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Selling a Christmas Stockings Business

You've heard the naysayers - now isn't the time to sell a Christmas stockings business. But what they don't know is that many entrepreneurs see Christmas stockings businesses as a smart business investment.

The buzz in the marketplace is that now isn't the right time to sell a Christmas stockings business. Consequently, sellers are holding their businesses off the market until they are sure the market will sustain their asking prices.

Armed with a deliberate selling strategy, sellers of Christmas stockings businesses are finding qualified buyers, even in today's tough market.

Broker vs. No Broker

The decision of whether or not to hire a business broker should never be taken lightly. Is there a cost associated with hiring a broker? Sure - about 10% of the final sale prices. But a good broker will make selling your Christmas stockings business much less painful. A highly skilled broker can compensate for his commission by selling your business for a significantly higher price than you could achieve on your own. But whether you use a broker or not, you may want to list your Christmas stockings business on BizBuySell.com and other popular online business-for-sale listing sites.

Preparing Your Christmas Stockings Business for Sale

The outcome of a business sale is largely determined prior to a market listing. Profitable Christmas stockings business sales opportunities leverage a long-term strategy to increase the value of the business to buyers. Even though it may take years to adequately position your Christmas stockings business, the amount of preparation you perform will have direct correlation on asking and sale prices. Additionally, you'll need time to compile financials and other information that buyers will expect to receive.

Identifying Serious Buyers

If you haven't sold a business before, prepare to be overwhelmed by tire kickers -- seemingly interested buyers who lack the capacity, ability or desire to actually purchase your Christmas stockings business. Even though tire kickers are a fact of life in any sale scenario, they sap valuable time and energy that could be spent identifying more serious prospects. Your business broker can offer insights about how to quickly spot tire kickers. Never provide detailed information about your Christmas stockings business until the prospect has been qualified as a serious buyer.

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