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The Process on How to Sell a Business

• Business Valuation - Determining the fair market value of your business is an involved procedure, which takes many variables into account. Proper consideration must be given to your company's strengths, assets, historical financial performance and projections, along with the many intangibles. Purchase price comparisons should be made with like companies that have sold within your industry. Overpricing as well as under pricing must be avoided in order to ensure reaching the correct buyers and market place.

• Client interview - We need to determine your objectives and collect all pertinent information. We put a punch list of things that need to be gathered - financial, as well as general information, on all aspects of your business. Proper preparation is crucial for the best presentation of your business and is also the first step needed to gauge the level of interest from potential buyers.

• Value proposition strategy - The business must be properly packaged with all applicable records and facts organized and documented. This ensures presentation in its most favorable light, while providing the acquirer with a concrete document to follow and review. This package educates buyers on the many intangibles inherent in your Company, hence raising the perceived value to the acquirer. These intangibles include name recognition, market niche, vendor relationships, operation and production systems, distribution channels, customer loyalty, trained and skilled employees, and many more.

• Marketing & Advertising Strategy - There are many channels which we can utilize to aide in selling your business. Not the least of which is our own database of qualified, interested and knowledgeable buyers. We also help determine our approach and level of confidentiality needed during this process to help guard against your competitors, employees, vendors and customers ever finding out about the pending sale of your business.

• Screening potential buyers - Pre-Qualification involves fielding all phone and email responses, answering initial questions and ascertaining their interest level, management skills, cultural fit and ability to meet the financial requirements of the transaction as well as getting signed NDA's (to further maintain confidentiality for all parties the buyer must agree to financial disclosure and confidentiality rules). Then we gain commitment that the buyer is committed to the process of purchasing a business at price and terms consistent with the marketplace.

• Presentation & Review - Provide the potential buyer with the company information package we have put together and present the website, the business, potential for growth and the market opportunity. This will also involve answering numerous questions and possibly setting up a conference call with all parties.

• Negotiations and Screening - Negotiations between the Buyer and Seller can sometimes be tense. BusinessBrokers.net offers skilled negotiation to resolve issues as they arise and control all aspects of the process until resolution is reached. The clients feel the positive impact of full and complete representation, and are allowed to concentrate on operating their business while the professionals at BusinessBrokers.net attend to all the details.

• Offer to Purchase/LOI - The buyer prepares a Letter of Intent with the assistance of a BusinessBrokers.net intermediary in order to submit a formal offer to purchase to the seller along with any contingencies. BusinessBrokers.net presents the offer to the seller and answers any questions regarding the offer.

• Offer Acceptance or Counter - The seller accepts the offer as written or responds with a counter offer. If accepted, a deposit is required from the buyer to take the listing "off the market" and begin due diligence.

• Due Diligence - The offer is usually contingent on the buyer's professionals verifying the accuracy of the seller's financial and operational representations. The buyer begins the process of due diligence and inspects detailed business information. This process also involves managing and settling all contingencies - all contingencies are removed from the Letter of Intent/Offer to Purchase.

• Purchase Agreement - a binding purchase agreement is presented to the seller and then signed and returned to seller for final signature.

• Closing - This is the point at which you can be assured that you have realized your goal and the transfer of funds is completed and the sale process is completed.

• Transition Period - This typically involves a period of cooperation in which you will assist the acquirer in effectuating a "seamless" transition. This includes transferring of key relationships and proprietary information needed to successfully operate the business. This is a very important piece of the entire process and the time required varies from business to business and market to market.

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