Preparing to sell your business by maximising its efficiency, earning potential, structure and presentation really pays off. For example, minimising costs and increasing annual profit by as little as $5,000 could add $20,000 to the sale price. We can help you recast your profit and loss (P&L) to determine your true discretionary earnings.
Naturally you want the maximum price for your business. But setting an asking price too high could scare away potential buyers. While pricing too low means less financial reward for your hard work, there are many ways to value a business. Using a combination of these will usually provide the most realistic price band. The methodology must be accurate, appropriate for your type of business and stand up to expert scrutiny. Every business is unique, making it vital to deal with people who have proven experience in establishing true market value.
An Information Memorandum (IM) is a comprehensive document that gives a detailed overview of the business. It must be crafted to ensure it is accurate and represents your business honestly, while adhering to numerous legal requirements and regulations. This includes disclosing anything that may hurt the ongoing profitability of your business.
It takes more than setting the right price to find your ideal buyer. Having access to a large database of qualified buyers in your sector means greater competition and a better sale price.
As independent professionals, LINK brokers can discreetly approach buyers we believe might be interested, without divulging information that identifies your business.
LINK is one of the largest business sales marketers and advertisers in Australasia.
Through decades of experience and measurement, we know how to create effective marketing campaigns. Ads, brochures, web, social media and other communications are carefully planned and executed to attract buyers without identifying your business.
We know that not every enquiry about a business for sale is from a genuine potential buyer. But qualifying every buyer is often a surprisingly time-consuming and difficult process.
Acting as an independent third party, LINK brokers can maintain confidentiality until all potential buyers have been vetted and qualified.
After a potential buyer has reviewed the IM and expressed interest, they’ll have more questions and will usually ask for further information or documents. A LINK broker coordinates this process, by liaising with the business owner or their financial/legal teams to negotiate a conditional Sale and Purchase Agreement without yet supplying sensitive details.
Signing the Sale and Purchase Agreement doesn’t necessarily mean the business is sold. Most buyers want to verify your information during a due diligence period.
They’ll also need to review information previously withheld due to commercial sensitivity. This process usually takes 5 to 15 working days, although for ore complex businesses, it can be up to 90 days or more.
Once all the conditions in the agreement have been satisfied, the business is declared unconditional. Solicitors will finalise all legal documents, a final stocktake will be carried out and the sale will be settled.
The seller usually assists in the business for an agreed period post sale, to ensure there’s a smooth transition.
