Selling Your Business: Do it Yourself or Hire a Business Broker?

Selling a business is no small task and can be quite complicated, no matter the size or type of business. Because of this, if you’re in a position where you’re considering selling your business, you may be wondering about the best way to go. While many business owners try to go through the selling process themselves, hiring a business broker can make the process a lot easier. So what are some benefits of hiring a business broker to help sell a business?

Access to more potential buyers

To sell a business, the owner needs to be able to connect with potential buyers. While some owners may choose to sell their business to a family member or partner, that isn’t always the case. And sellers need to find potential buyers, using a business brokers’ services can help. Business brokers have a strong network of buyers they can connect with — this will allow sellers to have a bigger market of potential buyers to talk to.

Ability to negotiate for the best price

Business owners who don’t have much experience with selling businesses may not know what price to ask for or how to negotiate for a better price. Fortunately, that’s what business brokers do. They have the knowledge and experience needed to ensure the business will appeal to high offers, manage bidding, and counter offers. In doing this, business owners can rest assured that they’ll get the best price possible for their company.

Free up time and effort

Even though they might be selling the business, business owners still need to run their company in the meantime. This can be difficult to do if they have to focus on finding buyers, conducting showings, and negotiating terms and prices. But if business owners hire a broker, they won’t have to worry about those tasks. Sunbelt Business Brokers take care of everything so business owners can continue to run their company effectively. Having the time to manage the company until it’s sold is perhaps one of the biggest benefits of working with a broker.

Keeping the sale confidential

Confidentiality is key when selling a business. If customers and suppliers find out about the sale before it’s completed, this can cause problems for the business. This is why working with a business broker is ideal. Brokers are trained to protect confidentiality by doing a few important things. They always keep the location and name of the company confidential until after potential buyers sign a confidentiality agreement. Brokers will also limit the number of people who are aware the company is for sale by only sharing details with potential buyers who are actually qualified. All in all, brokers know which details to share and when to share them to protect their clients’ confidentiality.

Navigate the sale process

A lot of complex tasks associated with selling a business. Sellers have to stay on track and ensure they’re on the same page as the buyer to ensure the sale goes smoothly. While company owners will have several parties to work with throughout the sale process, such as accountants and attorneys, brokers can help sellers navigate the selling process. Whether it’s keeping things moving along or adjusting the purchase agreement, brokers will help sellers throughout the entire sale process.

Many business owners make the mistake of thinking that if they try to sell their business themselves, they can do it faster and get a better deal. But this is the opposite of what happens. With the help of a business broker, business owners can get the help the need throughout the selling process to ensure their business is sold at a great price and within a short time period.

Adam Hansen
 

Adam is a part time journalist, entrepreneur, investor and father.