Selling a Business Advice

Selling an Ivory Gifts Business

Don't believe anyone who tells you it's easy to sell an ivory gifts business. A lot of things need to happen before you can successfully exit your business. Good advice can be hard to come by, so we've put together a few proven suggestions to help you see your sale through to a profitable conclusion.

Business buyers are a timid lot, even more so now that they are facing an uncertain economic landscape.

Yet what many sellers don't appreciate is that a down economy can present the perfect opportunity to sell a ivory gifts business.

Working with Appraisers

An experienced appraiser is part and parcel of a successful ivory gifts business sale. Leading industry appraisers equip sellers with a value gauge that can be accessed during negotiations. If you're disappointed with the appraiser's estimate of your company's worth, you have the option of seeking a second opinion. However, it's more often the case that you will need to adjust your expectations of your business's value to buyers.

Valuation Methods

Professional appraisers can use three methods to determine the value ofan ivory gifts business: The income method, the asset method and the market method. While the income method uses anticipated revenues as a value basis, the asset method focuses on the company's capital, real estate and intellectual assets. Using recent ivory gifts business sales as its foundation, the market method factors market conditions into the valuation process. As a safeguard, consider conducting appraisals using variations of multiple appraisal methods. Sellers should take note of the fact that all three valuation methods reward businesses that takes steps to increase assets and income.

How to Identify Prospective Buyers

Many sellers don't realize how many prospective buyers there are for their businesses. 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. If you aren't generating interest in the general marketplace, consider approaching companies that sell complementary products or are closely situated in your supply chain.

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