How to Get Right Price When Selling Franchise

There could be many reasons a franchise owner decides to sell the franchise. But several franchise owners enter the process of selling franchise without being aware of and informed as to how to sell a franchise, what to expect, and what precautions should be taken and often find themselves in trouble often end up getting a lower selling price than the franchise is worth.

There are certain aspects that need to be taken care of when selling franchise so that the franchise, which you worked hard to build, should generate fair price when sold. The suggestions, that can help you generate fair price for your franchise, are as under:

Let your Franchisor Know
You should keep your franchisor informed about your intention to sell the franchise. Number of franchisors may have specific rules on selling the franchise. These rules must have been listed there in the franchise contract.

Your franchisor might be able to support and help you in selling franchise, as franchisors; being in the business for quite some time; might be aware of prospective buyers who are interested in a particular territory and might be in a look out for a good opportunity to buy some franchise.

Understand the Market
After informing the franchisor about your plan of selling franchise, now it’s time to develop the primary understanding of the market before your sell your franchise. Collect the relevant data, analysis – how much of similar franchises have been sold of late. Is this the right time to sell the franchise, is the market hot? Who could be the potential buyers for your franchise?

The answer to these questions will directly affect the sale of your franchise. There are possibilities that you will find that this is not the ripe time to sell your franchise or you can also discover the actual worth of your franchise.

Do the Homework
You should do some preparation before you actually present your franchise on the market for sale. These preparations should include the right value of franchise, arranging financial details, informing key employees (if you have any) and lastly putting together a sales package.

There are certain franchises which require more upfront arrangement than other franchises. Hence, just assess your franchise falls in which category.

Advertise and get ready for Sales Pitch
Even if your franchise is amongst the best in the town, without spreading awareness among the buyers you cannot reach anywhere. Make sure that it’s rightly and appropriately advertised and promoted through every possible mediums. You can also take help of agents to promote your franchise and list it with them. In addition you need to prepare your sales pitch and practice the same for the final day.

Offer Assistance to the Buyer
Majority of occasions you may need to provide support and assistance to your buyers in terms of re-establishing the franchise after they buy it. This assistance can be of several types which may include training, technical or functional support. You may also need to work along with your buyer for quite a few months as well.

Happy Independence Day

Sunbelt New England salutes all the freedom fighters who fought for our freedom. On this occasion of the Independence Day, Sunbelt New England wishes you all a very delightful and happy Independence Day!

Happy Father's Day

A great salute to the Father as a guiding force in our lives! Sunbelt New England wishes you a Very Fruitful and Happy Father’s Day!

Happy Mother’s Day

Make Mother's Day a memorable one, and let her know how much she means to you. Sunbelt New England wishes you a Very Fruitful and Happy Mother’s Day!

Happy President’s Day

Once again President Day is there to remind you all, what role our past presidents played to make our country the world leader! Let’s commemorate this historical occasion jointly and pledge to continue celebrating this event every coming year to honor our past presidents.

Sunbelt New England wishes you a Very Happy President’s Day!!

Know When to Sell Your Business

Selling a business can offer you a great deal of opportunities, but unless you have a good understanding of your exit strategy and the appropriate process to implement it, you will be left with a business that you would not be able to sell or you can't obtain its real value when you do sell.

To avoid such situation, there are a few tips that you need to consider prior to you even think to sell your business. These points are easy to understand and will enable you to get some useful tips on whether it’s right time to sell a business.
• Are you ready to sell your company?
• Do you have a company that you can sell?
• Is this the right time to sell?
• Are you personally interested in selling?
• Will it assist your life plans if you sell your business now?

For instance, you have managed your own business for almost 10 years now. You have generated a fair amount of savings and contemplating about retiring. To add some stability to your future savings, you are considering selling a business. Under these circumstances consider above stated tips and look at your business to analyze if selling is a prudent decision.

You should ask yourself if your business is salable. Well, do you have a steady flow of customers that keep you working full-time? Do you have additional requests for work every week? Do you employ multiple employees to help you in your business full time and your records for the past four years manifest continuous growth and profit? If yes, your company is salable.

Now, are you all set to sell a business? Are you really old enough to retire? Do you want a life outside of your business and determine that this is the perfect time for you to get out?

Next, given the economy in mind, is this the best time to sell? Well, it is the middle of the winter and your business is always the strongest during the winter. Also, you just got a machine replaced for one of the business' assignments, and for the last 6 months you have put money back into the business to install latest tools and equipment. In addition, the ever-changing economy is booming in your city. Of course, it seems that now is a right time for the business to sale.

Next, are you personally devoted to selling? You wish to take rest, as you would like to be able to travel and enjoy your retirement without taking up the stress running a business brings. So yes, you are entirely dedicated to selling your business.

Finally, does selling bring value to your long-term plans? Selling the business for a feasible price would enable you to realize your dream of investing in the stock market, which you have always dreamed of doing but never had the opportunity. This would also enable you to rest on weekdays and travel in your camper whenever you want. So yes, selling your business will enable you realize your objective of a successful retirement.

Selling your business should not be a grueling process. With a little knowledge and evaluation, you handle this process with confidence.

Welcome 2011

As 2010 descends, we get ready to welcome this New Year with open arms. It had been a great year (glad that America has bounced back .. no questions about why we are still the leading nation across the globe). Let's pledge to continue our association next year.

Happy Thanksgiving 2010

It’s time to be thankful for all the good things in life. Thanksgiving 2010 is upon us and here Sunbelt Team wishes you a sincere heart-felt thanks to all our clients, well-wishers, friends and family who have helped us survive the difficult recession of 2009-10. We look forward to enriching upon this relationship for further growth next year.

Sunbelt Team wish you great time with your family and friends on the Thanksgiving Day.

Happy Columbus Day

SunbeltNE wishes you a very HAPPY COLUMBUS DAY! It’s the day of the arrival of Columbus in America and celebrates the spirit of adventure and discovery. So hope your day is filled with fun and adventure!

Want to negotiate actively for your business for sale? Some steps to follow

Your ultimate aim in putting up your business for sale is getting the right price for it. However, many sellers settle for a lower price for their business as they ignore the importance of negotiations. After you list your business for sale, you need to negotiate effectively with the buyer in order to ensure that you achieve your target price. Take the following steps so that you are well prepared for negotiations.


Start preps well ahead of time

You should prepare your business for sale ready well ahead of the time you need to talk to potential buyers. Your total effort should be in making your business for sale as attractive as possible to potential buyers, so that you can negotiate actively when the time comes. You can take care of a professional like a business broker to prepare your business for sale. If you start the preparations well in advance, you can hike up your asking price, negotiate aggressively as well as increase the chances of closing a successful deal.


Put the right team together

Putting up a business for sale is a complicated and long process, which cannot be done overnight. You will need the help of a lot of professionals. A business broker is the first professional you will need when you list your business for sale. Having an expert at your side will help you in knowing the process and take the right steps at all times. The business broker will also help you in the negotiation process, as they have a lot of experience in such dealings. Such negotiations skills of the business broker will come handy to achieve the selling price you want for your business for sale. In addition to a business broker, you will need other professionals as well like lawyer, CPA and financial adviser etc.


Set your target price

A lot of business for sale owners go forward with the selling process with the wrong expectations. Such wrong expectations delay the selling process, and sometimes becomes the reason for a failed deal. Before you put your business for sale on the market, know the kind of price you are expecting for it. That way, you will be able to negotiate effectively along with your business broker and will know when you have achieved your price goal.


Take the time to find the right buyer

Have patience while selling your business; it is a long and tough process which will require your full focus. Sometimes a business for sale deal may end in a deadlock, with neither the buyer nor the seller willing to budge. Keep your expectations in check when you enter the negotiation round for your business for sale and don't expect the deal to close as soon as you start negotiations.

Happy Labor Day

SunbeltNE wishes you a HAPPY LABOR holiday! Here we salute the silent heroes 'the American workers' whose contributions have made us one of the greatest nations on this planet. We admire and celebrate the economic and social achievement of all our workers.

Have you put up a business for sale? Sell it confidently

Putting up your business for sale is just the first step of closing a deal. You have a long way to go, and you will find a proper buyer to hand over your business only when you are confident of the selling process. A business for sale needs a lot of work, so be prepared mentally as well as physically to give in your best efforts to sell it. To find a person looking for a business to buy, you need to ensure that you have the patience and skills required to spot the right buyer when you come across one. If you want to become a confident business for sale owner, read on.


Seek expert help

The process of putting up a business for sale is a complicated one, in which you will need professional help. Professionals like business brokers, lawyers, accountants etc. are experts in brokering a business for sale deal. These professionals help you portray a strong and confident image to the buyer, so you increase the chance of closing a successful deal. They may also be of great help in guiding you as to what a person looking for a business to buy expects of you as a seller. A business broker also has a lot of businesses to buy on hand and is approached regularly by buyers. Listing your business with the business broker might help find the right buyer for your business for sale.


Pricing your business for sale

You need to determine the price of your business for sale very carefully, as it may make or break the deal for many buyers. If a business to buy is priced too high, people looking for a fair price for may be put off. Even if you price your business for sale too low, a buyer may doubt the feasibility of your business operation. People looking for businesses to buy scrutinize the pricing very carefully and you would do well to have a good reason for the price you are demanding. Get a business valuation before setting the price of your business for sale, so you can put your business on the market for an attractive price for a buyer.


Keep your options open

You need to entertain multiple buyers if you want to keep an edge in the business for sale transaction. If you are desperate to sell your business and the buyer senses that he/she is the only one in the picture, you will lose the negotiation power. Good businesses to buy today are few and if yours is worth it, you will find a lot of people expressing interest. Entertaining multiple buyers ensures that you have options a choice when it comes to selecting the owner for your business for sale. You will be able to find the right person looking for a business to buy only when you have multiple offers on hand.

Avoid these errors while putting up a company for sale

Listing your company for sale is one of the hardest decisions you will make. After all, you must have put in many days and nights of dedicated efforts into it and letting go of it is a tough call. Having worked hard to bring your business to a certain level, you would also want your company for sale to go in the right hands. Selling to the wrong person or botching up the selling process can seriously jeopardize your business. So here are some of the common errors of selling a business that you can keep in mind when you put up your company for sale.

Expecting the wrong price

Most business owners make the mistake of either over-pricing or under-pricing their business when they put it up on the market. A potential buyer will examine your company for sale through its profitability, turnover and future potential and then determine the price he/she is willing to pay for it. Over-pricing your business will put off the buyer even before you reach the negotiations stage. Under-pricing, on the other hand, will create unease in the buyer’s mind as to the feasibility of the business for sell, and will delay the whole process even more. Work with a business broker to determine the true value of your business and prepare yourself for the price to expect for your company for sale.

Selling at the wrong time

The past two years have been the toughest in recent times, with buyers reluctant to part with their money even for a viable company for sale. The timing for selling your business is one of the most important factors in closing a deal. You should also keep in mind that selling a business when it is incurring losses is a bad idea. You should, in fact, consider putting up your company for sale when it is at its peak and profit levels are the highest. That way, you can negotiate effectively and obtain a good price for your business for sell. Keep the idea of selling your business in mind always, so that you can grab the right opportunity when it comes by.

Insufficient financial documents and information

You need to help a potential buyer to make a decision about your company for sale. For that, you need to have all financial information at hand so that when the buyer needs it, you can provide it immediately. Such prompt action will help the buyer analyze the business for sell quickly and make a decision. Lack of such important documentation is an immediate deal killer for most buyers. Ask your business broker for a list of all documents you need to keep ready before a buyer visits you on-site.

Selling in haste

You may be tempted to accept the first offer you get. However, making the decision in haste is a bad idea. Ideally, you should have multiple offers on hand so that you can negotiate strongly and get the best price for your company for sale. Consider all the offers you have with your business broker’s assistance and then decide on the best one of the lot.

Not using a business broker

The guidance of an expert business broker will go a long way in closing a successful deal. By not using such an experienced professional’s services, you risk elongating the business selling process and selling to the wrong buyer. Moreover, the business broker can focus totally on selling your business while you carry on with the everyday business activities of your company for sale. The commission you pay to the business broker will be totally worth it when you hand over your business to the right person.

Happy 4th of July 2010!!

SunbeltNE wishes you, our clients, readers and well wishers, a very happy 4th of July 2010. Have a great time this long weekend and enjoy this Independence Day to the fullest with friends and family.

Are you using a business broker for your company for sale?

Many people who put up their company for sale try to do it on their own. They want to avoid paying commissions to a business broker and increase the profit margins from the sale. However, this is a serious mistake which can hamper the sale of a company. Granted, a lot of brokers charge hefty commissions on closing a business deal. But they also offer security and experience in closing a successful deal. You may avoid paying the business broker commission by doing the deal alone. But you also face the risk of coming across a phony buyer who will waste your time and keep you from closing the deal quickly. Putting up your company for sale without the advise of an experienced business broker is a huge risk which you should avoid if you want to hand over your business to a genuine business owner who can develop and grow your business further. If saving commission is the topmost thing on your mind, consider some advantages of using a business broker while setting up your company for sale:


Experience

The most important reason you need a business broker is his/her experience in closing a deal. When you go to a professional, you are ensuring that the process you need to follow to put up your company for sale is defined. Having the business broker guide you in all the steps of selling your business will ensure that you avoid common mistakes and get the best deal in your favor.


Network

As the business broker will have years of experience in buying and selling businesses, he/she will also have an established network through which you can promote your company for sale. This means that as soon as you hire their services, your company will immediately reach interested buyers. Such promotion not only relieves you of the task of looking for appropriate buyers, it might also increase the possibility of closing the deal quickly.


Negotiations

A majority of business buying or selling deals break down at the negotiations stage. With the experience that business brokers have in buying and selling business, they will be an asset when it comes to negotiating effectively. All you need to do is set a realistic price range you want to get for your company for sale and the business broker will handle the rest.


Focus on developing your company for sale

With a business broker into the picture, you can hand over all the intricate details related to your company for sale and focus on developing your business. Doing so will ensure that you don't ignore your business activities while promoting it for sale and add to the value of your business.


Confidentiality

If you promote your company for sale yourself, it draws attention of your employees, clients as well as a lot of competitors. This may have negative repercussions for your business. But when you hire a business broker, you generally sign a confidentiality agreement with him/her, in which they agree to keep the sale of your business confidential until it changes hands. You can hence maintain complete confidentiality related to your company for sale.

Have a business for sell? Some questions to ask yourself

Putting up your business for sell is a once-in a lifetime opportunity, which you need to perfect in order to reap the rewards. After all, you don't want to sell the business you have worked so hard to develop at a cheap price or to a wrong seller, do you? That being said, there's a lot which goes into preparing a business for sell. In order to be able to successfully prepare your company for sale, you need to start with a few questions to yourself as the business owner. The following are some of them:

  • Can your business be sold?
  • There are many elements in a business which may make it an attractive proposition for a buyer. You need to find what that element for your business for sell is. This way, you can know what the base of your selling proposition is or what your strong point is. So find out whether your company for sale has a long history of profitability, a large customer base, a niche product, a skilled workforce or a great location. Once you lock on the main value proposition for your business, you can use it to convince the buyer as well as to negotiate effectively.


  • Do you know your business' worth?
  • Many business owners have no clue about the value of their business. They make certain assumptions based on the amount of work they have put in and either overprice or under-price the business for sell. This is a big mistake, which will seriously hamper your business-selling efforts. Don't base the selling price of your business on assumptions. Get a professional business valuation for your company for sale, which will give you an idea about what a buyer is willing to pay for it. Such a business valuation will not only give you a fair idea with regards to the price, it will also help you in negotiating effectively with prospective buyers.


  • Are you ready for negotiations?
  • The last step of the business-selling process is negotiations. This is a tough stage in which a majority of deals can break down. Have clear goals for your business for sell when you enter the negotiations stage. Your expectations should also be reasonable. For example, you be hoping to get full cash when you put up your company for sale. However, this is less likely to take place in today's cash-strapped market. You can instead negotiate for a non-cash deal with a partnership in profits or etch out a deal where you can help with the business once the business is handed over to the new owner. While this might not give you cash right away, it may be more profitable in the long run. Keep such long term goals in mind when you put up your business for sell.

You will be able to follow the steps of selling a business only when you are clear about all these issues. Having clear answers to these questions will enable you to etch out a successful deal for your business for sell.

Happy Memorial Day 2010

On this Memorial Day, SunbeltNE pays tribute to all the soldiers who have laid down their life for our country. Here’s saluting all our war heroes for their selflessness, bravery and sacrifice.

Have a company for sale? Know what’s going on in the mind of the buyer

There are qualified buyers looking for a profitable business to buy. As a company for sale owner, it is your job to make your business as attractive as possible to these buyers, so that you can close the deal fast. However, you need to get into the mindset of the buyers and know what they are thinking in order to get the best price for your company for sale. By paying attention to exactly what the buyers want, you can customize your business for sell and make it a more attractive deal for them. A good business broker may also know what the buyers expect and hence may be able to help you sell your business. The following are some questions which may be going on in the buyer’s mind when he looks at your company for sale:


What is the price of the company for sale?

The buyer will invariably be looking for a company for sale which has a reasonable price. The price range should also match the budget he/she has for buying a business. If your business for sell is attractive for them, the buyer may seek alternative ways to finance the deal. He/she may also have questions about seller financing for your company for sale, which you need to be prepared for.


How is the customer base of the company for sale?

If the buyer is looking to run your business after buying it, he/she will be thinking about how strong your existing customer base is. Having a good customer base will make your business for sell an attractive deal for the buyer. Knowing your clientele properly, including who is your top customer, how much revenue is generated, percentage of profits from customers are some of the things you need to be aware of in order to answer questions related to your company for sale.


Is the company for sale profitable?

The buyer is obviously going to look for a profitable business for sell. You should hence have all your financial documents ready for the buyer to examine, so that the true profitability of your business is apparent. Have details of your company for sale like inventory, P&L statements, vendor lists etc. ready when you meet the potential buyer. Your business broker might be able to help you out in getting your financial papers in order.

Knowing what your potential buyers are thinking will not only help you prepare your company for sale, it will also give you ideas as to how to improve the business until it is sold. The mindset of the buyer will also help you determine how much price to ask for your business for sell and how to augment that price to the maximum.

Are you prepared to put up your business for sell?

The decision to put up your business for sell is a serious one, with the potential for you to achieve your retirement goals or help you move on to another profession comfortably. Preparing your business for sell is complicated and you should take appropriate steps to see that your business sells quickly and you get the best possible price for it. The following are some steps to ensure that you prepare your company for sale quickly.

  • Maintenance of equipment
  • If your business for sell uses any machinery or equipment, you need to ensure that it is serviced and functions properly before the buyer comes in for inspection. The buyer will expect all the equipment to be in perfect running condition when he considers your company for sale. Any operating problems in your equipment will raise a red flag, which will hamper the chances of selling your business quickly.

  • Information related to your clients
  • One of the main queries for a qualified buyer will be related to your clients. Do you know the client base for your business for sell properly? Can you answer questions related to them comfortably? It is important for you to know details related to top clients, percentages of sales associated with them, how much revenue is brought in with those clients etc. When you put up your company for sale, you should have all this relevant information at hand to answer the buyer's questions.

  • Find a business broker
  • You cannot go the whole way alone if you want to sell your business. So when preparing for a business for sell, look around for a reputed business broker. A business broker will help not only in the negotiations, but also in the steps to be taken to close a successful business for sell deal. With a business broker by your side, you are sure to get the best price for your company for sale. Besides a broker, you may also require the services of a lawyer and an accountant to sell your business.

  • Have all the financial information ready
  • Don't wait till the last moment to get all the financial papers ready for your business for sell. If the buyer is seriously interested in your business, he/she will examine all the financials of your company for sale in detail along with their experts. There is a lot of paperwork associated with the financials which you need to get together before you put up your business for sell. You will require P&L statements, income tax returns, bank statements, asset listings, employment tax filings revenue reports and much more when you put your company on the market. So take the time and help of your business broker to get these papers together.

The preparation for a business for sell takes a lot of time and effort. So make sure that you start well in advance if you want to sell your business quickly and get the right price for it.

Business brokers: An advantage or a needless expense?

Do you have a business for sell? Are you preparing for its sale? Are you wondering whether hiring the services of a business broker is necessary for closing a successful deal? Many first-time business sellers wonder about taking care of the business for sell on their own, saving themselves the expense of the business broker. While planning and preparing your business for sell may be the cheaper option, it is definitely better to hire the services of a professional business broker who can guide you through the process of selling a business. Putting up a business for sell on your own exposes you to the risk of making amateur mistakes, which may break the deal. A professional business broker can not only help you in looking for the appropriate buyer, he/she can also help you undertake business valuation, so that you can price your business for sell properly. Moreover, as a professional who has experience in selling businesses, a business broker can guide you through all the phrases of selling your business.

Listed below are some of the aspects you should pay attention to along with your business broker if you want to close a successful deal.

Business Finances
Business buyers always look through your financial documents to examine the profitability of your business. Your
business for sell finances should be in perfect shape if you want to make a successful sale. You, with help if your business broker, need to get all your business finance papers ready with the help of a professional accountant. Your business broker can also determine the valuation of your business according to the financial health of your business for sell.

Business Valuation
The valuation for your
business for sell needs to be neither too high nor too low, if it has to attract the attention of potential buyers. If you price your business too low, the buyer might wonder about the true profitability of your business for sell. On the other hand, the buyer will also be unwilling buy your business if you value it too high. Your business broker can help you in getting the true valuation of your business for sell, so that you price it properly and can close the deal successfully.

Other Financial Documents
You will need to gather other documents related to the
business for sell, which you need to hand over to the new owner. These may include licenses, business permits, leasing agreements etc., which the new owner will need to run the business. Your business broker can help you organize these documents so that you are completely prepared for handing over your business for sell.

The expense related to a
business broker will be more than compensated when you close a deal. Not hiring one can mean the difference between a successful business for sell deal and an unsuccessful one.