Selling a Business Advice

Selling an Interior Landscaping Business

Don't believe anyone who tells you it's easy to sell an interior landscaping business. A lot of things need to happen before you can successfully exit your business. But with a few tips, you can keep your shirt and your sanity in the sale of your business.

According to the experts, there is currently a large volume of shadow inventory in the interior landscaping business market -- businesses that are waiting to be listed until the economy recovers.

There is no simple way to sell a business. But the most prepared interior landscaping business sellers are achieving fair market value and more for their companies through persistence and the application of sound selling techniques.

Seller Financing

Capital is hard to come by these days. Financial institutions have tightened up their lending policies, making it difficult for inexperienced and undercapitalized entrepreneurs to buy interior landscaping businesses. As a result, buyers expect sellers to finance a significant portion of the sale. As you prepare for the sale of your interior landscaping business, expect to be asked to finance a substantial part of the sale price.

Signs You're in Over Your Head

Many interior landscaping business are tempted to save brokerage fees by selling their businesses on their own. Although there are exceptions, solo sales typically take longer and are less productive than brokered sales. If you decide to go solo and your business has been on the market for more than six months without a single buyer inquiry, it's time to hire a professional business broker. Lack of buyer enthusiasm or persistence indicates that something is wrong. The remedy is professional brokerage or a consultation with more experienced sellers.

Preparing for What's Next

So you've decided to sell your interior landscaping business. That's great -- but have you considered what's next? Are you moving on to another business venture? Are you retiring? many sellers find themselves ill-equipped to handle life after their business and fail to understand that their future plans can influence the sale process. In today's market, many buyers expect seller financing - a concession that might not be a possibility for sellers whose next step requires the entire proceeds at the time of the sale.

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