Niche Exit Planning Strategies

Selling a Dating and Introduction Service

A good business is about more than dollars and sense. To make your dating and introduction service what it is today, you've had to fully invest yourself in its success. To see your ownership role through to completion, you will need to exhibit similar diligence in selling your company.

Dire economic forecasts have forced many dating and introduction service sellers into hibernation. Instead of listing their companies now, they're hanging back until they see signs of an economic recovery.

There is no simple way to sell a business. But the most prepared dating and introduction service sellers are achieving fair market value and more for their companies through persistence and the application of sound selling techniques.

When to End Negotiations

Negotiations have a way of dragging on forever. Yet eventually many negotiations reach a stage where further discussion is pointless. A lull in negotiations may be part of the buyer's strategy. Then again, it may be a sign that the search for common ground is a lost cause. At this point in the process, an awareness of negotiation parameters really pays off. If the buyer is unwilling to accept your minimum demands, it's time to end negotiations and move on to the next prospect.

Timing the Market

Timing is everything when it comes to selling a dating and introduction service. A depressed economy means lower interest rates; lower interest rates increase the number of investors willing to take a chance on dating and introduction services. When the economy recovers there will be more dating and introduction service buyers on the market, but higher interest rates could present challenges. Market conditions can be intimidating. But your larger concern should be whether or not your business is ready to be presented to qualified sale prospects.

Tapping Into Business Networks

Today's dating and introduction service buyers can be found in a variety of locations. Online business-for-sale databases like BizBuySell.com offer convenient resources for sellers interested in promoting their business to a broad prospect base. More focused prospects are typically found within industry networks. Time and time again, successful dating and introduction service sales emerge from relationships within the industry. The challenge is to leverage industry connections while keeping knowledge of the sale hidden from your competitors. Use good sense in restricting the flow of information within the industry and focusing your efforts toward trusted industry allies.

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