Why Your Business Should ALWAYS Be Ready To Sell
Whether you have exit strategies in place or you plan to operate your business for a long period of time, as an entrepreneur, you should always be ready to sell your business. Many owners of private businesses fail to recognize the importance of running their companies in a way that ensures they are fully prepared should the need to sell arise.
Based off experience helping countless business owners reposition and restructure their businesses, PGP Advisory always encourages clients to the adopt the prepared mindset of ‘always be ready to sell,’ even if they have no intention of selling. Our goal today is to demonstrate how always being ready to sell will position your company for success regardless of where you are on your business journey.
Be The Buyer
Let’s begin by placing ourselves in the position of a prospective investor. A savvy business investor will want to see a well-oiled, automated, documented, efficient, and streamlined machine when they look under the hood.
Potential buyers almost always can see through a rushed attempt to make a business seem as though it’s running at its full potential. Failing to put solid financial systems in place or to make sure key management team members are fully capable of leading when you’re not around is like waiting until the week before your child graduates from high school to research college admissions requirements. Simply put, it’s too late.
Most sellers do not consider buyer needs until a sale is imminent, which often results in them scrambling to make changes or accepting a reduced sale price.
Prepare to Sell, Even If You Don’t
Ready to sell, does not mean your business has to be on the market. It means that if a sale arose, or circumstances change, your business will immediately be more attractive to buyers. The intention here is that by being ready to transition to a new owner, putting solid systems in place, employing great staff and reducing reliance on the you as an owner, will inevitably ensure you get the best price when it is time to sell. This also means that it becomes easier to run your business and you can spend more time working on your business instead of in it. At times, forces beyond our control (e.g. COVID-19, economic recessions, difficulty accessing capital, rising rates, etc.) may affect the timing of your decision. Many sellers took advantage of the premium paid by buyers in the seller’s market for businesses over the past few years. It pays “literally” to consider exiting when there is strong demand and favorable conditions for acquiring businesses.
How to Get Started
PGP Advisory suggests beginning the process with properly setting up your business’ documentation. Are your company’s leases and agreements current, secure and available? Insider Tip – Whenever you renegotiate your lease agreement, consider asking the landlord to agree to subordinate if you (or a buyer) decide to seek bank financing. Be sure your business’ financials are in order, are your Profit and Loss Statements, Balance Sheets, and tax returns accurate, easily accessible, and showing positive trends? We also recommend giving serious thought to your company’s systems and procedures- do you have an operational playbook? Take a look at your role within your company and reduce the need for you to be involved on a daily basis as you can delegate to adequate and well-trained staff.
Takeaways
Owners who adopt a prepared mindset receive the dual benefit of a business with higher value to any external buyer, as well as enhanced profits regardless of whether a sale ever occurs. Being ready for a sale, means making your business more attractive to an outside investor and means your business is more prepared for any eventuality outside of your control that may force you into sale. These tips will help you keep your operations in excellent shape, and they will help your company be more nimble and adaptive to change with a stronger foundation to stand on.
Check out the link below to…
Explore Tax and Cost Savings Opportunity
