Smart Exit Planning Strategies for Niche Markets

Selling a Greeting Cards Wholesale and Manufacturers Business

Selling a greeting cards wholesale and manufacturers business doesn't happen overnight. It takes a deliberate process to get top dollar for your company.

Business buyers face their own set of frustrations and complications. Although there are plenty of entrepreneurs who want to buy a greeting cards wholesale and manufacturers business, capital restrictions are holding them back.

However, serious buyers also understand the value of a good greeting cards wholesale and manufacturers business. To sell your greeting cards wholesale and manufacturers business, you'll need to go the extra mile to prove your company has the potential to deliver steady revenue and a solid ROI.

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. Even more, the best brokers have a track of record of discreetly identifying likely buyers and contacting them on your behalf. 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.

Sale Preparation Timeframes

There are no effective shortcuts for selling a greeting cards wholesale and manufacturers business. Since buyers prefer to see evidence of future cash flow, you'll want to to strategically lock in cash flows and increase profits before you list the business. You'll also need to create financial reports, operations manuals, and other documents to create the perception of a turnkey greeting cards wholesale and manufacturers business operation. Unless you have already started planning for your greeting cards wholesale and manufacturers business sale, it's going to take at least six months to prepare your business. A more likely scenario is that it will take more than a year to create the conditions necessary to receive the maximum sale price.

Buyer Concessions

Sellers aren't the only ones who can make concessions in a business sale. In many instances, sellers can request buyer concessions. Often, buyer concessions represent financial incentives that the seller receives in exchange for providing a non-cash benefit (e.g. training, financing, etc.. Asset exclusions, retained ownership shares and long-term contracts with another of the seller's companies can also be leveraged to extract concessions from buyers.

Share this article


Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms

Franchise Opportunities

Contributors

Business Glossary