Business Exit Planning
Selling a Mail Services and Package Shipping Business
A good business is about more than dollars and sense. To make your mail services and package shipping business what it is today, you've had to fully invest yourself in its success. But the hard work isn't done yet. Before you can make a graceful exit, you will have to invest yourself in your business sale.
Market timing is a perennial problem for business sellers.
There are still plenty of mail services and package shipping business buyers looking for opportunities that present well in the marketplace.
Signs You're in Over Your Head
It's not uncommon for the owners of small mail services and package shipping businesses to adopt a go-it-alone sale strategy. Plenty of owners sell their mail services and package shipping businesses unassisted. Although there are exceptions, solo sales typically take longer and are less productive than brokered sales. Generally, listed businesses should generate interest within a few months. When buyers fail to exhibit substantive interest, it could indicate unrealistic pricing or an inferior selling strategy. The remedy is professional brokerage or a consultation with more experienced sellers.
Turning the Tables: Buyer Concessions
Sellers aren't the only ones who can make concessions in a business sale. In many instances, sellers can request buyer concessions. For example, if the buyer needs seller financing, you can leverage a five-year loan to push for a higher sales price. Although you won't see all of the proceeds upfront, you'll earn interest on the balance and realize a higher price than you would in an all cash deal. You can also choose to exclude certain items like equipment or inventory from the deal if the buyer isn't willing to meet your price expectations. By selling excluded assets on the secondary market, you can compensate for an anemic sale price.
Finding Prospects
Whether you know it or not, prospective buyers for your mail services and package shipping business are all around you. In fact, there is a good chance you already know several individuals or companies that might be interested in buying your business for a decent price. We frequently see qualified buyers emerge from the seller's network of business and personal acquaintances. In other cases, sellers take a proactive approach to finding likely buyers and contacting them directly. Competitors may seem like natural prospects and they are. The downside is that they won't pay top dollar and will probably absorb your company into their own.
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