Planning
Whatever you are not changing,
you are choosing.
— Laurie Buchanan
79% of business owners want to exit in the next 10 years
15% have talked to an advisor about their plans
Source: Business Enterprise Institute, Inc.
Most owners wait until they “feel ready” to start planning for the sale of their business. The problem with that is “when I feel ready” may not coincide with when your business is in a strong, sale-ready position, or when market conditions are favorable.
At Allan Taylor & Co. we’ve worked with owners for years prior to selling their business. It’s no surprise that these transactions were some of our most wildly successful in terms of purchase price, deal structure, and the time it took to find a great buyer and complete a transaction.
How does planning improve the sale of your business?
- Higher valuation
- Less seller financing
- Shorter post-sale transition period
- Stronger negotiating position
- Smoother due diligence process
- Attract more interest from high-quality buyers
- Easier for buyers to finance
- Fewer days on market
- Faster timeframe for closing
- Less stress on you and your business
A little planning
goes a long way
We recommend that you start planning for the sale of your business anywhere from 6 to 36 months before going to market. At Allan Taylor & Co. we start the planning process with our Business Valuation & Sellability Assessment. This gives us a starting point to work from. We’ll identify the areas of your business that drive value and matter most to buyers. We’ll also look at potential red flags that may lead to a lower valuation or difficulties during due diligence.
Selling a business comes with its own set of risks. A little planning and preparation goes a long way towards reducing those risks and improving the odds of a wildly successful sale.
Articles
How to Prepare Your Business For Sale Like a Pro
Learn how to prepare your business for sale like an expert and prevent common deal-killers. Plus, gain quick tips on prepping each aspect of your business.
How to Understand (and Boost) the Valuation Multiple for Your Business
Learn what a valuation multiple says about a business, how the multiple is determined, and how sellers can nudge that multiple higher.
8 Simple Hacks To Increase The Value Of Your Business
If you look at reasons why deals fail to close, there’s one that tops the list. By “tops” I don’t mean in the top three or five. We’re talking the number one reason businesses don’t sell: Valuation. When you're faced with a "value gap" -- i.e. the current value of...