Sell your business in the fastest possible time.
It can take six to eight months to sell your business in the UK. It can also take considerably longer. This post is designed to help you get all your ducks in a row and help you attract the right type of buyer and in the fastest possible time.
Your business is your baby!
“DAVID MORSE
Mr. Lewis what do you plan to do with the company?
EDWARD
Break it up and sell off the pieces.
JAMES MORSE
I’m sure you’ll understand I’m not thrilled at the idea…
of your turning forty years of my work into your garage
sale.”
(Pretty Woman screenplay).
I’m rather proud; I got a pop culture reference in there! Many of our clients at We Sell Any Company are the same individuals who had that initial spark and then nurtured it, helping it evolve into the thriving and successful concern that it has become.
Because of this, whilst you may want a quick sale, you also want the business to go to someone who will give it the same love and attention that you have lavished on it.
So, in short, you want to sell your business to the right person, at the right price and in the fastest possible time.
The psychology of selling a business
If you are the head of a successful business then the chances are you already sell products or services in exchange for money. As obvious as this statement may seem, many business owners don’t employ the same thought process / tactics when it comes to looking at their own business as a saleable entity as they do the products or services that they sell on a day to day basis. Whilst this post focuses upon how to sell your business in the fastest possible time in 2022, our previous post (link) will help with achieving a successful sale – and broadly looks at the essential elements you need to take into account BEFORE putting your business on the market.
The following factors will affect the time taken for your business to sell in 2022:
Type of business
Does your business produce coal-powered computers or is it embracing the technology of tomorrow?
Growth businesses will always command a higher price and result in a faster sale. It makes sense. If you are an investor you are unlikely to buy into a company that has a limited shelf life. Consider this when placing a valuation upon your business.
Yesterday’s technology does not always mean a drop in profits however. Take Vinyl for example. Whilst Spotify and Amazon music are significantly stealing market share that was previously owned by CD’s, Vinyl records are enjoying a vast resurgence.
Do the hard work for your potential business buyer!
As with the example above consider what YOU would need to see in order for you to view the business as an attractive proposition in 2022. If you have three to five years trading history, together with reasonable growth projections for the coming years then buying your company can be a virtual no brainer!
Does your business currently turn a profit?
If your business is currently struggling to break even you need to ask yourself why an investor would want to buy it. What’s in it for them?
Don’t look at this as a put down, or a sign for you to give up on the idea of selling or letting your company go for much less than the business valuation. It may be that times have moved on and your business can only turn a profit with someone else at the helm. It then comes to offsetting your business valuation and existing accounts with future projections based upon having the right person / team (with the right experience) running it.
The RIGHT buyer therefore will see your business as a viable money making machine and will result in a faster sale for you.
- How much time will it take to cover your expertise?
- How essential are you to the day-to-day operations of your business?
- What are the implied costs of matching your expertise?
These are questions that any potential investor will ask. If you can answer these questions in advance and prove that they can run the business easily without your personal involvement (this could be due to the management team and staff you have in place) then this will result in a faster sale of your company.
If you are an essential cog in your business it may be an idea to delay selling your business until such a time as you can demonstrate your business will still turn a profit without your own hands on involvement.
How is your investor going to pay for your business?
Finding the right buyer can mean more than selecting the person with the same passion for the business as you have. A faster sale can also come down to how your intended buyer proposes to purchase your business.
If your investor has significant cash reserves then it stands to reason any sale will go through much faster than if they are depending upon the approval of a bank loan, for example.
I’m going to blow our own trumpet here for a second:
At We Sell Any Company we have an ever-growing database of business investors, some of which have multiple property portfolios. This makes it easier for any business owner to find and attract the best buyer for their business in the fastest time.
I hope you enjoyed that shameless plug. Now let’s talk about Due Diligence.
What is Due Diligence?
If you want your business to sell quickly then make sure there are no surprises for your investor that could potentially present a barrier to sale.
Due diligence is an audit of your company prior to any potential sale. Any potential investor or buyer will need a complete picture of all company liabilities, obligations, debts, potential lawsuits, customer / employee disputes and agreements and contracts to name but a few essential components.
The due diligence process can take up to several months to complete, so if a fast sale is important to you, then you may want to start this process six or seven months before the business sale process is due to begin.
We will go further into the due diligence process in our next post.
Getting the right help to sell your business in 2022.
There are trained professionals out there who specialise in selling businesses, in finding the right buyers, at the right price and in the fastest possible time (we are one such company).
Given that, unless you are an expert in business sales or marketing or you are a business broker then selling your own business by yourself may be as wise as a non-medical professional performing brain surgery… on themselves.
Marketing and advertising strategy to sell your business.
For a faster and more profitable business sale enlist the help and guidance of the experts. You will get a better price, you will attract the right investor and as is the purpose of this post you will sell your company in a much faster time.
Get in touch
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