Exit Planning Advice

Selling a Kitchen Equipment Commercial Business

Selling a kitchen equipment commercial business doesn't happen overnight. It takes a deliberate process to get top dollar for your company.

Today's kitchen equipment commercial business buyers tend to be more skeptical than most about the nation's economic outlook.

However, serious buyers also understand the value of a good kitchen equipment commercial business. So for kitchen equipment commercial business sellers, today's market is all about convincing buyers that the numbers make their companies worth the asking price.

Team-Based Negotiation Strategies

Business sellers are sometimes surprised to find themselves in the position of negotiator-in-chief. When you sell your kitchen equipment commercial business, your business brokers may or may not be willing to conduct negotiations for you. Negotiation is a chess game, best played with the resources and backend support of a negotiation team. A negotiation team comprised of trusted advisors and senior business leaders is essential in helping you devise a winning negotiation strategy. More importantly, a negotiation team can serve as a sounding board -- an objective presence that prohibits your personal emotions from clouding your judgment or sabotaging your efforts to negotiate a successful deal.

Maintaining Objectivity

For most owners, the hardest part of selling a kitchen equipment commercial business is remaining objective. Your estimate of your company's worth is probably skewed by your emotions and your close, personal connection to the business. Although it may be a hard pill to swallow, you need to find a way to introduce objectivity into your sale. Many sellers create a negotiation team to minimize the effect of their personal emotions on negotiations. More importantly, this team can perform a reality check on your expectations for the sale.

Signs You're in Over Your Head

It's not uncommon for the owners of small kitchen equipment commercial businesses to adopt a go-it-alone sale strategy. Plenty of owners sell their kitchen equipment commercial businesses unassisted. Although there are exceptions, solo sales typically take longer and are less productive than brokered sales. Generally, listed businesses should generate interest within a few months. Lack of buyer enthusiasm or persistence indicates that something is wrong. The remedy is professional brokerage or a consultation with more experienced sellers.

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