Smart Exit Planning Strategies for Niche Markets

Selling a Gratings Business

Few entrepreneurs relish the idea of selling a business in a struggling economy. Yet gratings businesses continue to be sold at a brisk pace, outperforming the sales of many other types of businesses.

It takes dedication to sell a gratings business under the best of circumstances. In the current market, you'll need to redouble your efforts and get serious about convincing prospects that your company is a good investment.

At Gaebler, we're seeing gratings business sellers succeed by applying sound sales principles combined with a refusal to be intimidated by a down economy.

When to End Negotiations

Negotiations have a way of dragging on forever. But sooner or later, someone needs to bring negotiations to a close. Unfortunately, that responsibility often falls on the seller. In a gratings business sale, a stalled negotiation can be an indication that the deal is dead. If you are adequately prepared, you'll know what your bottom line is -- and if the buyer is unwilling to meet your bottom line requirements or if negotiations are stalled, it's time to step back from the negotiating table and re-evaluate your options.

Preparing for What's Next

The decision to sell your gratings business can't be made without adequate consideration of what will happen after the sale. Although next steps may seem inconsequential, they actually play an important role in shaping the structure of the sale of your gratings business. In today's market, many buyers expect seller financing - a concession that might not be a possibility for sellers whose next step requires the entire proceeds at the time of the sale.

Advantages of Hiring a Broker

A good broker can offer several benefits to business sellers. Right out of the gate, brokers know how to help their clients properly prepare their businesses for a sale. More importantly, brokers have the ability to identify serious buyers and maintain confidentiality throughout the sale process. Typical brokerage rates (a.k.a. success fees) run 10% of the final price - an expense that is usually recouped through a higher sales price and less time on the market.

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