Sell a Business Tips
Selling a Specialty Printing Business
Owning a specialty printing business hasn't always been a bed of roses, but it's been worth the effort. The next step is to position your business for the demands of the business-for-sale marketplace.
Dire economic forecasts have forced many specialty printing business sellers into hibernation. Instead of listing their companies now, they're hanging back until they see signs of an economic recovery.
At Gaebler, we're seeing specialty printing business sellers succeed by applying sound sales principles combined with a refusal to be intimidated by a down economy.
Preparing Your Specialty Printing Business for Sale
Like it or not, a good business sale takes time. Profitable specialty printing business sales opportunities leverage a long-term strategy to increase the value of the business to buyers. Even though it may take years to adequately position your specialty printing business, the amount of preparation you perform will have direct correlation on asking and sale prices. But your efforts to improve your company's position and profitability will only be effective if you invest similar effort into the preparation of accurate financial statements for buyers.
Selling to a Family Member
The idea of passing a business along to a family member sounds idyllic to many business owners. in reality, a family-based specialty printing business sale can be more complicated than selling to a stranger. If it isn't handled properly, a family sale can quickly create irreparable divisions within your family. Whether you offer the family member special concessions or not, either the buyer or other family members may take offense. The best advice: if a family sale is a possibility, it needs to be handled objectively, with ample input from third-party advisors.
Adjusting Expectations
If you're smart, you entered your specialty printing business with a set of assumptions about what it would achieve. However, no one told the marketplace about your expectations. The outcome of your sale will be determined by market forces - not by your personal circumstances or desires. Despite your best efforts, you need to prepare yourself for the possibility of receiving less than you expected from the sale of your specialty printing business. If buyers don't seem to be willing to meet your expectations, consult with your broker to modify your strategy and market approach.
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