Selling a business is not an easy task—the process can be quite difficult and stressful, especially for smaller business owners who have never gone through the process of selling a business before. It’s why many business owners turn to professional business advisors for guidance. Business consultants are in increasingly higher demand due to the fact that they help guide owners through the selling process step by step. The following are some of the ways that business consultants can help:
1. They Will Provide a Comprehensive Business Analysis
Before putting a business up for sale, a business advisor will perform an in-depth analysis of the company. They will take a close look at the company’s finances, their operation and their marketing research potential. This gives the adviser a better idea of the company’s capabilities and worth, which in turn allows them to generate an accurate business profile that will represent the business in a way that will attract more potential buyers.
2. They Will Structure the Sale of the Business
This involves identifying the proper value of the business in order to set the price of the sale. A business advisor will use a wealth of information in order to determine this price, including not just the business analysis that they performed, but also the condition of the current market, the sale of other similar businesses within the same industry, the sales potential of the company and the projected growth of the company. This is no easy task—setting the value too low will lose the owner money, while setting it too high will scare potential investors away.
3. They Will Market the Sale of the Business
Once the price is set, the advisor will use their network in order to reach other business brokers and buyers throughout the world. Their network provides more exposure to the sale of the company, which helps attract more potential buyers for a quicker sale at the price that’s been set. Additionally, they will aggressively market the business on various sites, industry databases and publications.
Without access to their extended network or their aggressive marketing, an owner’s business can languish on the market for months, losing value as it does so due to a lack of interest caused by a lack of exposure.
4. They Will Be Careful with the Company’s Information
Only the necessary documentation and information will be needed for advertising the business in order to maintain confidentiality. Buyers will be pre-qualified and will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement before any sensitive information concerning the sale is provided to them. Even in online meetings, the level of security is maintained.
5. They Will Qualify the Potential Buyers
In many cases, the buyers who make an offer for a business are not properly qualified, which ends up leading to a doomed negotiation. This, in turn, wastes the time and money of the owner. Advisors for businesses will ensure that potential buyers are qualified for financial ability before they are allowed to present their offer.
6. They Will Help with the Negotiation Process
In order to receive the best price and terms, negotiations are necessary. A good business advisor has the experience and expertise to effectively negotiate with potential buyers in order to ensure the owner gets the best price and terms that they can get.
7. They Will Guide Owners Through Due Diligence
Once the right buyer has been found who is willing to pay the right price, the owner must go through due diligence. Business advisors will work with all of the accountants, banks, lawyers, and other third parties involved in order to help push the transaction through.
8. They Will Help with the Closing
Unfortunately, closing the sale isn’t as easy as just signing on the dotted line. There are all kinds of administrative procedures, intangible assets, inventory counts, licenses, and lease assignments that have to be taken care of. A business advisor will help the owner prepare and get through all of the paperwork that’s involved in this step of the sale.
9. They Will Help with the Transition Phase
Once the sale has finished, most business advisors will provide additional consultation to the previous owner to help make the transition from the owner to the buyer a smooth one.
Consultants play an important role in the sale of a business. Because so few business owners have experience selling a business, they often turn to business consultants for their expertise. As you can imagine, this has resulted in a high demand for business consultants.
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