have fewer customers. 

A prospective buyer will find your business more interesting when you have a wide and varied customer base. Conversely, a business that depends on just a few large customers may make buyers nervous. The built-in vulnerability of having a handful of key customers will send many prospective buyers looking for the exit ramp.

Have a Growth Mindset

Achieving a dominant position in the market means that you are always thinking about growth. It is vital that you consider how to expand your business in both the short term and the long term. Additionally, it is important to realize that different strategies are needed for both short-term and long-term growth. You should always have a growth plan ready to implement.

Gain a Realistic Understanding of Your Business

Whether you have achieved a dominant position in your market or are striving to do so, it is essential that you understand your business’s strengths and weaknesses. 

Far too many business owners turn a blind eye to the weaknesses of their business or overplay its strengths. One way to better understand these aspects of your business is to work with a business broker or M&A advisor who can evaluate your business from an outside perspective.

You want prospective buyers to be excited about your business and its potential for the future. Demonstrating that you have a dominant position in your market and that your business has room for potential growth will dramatically increase buyer interest and enthusiasm. Business owners looking to achieve top dollar will want to take the necessary steps to achieve a dominant position in the market.

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It is easy to get lost in the numbers when it comes to selling your business, but it is important to remember that the numbers only tell one side of the story. Both buying and selling a business come with significant mental and emotional ramifications. 

Why is this so critical to understand? Sellers who are not emotionally ready might subconsciously take steps to interfere with the sales process. Typically, sellers have invested a great deal of time and effort into their business, and as a result, they may simply not be truly ready to sell. Before the day comes to put your business up for sale, pause and reflect on whether you are 100% onboard. 

Let’s take a look at some of the questions to ask yourself so that you can decide if you are truly ready to sell.

Do You Have Future Plans? 

Topping the list of emotional factors that you need to consider when selling are your plans for the future. If you don’t know what your plans are for after selling your business, you may encounter difficulties post-sale. 

Far too often, business owners discover that they don’t know what to do with themselves after a sale has taken place. All the mental and emotional effort put into running a business has to be redirected once the business has been sold. It is crucial that before you sell your business, you have something new and exciting to work on in the future.

Do You Have a Strong Support Network?  

A second emotional factor to consider before you sell your business is whether or not selling it will lead to social isolation and stress. It is very common for business owners to form long-term friendships and bonds with numerous employees. 

Quite often, business owners begin to feel as though their employees are something like extended family. Suddenly not working with that extended family can bring with it a fair degree of social isolation. 

It is not uncommon for business owners to have many of their social needs met at work. Once those friendships are gone, many business owners can feel isolated, and isolation can lead to stress and a sense of regret. It is prudent to make sure your social network is robust enough that selling your business doesn’t lead to unexpected mental and emotional stress.

Selling a business is a massive decision for most business owners. It is a prudent move to be sure that you actually do want to sell. Once your business has been sold, there is no turning back.  

The last thing any business owner wants is to sell their business only to discover that they regret the decision. Don’t simply focus on the profit to be gained when selling your business, but also on the ramifications of that sale on your life and future happiness.

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Eventually every business owner needs to sell or think about who will take over their business when they retire. Working with an intermediary is an easy and streamlined way to jumpstart the process and learn what mistakes to avoid. A business broker or M&A advisor can help you to understand what steps to take to achieve optimal results. 

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

First, it is simply critical to understand that selling a business is a team effort. No seller should begin working with an intermediary with the idea that the intermediary will do “all the work.” The reality is that in order to achieve a successful sale, it is necessary for the seller and the intermediary to work closely and engage in a good deal of communication. 

Other key people such as executives and advisors will also have to work closely with your business broker or M&A advisor. Without a doubt, selling a business is a group effort that will need cooperation from many parties. For example, you’ll also need the cooperation of key management and team members when a prospective buyer visits the business.

Prepare for an Extended Process 

Another essential point to remember is that selling a business can take time. It is common for the sales process to take between six months to a year, but it can also take even longer than that. Sellers should enter the sales process realizing that they will be working closely with their chosen intermediary for a considerable period of time. That means that you’ll want to be sure to keep your intermediary well informed regarding any developments with your business for an extended period of time.

Be Open to Ideas 

Third, remember that your intermediary has invaluable experience and that you hired them to guide you through the process. It is not necessary that you blindly follow all their advice; however, it is essential that you be receptive to all their suggestions. 

Your intermediary may have years, if not decades, of proven experience selling businesses just like yours. It only makes sense to take advantage of that experience as much as possible. Your intermediary may have suggestions about what type of buyer you should be targeting or they may even have ideas as to how you can change your business to make it more attractive to prospective buyers. When intermediaries know that they have a receptive audience with a given buyer, they will feel more comfortable providing valuable suggestions.

The time to contact an intermediary about selling your business is now. Getting a business ready to sell takes time, effort and preparation. The sooner you begin working with a business broker or M&A advisor, the sooner you can begin charting a path to eventual success.

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Few business owners truly understand the complex dynamics of making a deal. Having never participated in selling a business before, the majority of business owners are blissfully unaware of what it takes to turn the dream of selling a business into a reality. Having a brokerage professional by their side is an easy way for a business owner to avoid the dangers that can easily torpedo a deal.

Keep Your Eye on the Ball

One of the most common reasons that businesses will fail to sell is that the business owner becomes obsessed with the pending transaction, and in the process, fails to keep up with the day-to-day operations of the business. The sales process can take months, or even years, and that means that the owner needs to pay attention to every aspect of their business or a prospective buyer could become very concerned.

Keep Confidentiality a Top Priority 

Another mistake that business owners can make, one that will quickly kill a deal, is a breach of confidentiality. If the sales process involves too many parties, then confidentiality often falls apart. Often the owner will call off the deal in frustration. A business broker or M&A advisor understands the tremendous importance of maintaining confidentiality and will prevent leaks from occurring. 

Seek Out Another Perspective

Being the boss for years, or even decades, means that a business owner may become rather set in their ways. Commonly, business owners may become rigid where compromises are concerned, especially when it comes to their business. As a result, a business owner may wish to negotiate every single item and detail which can send buyers running for the door. Some fights make sense and others should be avoided. Everyone can benefit from this essential third-party perspective, and this is another of the important ways that business brokers can help sellers.

Prepare Early

It can take years to properly get a business ready for sale. All too often, business owners will not prepare for the sale of their business until the 11th hour. Some business owners may even decide to sell on a whim or because of burnout. Unless a business owner prepares for the sale of their business well in advance, the business is unlikely to be ready to be sold. 

A business broker or M&A advisor knows precisely what it takes to get a business ready. For example, some areas that are particularly important for business owners considering selling a business are buying out minority stockholders, dealing with any pending lawsuits and cleaning up their balance sheet.

Keep Your Pricing Realistic

A fifth deal killer comes in the form of placing too high a price on a business. It is understandable that a business owner wants to receive top dollar as a business usually represents an owner’s life work. However, an unrealistic asking price can quickly destroy any chances a business has of being sold. A business broker can work with or without an appraiser to achieve a fair and realistic price and in the process dramatically increase the chances of a successful deal.

Buying or selling a business can have many twists and turns. Working with a brokerage professional stands as one of the simplest and most effective ways to avoid problems before they arise and, in the process, save the deal.

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