Exit Planning Strategies
Selling a Veterans' Affairs Business
It's a misconception that no one is buying veterans' affairs businesses these days. Savvy entrepreneurs see veterans' affairs business opportunities as a path to short-term profits and long-term growth. There aren't any guarantees, but if you adhere to fundamental business sale concepts, you can likely get a good price for your business.
The economy isn't the only thing that is uncertain these days. So are veterans' affairs business buyers, many of whom are waiting to pull the trigger on their next acquisition.
Eventually, it will the time will come to exit your business. When that happens, your future plans will be dependent on your ability to receive the highest possible sale price for your veterans' affairs business.
Maximizing Sales Price
If you haven't sold a business before, may be surprised by the time investment that is required to sell a veterans' affairs business. Many sellers find that hiring a business broker makes the demands of a sale much more tolerable. If you try to sell your business without a broker, your time will be consumed by the details of the sale. Subsequently, you'll be distracted from the demands of your auto supply store, business will suffer, and the sale price you receive for your company will be dramatically reduced. For a lot reasons, a decision to hire a broker is almost always the right decision, especially for sellers who need to receive top dollar for their veterans' affairs businesses.
Preparing Your Employees
As a business owner, you want to keep you employees informed about your plans; as a seller it's in your best interest to keep your employees in the dark for as long as possible. You're concerned about confidentiality, and rightfully so. However, the longer the selling process drags on, the more likely it is that rumors will begin to circulate throughout your workforce. So at some point you will have to resign yourself to the idea of telling some or all of your employees that you have listed the veterans' affairs business on the market. Maintain a positive tone in your conversations and answer your employees questions as completely as you can without jeopardizing the sale.
Current Market Conditions
At first glance, today's market would seem to be a hostile place for veterans' affairs business sellers. So far, government intervention and promises that the economy is slowly recovering haven't been enough to alleviate many entrepreneur's fears. However, many business sellers don't realize that a full economic rebound can have devastating consequences, particularly if sellers who have waited to list their businesses suddenly create a glut in the business-for-sale marketplace. Like it or not, the time to sell your veterans' affairs business may be right now, as long as your willing to adequately prepare your business for the marketplace.
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