How to quickly and profitably sell a ready-made business?
The question of how to properly sell a ready-made business is of interest to both owners of large corporations and owners of little-known startups. This decision is made for various reasons. But regardless of the circumstances, the sales algorithm is identical and must be followed.
How to sell a ready-made business?
Commercial activity is not only a systematic process, but also a subject of sale and purchase. And in order for the sale of a business to become successful, it is necessary to take into account many nuances:
- Deal prospects.
Assess the profitability of the business. If the commercial activity is on the verge of default, the sale will not save you. In the latter case, the sale of assets in parts will bring more benefits. - The state of the economy.
Contact an expert who will be able to assess the benefits of selling a business in a specific period of time. - List of required documentation.
This information should be clarified with a lawyer and a commercial auditor. Preparing the entire package of documents takes a lot of time, so do not delay with the fees. - Business value.
If the project is estimated to cost more than $100,000, it makes sense to pay for the services of a professional appraiser. Such a specialist takes from 3% to 13% of the transaction.
Reasons for selling an operating business
Before you learn how to sell a business, decide on the reason for the event. Most often, business owners decide to sell for personal reasons, including the birth of a child, retirement age, and simply an urgent need for a large amount of money.
An equally common reason is project reorientation. For example, the owner of the company decided to radically change the commercial direction, but he cannot master two businesses at once. Separately, it is worth mentioning the move, which also forces many businessmen to part with domestic projects.
Increasing the value of the business being sold
No need to rush and sell your project at a bargain price. A couple of marketing tricks will turn a declining business into a tasty morsel.
As an example, let's take a ready-made pharmacy in the capital, owned by I.V. Karpenko. The pharmacy business in Moscow is a highly competitive area. Before the sale, the owner turned to an independent commission of experts who evaluated the pharmacy not only in terms of profitability and level of service, but also in terms of investment attractiveness. According to the appraisers, the business had a modest turnover and needed to be promoted. The far-sighted owner carried out several advertising campaigns before the sale, after which the profitability and, accordingly, the selling price of the pharmacy doubled.
Important!
The value of a business can be increased by showing the buyer "white" accounting and "transparent" revenue. Also, the attractiveness of a commercial project from the point of view of an investor increases if there is a long-term lease agreement and licenses for the selected activity. In general, a good reputation of the company and the presence of a registered trademark gives a solid advantage.
Another example showing the reasonable actions of businessmen. The owner of a private beauty salon on the outskirts of the city wanted to sell his business due to a change in commercial direction. A.N. Kirillova decided to change the sphere of Beauty-services to the wholesale retail of branded sportswear. The owner independently studied the advertisements of competitors who also wanted to sell their commercial projects. Based on the personal assessment of A.N. Kirillova determined the price of her business and published an announcement. After several months, a real buyer has not been found. The owner of the beauty salon had to turn to an audit company.
The specialists identified the real value of the business and gave the client a number of recommendations to increase the investment attractiveness of the project. Among other things, there were very simple tips – extending the lease, repairing the reception desk and reducing electricity costs. Putting this into practice, the owner of the salon managed to sell the business in just a few weeks.
Important!
Auditing companies check the financial and economic condition of the company, including accounting data, as part of an independent assessment. Here, an inventory of property is carried out and an assessment of the civil-legal form of the company with the identification of legal inaccuracies.
Ways to sell a ready-made business
Any more or less successful commercial project can be sold in several ways:
- Purchase and sale.
A rather costly and lengthy procedure, where the entire tax burden is placed on the ex-owner of the business. - Reorganization.
This option of the transaction allows the participants of the event to avoid a number of tax deductions. - Sale of individual assets.
Here, for each asset, a separate sale and purchase agreement is concluded. - Sale of shares or shares.
The most popular method of sale, which allows you to avoid paying VAT.
Preparation of documents
In addition to the direct contract of sale, it is necessary to prepare the following documents:
- inventory act;
- accounting and tax reporting;
- a list of debts and financial obligations of the company with the amounts, conditions and terms of payments;
- an audit report on the value and financial condition of the business.
Important!
The documentation requirements for the sale and purchase of a ready-made business are specified in the current legislation. They are designated in articles 561 and 562 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation.
Assistance of a lawyer with the sale of a ready-made business:
How to sell a business?
You can do this on your own by studying competitive ads. Here you can also resort to the help of appraisers who will help determine the market value of the project. When making a deal through the bulletin board, you can not do without legal assistance in drawing up the contract. If all this seems too difficult, business brokers will come to the rescue.
Intermediaries will check the company for "honesty", help determine the value of assets and, of course, they will look for reliable buyers. Without the services of a business broker, it is problematic to conclude a profitable deal for the purchase and sale of a business. Legal and financial mistakes lie in wait here at every step. The intermediary, in turn, at each stage of cooperation provides legal and legal support for the transaction, advising the client on any issues regarding the sale of a commercial enterprise.
What is the best way to sell a small business?
Today, many buyers seek to impose on small business owners the so-called installment plan – they want to buy a finished project, paying for the deal in installments. This option is suitable mainly for "problem" business. Since it protects the buyer from losing money. If we are talking about a successful ready-made business, installment plans in any form are unacceptable. The fact is that after the sale of the project, the composition of managers changes at the enterprise. Consequently, the further profit of the company and the results of the installment plan will depend on the competence of persons unknown to the former owner.