Niche Market Exit Planning Tips
Selling a Business to Business Direct Marketing Business
A lot can go wrong during the sale of a business to business direct marketing business in today's economy. More than ever before, it's important for sellers to know the tactics and techniques that are being used to maximize sales price and achieve desired sale outcomes.
Dire economic forecasts have forced many business to business direct marketing business sellers into hibernation. Instead of listing their companies now, they're hanging back until they see signs of an economic recovery.
The business-for-sale market is extremely dynamic. Knowledgeable entrepreneurs understand that market timing isn't nearly as important as other factors in a business to business direct marketing business sale. The key is to go into the sale with your eyes open and with complete awareness of market condition.
Selling Time
Hoping for a quick business to business direct marketing business sale? You may be disappointed. Although asking price and other factors contribute to sale time, it's difficult to predict how long your business will be on the market before you locate the right buyer. To adequately prepare your business listing, plan on spending six months to a year prior to listing. Even though it's conceivable that an attractive opportunity could sell in weeks, an immediate flood of offers could indicate that the business is underpriced.
Signs You're in Over Your Head
The business to business direct marketing business-for-sale marketplace is a mixed bag of brokered sales and solo efforts. Although there are exceptions, solo sales typically take longer and are less productive than brokered sales. As a rule, no business should sit on the market for more than six months without attracting the interest of at least a handful of qualified buyers. Lack of buyer enthusiasm or persistence indicates that something is wrong. The remedy is professional brokerage or a consultation with more experienced sellers.
Dealing with Buyers
It's a common scenario: in an effort to perform a thorough due diligence process, buyers flood business to business direct marketing business sellers with questions and requests, often to the point of becoming a nuisance. Due diligence preparation can mitigate the irritation factor, but you should still expect to field numerous buyer concerns before closing. Avoid answering buyer concerns with vague generalities. Instead, be as specific as possible, even if it means doing additional research before offering a response. However, at some point due diligence has to end and the sale must proceed to closing. Consult with your broker to determine when it's time to draw the line and push the buyer toward a final commitment.
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