Business Exits By Industry
Selling a Community Services Information and Referral Business
Despite the pessimistic mood of many sellers, your community services information and referral business can be a high value acquisition target for ambitious entrepreneurs -- even in today's tough economy.
Dire economic forecasts have forced many community services information and referral business sellers into hibernation. Instead of listing their companies now, they're hanging back until they see signs of an economic recovery.
Too often community services information and referral business owners fail to receive fair market value for their businesses. With the right strategy, your sale doesn't have to end that way.
Economic Considerations
Several economic factors can affect the sale of a community services information and referral business. A combination of economic conditions and market sentiment can complicate your sale. The truth is that perfect market conditions may never materialize. A much better approach is to focus on the factors that always attract buyers and investors. In our experience, the most important factors in the sale of a community services information and referral business have little to do with the economy.
How to Work with Business Brokers
Brokerage is a mainstay of the business-for-sale marketplace. Brokers routinely work with community services information and referral business owners to achieve desired outcomes and deliver a successful sale as quickly as possible. Brokerage doesn't replace the seller's requirement to be involved in the sale; it augments the seller's efforts and creates a more seamless sale process. Successfully brokered sales are based on solid relationships between brokers and sellers as well as the strict execution of a common selling strategy.
Negotiation 101
As a business seller, you have to be at the top of your negotiating game. More often than not, the person with the most knowledge will come out on top in a community services information and referral business negotiation. However, the first step in good negotiating is to develop a sense of what you need to get out of the deal. A thorough understanding of sale price, possible concessions and other bottom line requirements gives you the ability to negotiate with confidence. If you aren't sure what you need, put negotiations on hold until you gain a clearer understanding of your own deal parameters.
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