Exit Planning Advice By Market
Selling an Aluminum Contractors Business
Business sellers have diverse personal and professional goals for the sale of their companies. But no matter what you expect from the sale of your aluminum contractors business, it's in your best interest to maximize the sales price through the application of proven sales techniques.
In a down economy, many aluminum contractors business sellers wait to list their businesses until they see signs that the economy has rebounded, making it difficult to accurately evaluate the number of aluminum contractors businesses that are actually for sale.
But they're also savvy enough to know a good deal when they see it. So for aluminum contractors business sellers, today's market is all about convincing buyers that the numbers make their companies worth the asking price.
Advantages of Hiring a Broker
A good broker can offer several benefits to business sellers. Right out of the gate, brokers know how to help their clients properly prepare their businesses for a sale. More importantly, brokers have the ability to identify serious buyers and maintain confidentiality throughout the sale process. Typical brokerage rates (a.k.a. success fees) run 10% of the final price - an expense that is usually recouped through a higher sales price and less time on the market.
Why Confidentiality Matters
Confidentiality determines risk in the business-for-sale marketplace. A low-key selling strategy is a low risk activity because you can control who does (and doesn't) know that your business is on the market. But if word leaks out to the wrong people, your competitors can use that information to steal business and damage your credibility. Although it can be difficult, it's important to strike a balance between confidentiality and sale promotion. We recommend consulting a business broker to learn how you can simultaneously identify prospective buyers and maintain a confidential sale environment.
Average Preparation Time
There are no effective shortcuts for selling an aluminum contractors business. Buyers want to see growth trends, healthy profits and other variables that increase the likelihood of long-term success. You'll also need to create financial reports, operations manuals, and other documents to create the perception of a turnkey aluminum contractors business operation. Since all of this takes time and effort, a aluminum contractors business can rarely be ready for the marketplace in less than six months. However, to command the highest price, you'll probably need to spend one to two years preparing and positioning your business for buyers.
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